The Fuss Over Intensified Farming

The demands of a rising global population on the food system has led to calls for a response that includes reducing waste and improved governance to increase accesibility and affordability.

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  • Africa:  The Fuss Over Intensified Farming

    UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, 10 July 2013

    Spikes in food prices and extreme climatic events have threatened global food security in recent years, raising concerns about humanity's ability to feed its growing population. read more »

Photo: Kate Holt/IRIN

In Karamoja, people are resorting to reducing their food rations to cope.

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  • Send a Cow
    Jul 15 2013, 06:17
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    Thank you for this article on "Sustainable Intensification". As it is noted in the article, the mentioned paper was published to depoliticize the ideas behind the concept. However it is not possible to do so precisely because the food security debate is confronting different thought models that have political implications.

    On the one hand, the IAASTD is a formal study that arises from a multi-stakeholder (all of the world's countries and a multitude of scientists agreed on its contents) consensus and clearly indicates that the way forward is the application of agroecological principles - and rejecting further forms of industrialised agriculture and dubious Genetic modification. On the other hand, SI is a vague concept often appropriated by big agribusiness whose main tenant is the need to intensify food production in more sustainable ways. While a change of mindsets in agribusiness is welcome, we fear that SI might just be "a wolf in sheep's clothing" as pointed out in the report from FOEI.

    The IAASTD is the work of a legitimate international cooperation effort and clearly points to the solutions that should be prioritised for the simple reason that they work. I cannot speak on the contents as this article is paywalled, but from the abstract it simply seems to be about why SI is an appropriate answer in face of the challenges we face. However, the summary seems to indicate that there is no evidence provided on why SI (which, as we mentioned, is a vague concept) is an appropriate answer to food security issues.

    We believe that agroecology is a more appropriate answer given that most productivity gains to be made are in smallholder plots, for which these methods are very well adapted - unlike technologically intensive solutions such as GMOs. Smallholders already provide half of the world's food. Let us support them and their families to increase their production with environmentally friendly methods rather than push for an intensification that is at the source of many ecological problems that agriculture causes.

  • upliftdarace_144
    Jul 15 2013, 15:35
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    We Black Africans have been giving away our Talents and resources, like the one (1) LAZY person , in Jesus Christ’s parable of the Talents . In the parable Three (3) persons were given Talents by God ; 1) One person was given Five (5) Talents. This person was industrious and turned his 5 Talents into Ten (10) Talents. 2) One person was given Two (2) Talents. This person was industrious and turned his 2 Talents into Four (4) Talents. 3) One person was given One (1) Talent. This person was spiritually-lazy and BURIED HIS TALENT IN THE EARTH.

    The above-noted PARABLE OF THE TALENTS have two types of roads of travel we can take with our Talents : a) We can use what God gave us and be fruitful and multiply ; like the persons with five (5) Talents & two (2) Talents. OR b) We can hide our talent in the Earth ; which represents man’s way of suppressing his spiritual conscious , trying to guide him to use his gift from God in love. • And just as God gave Judas Iscariot’s (betrayer of Jesus Christ ) position of Apostle to Matthias . So will God give the place of all who neglect their Talents to those who are industrious .

    Jesus Christ concluded in his PARABLE OF THE TALENTS : God said this to the LAZY SERVANT. “ …….You should have put the Talent I gave you to the use. Then at my coming I should have received my own with interest. . Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten (10) Talents. For to every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that lacks shall be taken away the only thing he has (his soul’s life ). And cast that LAZY SERVANT into The Lake Of Fire :where there shall be weeping and grinding of teeth . If we Black Africans believe that we are equal with anyone, then our actions will Be consistent with our beliefs. After all, “ FAITH WITHOUT CORRESPONDING ACTION IS DEAD ! “. Bottom Line / Conclusion : We Black Africans can , have, and are slowly making a difference in this world . Here are some major things that Black Africans have invented From A - Z : Air Conditioner - Bicycle Frame - Bottle Caps - Hair Brush - Baby Buggy - Auto Air Brake -Toilet (Commode) - Pressure Cooker - Folding Chair - Pressing Comb ( Pressing & Curling Iron ) – (Torpedo Discharger ) - ( Disposable Syringe ) - Doorknob -Door stop - ( Digital Toaster ) - Defroster - ( Clothes Dresser ) -( Dust Pan ) -( Clothes Drier ) [ Eye Protector (Goggles) ] - ( Egg Beater ) - ( Envelope Seal ) - (Fire Extinguisher ) -Elevator -( Fire Escape Ladder ) – (Automatric Fishing Reel ) – (Heating Furnace ) - (Pastry Fork ) ( Guided Missile ) -Guitar - (Gas Mask ) - (Starter Generator) - ( Home Security System ) - Horseshoe – (Horse Riding Saddle ) – (Horn Light Indicator ) - [ Thermo (Heated) Hair Curlers ] ( Bathroom Tissue Holder ) - (Heating Furnace ) –(Rain Hat) – Helicopter – (Hair Care Products) - ( Ironing Board ) – (Ice Cream) – (Kitchen Table) – ( Letter Box) – (Lawn Mower) –Lock -( Electric lamp ) – Lantern – (Lawn Sprinkler) – (X-Ray Machine) - Motor - (Urinalysis Machine ) Mop – (Multi-Stage Rocket) -Corn Planter - Cotton Planter - Pacemaker Controls - Peanut Butter - Paints - Air & Water Pillow – Player Piano -Postal Letter Box -Printing Press -Pencil Sharpener Fountain Pen -Street Sweeper - Stains (Varnish) – Soap – Shoe –Siren - Keyboard Stand -Super Soaker Watergun - Shoe Lasting Machine - Traffic Signal -Sugar Refiner -Stair-Climbing Wheelchair - Train bathrooms - Typewriter -Train Alarm - Medicine Tray - Track Athlete Trainer – Sanitary Belt (Tampons) - Sanitary Belt (Waterproof Tampons) Electric Railway -Passenger Register - Roller Coaster - Pocketed Underwear - Clothes Wringer - Wrench - Window Cleaner - Backwasher - X-Ray Machine

    The Black Inventors Museum - Box 76128 - Los Angeles , Calif. (90076)USA – is where I got some posters displaying detailed information on Black Inventors. [ If anyone would like a copy of my files on Black African inventors contact me via Paradise Personals ] .

    We are still being robbed under the guise of aid. Stop giving away our resources. Develop them, process them ourselves. “ Daniel 11: 14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the ROBBERS of your people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. “

    Modern Slavery started in Ghana with the Portuguese 1442 . We still have a form of Slavery going on in Africa. Could the Portuguese be trying to enslave us again ?

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