How Organic, Sustainable and "local" Impact the Third World

·       Can Organic Farming Feed the World? ( www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~christos/articles/cv_organic_farming.html )
With the world population passing the 6 billion mark last October, the debate over our ability to sustain a fast growing population is heating up. Biotechnology advocates in particular are becoming very vocal in their claim that there is no alternative to using genetically modified crops in agriculture if "we want to feed the world".

·       Cuba’s Organic Revolution ( www.twnside.org.sg/title/twr118h.htm )
The US trade embargo of Cuba, plus the collapse of the island’s Soviet market, has meant that the country has found it virtually impossible to import the chemicals and machinery necessary to practise modern, intensive agriculture. Instead, it has turned to farming much of its land organically - with results that overturn the myths about the “inefficiency” of organic farming.

·       Farmers in developing world hurt by 'eat local' philosophy in U.S. (www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/18/EDGOTB668.DTL)
Increasing awareness of climate change has transformed the way Americans think about organic food. While organic consumers used to focus on how food was produced, such as whether pesticides were used, they now are also concerned about how far food has traveled to arrive at their plate. The issue is that greater distances often equate to more energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.  

·       Nature and limits of socio-economic impact analyses (www.syngentafoundation.com/biotechnology_third_world_agriculture.htm )
Assessing the socio-economic impacts of agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries may »simply« be an academic task - the evaluation of the results, however, is subject to a great variety of interests and value judgements of a multitude of stakeholders. A review of the literature on the issue confirms this fact. Some authors consider agricultural biotechnologies to be amongst the most powerful and economically promising means1, while others perceive them as a threat2 to development in Third World countries.

·       Organic Benefits Third World Farmers ( www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/benefits022502.cfm )
Farmers in developing countries are reaping the benefits of adopting Ogreen' agricultural practices far more than their western counterparts, suggests a report last week.

·       Manufacturing a Food Crisis ( www.thenation.com/doc/20080602/bello )
How "free trade" is destroying Third World agriculture--and who's fighting back. ... the World Bank toward export agriculture to generate foreign exchange, ..

·       Sustainable Farm Practices Improve Third World Food Production (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060123163315.htm)
Crop yields on farms in developing countries that used sustainable agriculture rose nearly 80 percent in four years, ...

·       Third World Network Information Service On Sustainable Agriculture (www.twnside.org.sg/susagri.archives.htm)

·       Topics in Sustainable Agriculture (www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~tselby)  
… The increase in yields would be coupled with a decrease in off farm inputs, as well as an increase in the demand for labor. Chemical inputs are very hard for many poor farmers to buy due to lack of foreign currency. The decreased amount of off farm inputs needed would mean that farmers would no longer have to sell their goods for foreign currency (i.e. produce cash crops) and could focus instead on producing foodstuffs (which would work to increase food security). …