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Maria Moderator


Joined: 10 Sep 2008 Posts: 1908
Location: Huntly-ish
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:18 pm Post subject: UK urged to lead on future food |
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8317511.stm | Quote: | The UK should plough £2bn ($3.3bn) into crop research to help stave off world hunger, says the Royal Society.
It says the world's growing population means food production will have to rise by about 50% in 40 years and the UK can lead the research needed.
Approaches it endorses include genetic modification, improved irrigation and systems of growing crops together that reduce the impact of diseases.
It says that rising yields have brought "complacency" over food supplies.
Earlier in the year, the G8 pledged to spend $20bn (£12bn) improving food security for the developing world.
The Royal Society's report, Reaping the Benefits: Science and the Sustainable Intensification of Global Agriculture, concludes that science has to have a significant role if the food supply is to be maintained in 2050, when the world population may have reached nine billion.
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_________________ Better late than never!  |
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Maria Moderator


Joined: 10 Sep 2008 Posts: 1908
Location: Huntly-ish
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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Catching up on the 'news'.  _________________ Better late than never!  |
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Martin Neepster


Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 663
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
GM doesn't work, and will only help prolong the agony by intensifying high input chemical farming, and will rapidly leech the last innate fertility from the land - we have to grasp the nettle of the population problem, and fast!
(that's simple arithmetic - it's not a question of "whether", just "when".........
as explained by the excellent Prof Bartlett -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RdOk521m9WA)
The latest work shows that permaculture can double the yield of land without a chemical or any GM use at all - we have to "go sustainable" and fast, or as Will Self says "we're toast" _________________ http://solarwind.org.uk |
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Maria Moderator


Joined: 10 Sep 2008 Posts: 1908
Location: Huntly-ish
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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I know Thanks for grrrrr'ing for anyone who doesn't.  _________________ Better late than never!  |
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JamesB Neepster

Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 521
Location: Mintlaw area
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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yeah, changing our diet will make a massive difference. I dont mean everyone going vegan but eating a lot less meat etc
James _________________ JamesB
Mintlaw area |
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Ina Neepster


Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 4435
Location: Kincardineshire
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Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:40 am Post subject: |
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We mainly need to use the food we already produce more efficiently - I think I mentioned that book "Waste" on another thread... Sorry, I'm on a mission at the moment  _________________ Ina |
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