The Green Revolution of high-yielding wheat, rice and maize varieties, boosted by synthetic fertilizers, is credited with averting famine in the developing world. In a speech at a London think tank, FAO director general Jose Graziano de Silva said, “The future of agriculture is not input-intensive, but knowledge-intensive.”
“Nourishing people must go hand in hand with nourishing the planet,” said the FAO chief, arguing the gains of the Green Revolution have run into the limits of natural resources. Deforestation, soil depletion, greenhouse gas emissions and falling water tables have accompanied the rise in food production over recent decades.
“We need to promote innovation and implement sustainable practices that provide nutritious and accessible food, ecosystem services and climate-change resilience at the same time,” said Graziano da Silva. He also said social programs are vital to assure food is available to all. There are 800 million hungry people in the world despite agricultural abundance.