For its June 2009 issue, National Geographic magazine spotlighted the ongoing global food crisis with an in-depth Special Report by Joel K. Bourne, Jr entitled “The End of Plenty.”
Bourne’s article provides a full and compelling analysis of the genisis of the food suppy probelm, the benefits and failures of the Green Revolution, the effect food scarcity is having on the global population, and options for combating the crisis.
The author pays special care to the effects some methods of crop yielding has had on populations in countries such as India and China, particularly the profound health issues among farming villages that may be linked to the use of the fertilizers and pesticides as well as abusive irrigation methods attached to crop growth systems installed through the science of the Green Revolution.
Bourne also looks at the pros and pitfalls of various options for addressing the current food crisis, perhaps to suggest that a “one-size-fits-all” solution would be unlikely.
Among the food policy experts Bourne speaks with is Joachim von Braun, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, and Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute. Both von Braun and Brown appeared in the Great Decisions Television Series 2009 episode on the Global Food Crisis. The episode can be watched in full from that link.
National Geographic recently posted the Special Report online. “The End of Plenty” can be read in full, here.
Posted by Sara Chupein
