How science (advances in deep-root food plants) could spark a second Green Revolution

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech/2010/0406/How-science-could-spark-a-second-Green-Revolution

How science could spark a second Green Revolution

To fight poverty and overpopulation, crops need coaxing. Advances in deep-root food plants may trigger a new Green Revolution.

Jonathan Lynch wants to get at the roots of the problem of producing enough food for humanity. Literally.

In projects around the world, the professor of plant nutrition at Pennsylvania State University and his colleagues are trying to develop crops whose root systems can resist drought and take up fertilizer from the soil more efficiently.

With world population expected to grow by nearly 50 percent to more than 9 billion people by midcentury, farmland is going to need to be much more productive. Even today, nearly 1 out of every 6 people in the world – more than 1 billion – are going hungry, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

With most good farmland already under cultivation, any new acreage would likely be in marginal land with either poor soil conditions or little rainfall. What's more, climate change is expected to make some regions drier or hotter, which may send crop yields plummeting.

...

[ClarkUSA]

1. Good news... of course, population control is the best strategic answer to curtail starvation. n/t

[Confusious]

2. Unfortunately

Most of the growth is going to happen in third world countries.

The industrialized nations all have low pop growth, China has a semi-one child policy.

The only country that needs to curtail growth is India.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. A 50% increase in the next 40 years isn't all going to come from India.

[ClarkUSA]

5. It is unfortunate. It's the third-rail of demographic politics. Nobody wants to talk about it.

<<The only country that needs to curtail growth is India.>>

Certain African nations do too. So do nations like Bangladesh and Somalia, or anywhere where there is mass starvation and near-zero functional domestic infrastructure. For environmental conservation purposes, I'd say all underdeveloped nations need to enact zero population growth.

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. India's "Total Fertility Rate" isn't that high

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_by_fertility_rate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_growth_rate

[The2ndWheel]

4. You just have to sit back and watch the train wreck happen at this point

Fairness and equality dictate that what one has access to, all must have access to. You can't not do a second green revolution. You also can't do a second green revolution.

Just get comfortable.