ANTHROPOLOGY: The Green Revolution

Tim Brown admits that "kindness can/can be [not always is] sometimes counterproductive. Usually it is not.

The green revolution has indeed been a boon to mankind in general, given our inability voluntarily to control population growth. But it has not generally been a boon to small farmers or peasants. Quite to the contrary, it has forced millions off their farms and into the poverty belts around cities. True, it has been one of the great boons to those of us who are enjoying the delights of globalization. But in much of the world most of the people depend on small farms to make their livelihoods. They are the victims, not the beneficiaries, of too much of the green revolution. But, because they are voiceless, powerless, and marginalized, we rarely hear from them, so we go happily about our lives blessing the bounty around us. In sum, there are two sides to the story."

My comment: The same could be said of NAFTA. It has been a boon to many, but poor Mexican corn farmers cannot stand the competition from US farming.

Ronald Hilton - 9/07/00