The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements claims that 2 million of the world’s 1.5 billion farmers produce organic goods and 80 percent of them are in developing countries, according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor. India has the largest number of certified producers. “While the 94 million acres of certified organic agricultural land constitutes less than 1 percent of total global agricultural land, industry analysts call the growth of organics significant, also noting that the certified numbers fail to account for the vast numbers of small-scale farmers who use organic methods by default,” says the Monitor. An attraction for growers is the premium price they receive for their crops.
Reuters says India’s prime minister backs development of genetically engineered foods as a way boosting “dismal farm productivity in India,” where arable land is under pressure by expanding cities “and population growth will mean there are 1.5 billion mouths to feed by 2030 – even more than China.” GE cotton is widely grown in India. The country became self-sufficient in food grains as a result of the so-called green revolution of the 1960s. “The challenge now is to replicate the success in edible oils and vegetables, which are increasingly in demand,” says Reuters.