Attention Whole Foods Shoppers

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, more than a billion people, most living in developing countries were undernourished last year. In turn, the UN World Food Program identifies poor agricultural infrastructure as a root cause of hunger. Because of “buy local” campaigns in the West, interest has fallen among international donors to fund modern agriculture in developing nations. “In Europe and the United States, a new line of thinking has emerged in elite circles that opposes bringing improved seeds and fertilizers to traditional farmers and opposes linking those farmers more closely to international markets,” explains Robert Paarlberg for “Foreign Policy,” adding that the industry has learned from Green Revolution mistakes. “Africa is failing to keep up with population growth not because it has exhausted its potential, but instead because too little has been invested in reaching that potential,” he claims, noting that modern farming can be safe and feed many. – YaleGlobal