Only Organics Can Feed The World -- Article

[SteveinMN]

Do you think half the conflicts going on in the world would even be happening if people had a decent quality of life? It is angry, disgruntled, disenfranchised (or just plain hungry) people who turn on one another.

I think there are many cultures about which we (as Americans) don't understand a thing. We've fostered our own conflicts, sometimes out of convenience (Vietnam War, Iraq "war") -- people with a very decent quality of life going after a few military leaders in each country and letting most of the (already-poor) population suffer as collateral damage. And we're seeing, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, that tribalism trumps just about everything. Streams of refugees leave war-torn countries and barely have the energy to survive, never mind fight back. Even a brand-new school or bridge built is a target for rockets and suicide bombers if the people in that town are different from 'you'.

I used to think that economic opportunity was a great equalizer; giving people a stake in what's going on would leave them less willing to upset the cart by resorting to violence. But I'm honestly thinking that some cultures are only okay with absolute rule (theirs, of course) even if it means everyone is living in the gutter.

[Gardenarian]

Great article! I had never heard of that website - looks like lots of goodies there.
Thanks!!

[ApatheticNoMore]

Food harvests are actually near all time record:

"At the currently forecast level, world cereal production in 2012 would be 2.6 percent down from the previous year's record crop but close to the second largest in 2008. The overall decrease comprises a 5.2 percent reduction in wheat production and a 2.3 percent reduction for coarse grains."
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/161602/icode/

The problem is population growth and increased demand for food, much of which is used to make biofuels. Like I said much of the reason people will starve, if they do, is because the 1st world chooses to burn food as fuel. It's deliberate policy.

[freein05]

A very interesting article. As an side, I had some cousins that were farmers in Nebraska. They farmed from the late 60s to the 1980s. A few of them died from cancer. Many of these very conservative Midwestern farmers blamed it on the chemicals they used on their crops. No scientific studies but just the feelings of serving spouses.