Nature & Progrès

Nature et Progrès (Nature & Progress) (is a bimonthly magazine, created in 1964. Every two months, the journal evaluates current events in agriculture and biological food. Provides reporting, interviews, sensitive reports (GMOs, nuclear, incineration...), bio-construction, and news briefs on agriculture, the rural world, gardening, food and distribution as an information tool for the world of agrobiology. This magazine seeks to engage in global reflection on globalisation, fair trade, and its decline. Above all, Nature and Progress is an association that joins farmers, transformers, and consumers, and strives to fight agricultural intensification, GMOs and the negative effects of glabalisation.

Summary / Synopsis
In Fast-Track Technology, Hope For a Second Green Revolution
[Richard Conniff, 26/02/2012]
In Fast-Track Technology, Hope For a Second Green Revolution Richard Conniff, a 2012 Alicia Patterson Journalism Fellow, is a National Magazine Award-winning writer whose articles have appeared in Time, Smithsonian, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine,... Suite
Rebuilding Afghanistan’s irrigation network
[FAO, 14/02/2012]
Rebuilding Afghanistan’s irrigation network The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
Water is key to food security
[FAO, 23/08/2011]
Water is key to food security The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
Famine and Hope in the Horn of Africa
[Jeffrey David Sachs, 31/07/2011]
Famine and Hope in the Horn of Africa Jeffrey David Sachs (United States): Distinguished American economist. Mr Sachs is Director of the Earth Institute, as well as a professor of sustainable development and health policy and management... Suite
FAO report makes strong business case for investing in women
[FAO, 07/03/2011]
FAO report makes strong business case for investing in women The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
Will intensified farming save the rainforests?
[Fred Pearce, New Scientist, 09/02/2011]
Will intensified farming save the rainforests? Fred Pearce is journalist specialized in the environment and development. He was born in the United Kingdom and studied geography in the University of Cambridge. His latest book is When the Rivers... Suite
From tequila to the 'tree of life', bats are nature's invaluable allies
[UNEP, 21/01/2011]
 
UNEP: Created in 1972, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, is the highest environmental authority in the United Nations system. The Programme is an “advocate, educator, catalyst and... Suite
Growing food in greener cities
[FAO, 28/09/2010]
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Towering Lunacy
[George Monbiot, 17/08/2010]
Towering Lunacy George Monbiot is a well-known investigation reporter and columnist for the British newspaper “The Guardian” as well as a member of the BBC Wildlife magazine’s advisory board. He is also the author... Suite
Why it makes more sense to invest in farmers than in farmland
[iied, 20/07/2010]
Why it makes more sense to invest in farmers than in farmland L’International Institute for Environment and Development (iied) a été fondé en 1971. Cette organisation internationale non-lucrative conduit des activités de recherches et de lobbying sur les grands... Suite
Africa’s Urban Farmers
[Juliet Torome, 10/10/2009]
Africa’s Urban Farmers Juliet Torome, a writer and documentary film-maker, was awarded Cine-source Magazine’s first annual Flaherty documentary award. Suite
Fighting Biopiracy
[Silvia Ribeiro et Kathy Jo Wetter, 01/09/2009]
Fighting Biopiracy Silvia Ribeiro et Kathy Jo Wetter travaillent toutes deux en tant que chercheuses pour l'Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group). Suite
A Big Chance for Small Farmers
[Jeffrey David Sachs, 14/07/2009]
A Big Chance for Small Farmers Jeffrey David Sachs (United States): Distinguished American economist. Mr Sachs is Director of the Earth Institute, as well as a professor of sustainable development and health policy and management... Suite
Land grab or development opportunity? Agricultural investment and international land deals in Africa
[FAO, 25/05/2009]
Land grab or development opportunity? Agricultural investment and international land deals in Africa The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
Harvest of Suicide
[Vandana Shiva, 04/04/2009]
Harvest of Suicide Vandana Shiva (India): Physicist, epistemologist, ecologist, and Indian feminist with a PhD in the philosophy of science. She founded “Navdanya,” an association which works to protect biodiversity... Suite
FAO : Farming must change to feed the world
[FAO, 04/02/2009]
FAO : Farming must change to feed the world The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
The Other Carbon Economy
[Vandana Shiva, Resurgence, 01/05/2008]
The Other Carbon Economy Vandana Shiva (India): Physicist, epistemologist, ecologist, and Indian feminist with a PhD in the philosophy of science. She founded “Navdanya,” an association which works to protect biodiversity... Suite
The Instrumental Role of Water in Agriculture
[FAO, 01/04/2007]
The Instrumental Role of Water in Agriculture The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
When FAO forsees an organic future
[Nature & Progrès, 01/07/2007]
When FAO forsees an organic future Nature et Progrès (Nature & Progress) (is a bimonthly magazine, created in 1964. Every two months, the journal evaluates current events in agriculture and biological food. Provides reporting,... Suite
Conclusions of the Report on Organic Agriculture and Food Security
[FAO, 01/05/2007]
Conclusions of the Report on Organic Agriculture and Food Security The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
Why organic farming must replace industrial agriculture
[Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, 01/12/2005]
Why organic farming must replace industrial agriculture With a degree in botanicals from the University of North Wales, he returned to Ethiopia where, since 1970, Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre EGZIABHER has directed the Biology Department at the University of... Suite
Feeding 7 billion well
[Lester Brown, Worldwatch Institute, 01/01/2006]
Feeding 7 billion well Lester Russel Brown, famous author of more than 50 books on the environment and founder of the Worldwatch Institute in the United States, urges us to become more aware of the many services forests... Suite
Agroecology, Humans and their Responsibility to the Living
[Pierre Rabhi, 10/05/2007]
Agroecology, Humans and their Responsibility to the Living A farmer in the1960s, Pierre Rabhi confronted very early on the problem of intensive agriculture and was appalled by the impacts of this practice on ecosystems. In the 1960s, he decided to develop,... Suite

When FAO forsees an organic future

31/08/2008 2:19 pm

Organic Agriculture and Food Security, the report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (the FAO-1) which was presented in May at their international headquarters, contains a veritable agricultural revolution: organic agriculture was finally presented there as a highly efficient way to face the challenge of global food security; the countries have finally called for the inclusion of organic agriculture in their national priorities…

During this time of widespread concern about global warming, an institutional report points out that “The principal characteristic of organic agriculture is that it is supported by production items available on the market and does not use fossil fuels” and that “resorting to natural methods also increases cost-effectiveness, as well as the resilience of agro- ecosystems to climatic stress” is decidedly significant. In this report, presented early in May in Rome during the International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security (2), the FAO identifies the strengths and weaknesses of organic agriculture regarding food security: it’s a considerable step for global ecology, a giant step which allows a glimpse of the work of the Worldwatch Institute who provided one of the first meta-analyses allowing evaluation, on a global scale, of organic agriculture’s capacity to feed the world (3).

The other good news is that Nadia Scialabba, FAO organic agriculture expert, made the connection between ecology and society, finally presenting these two sides of the same coin with a familiarity that until now only the pioneers of organic agriculture could manage to formulate: “[…] organic agriculture breaks the vicious circle of debt from agricultural input costs, debt which causes an alarming suicide rate in the rural world.” According to her, “the demand for a sufficient amount of labor and the benefits which follow offer employment opportunities where this resource is the most abundant, safeguarding the way of life in rural areas”.

The report cites recent models showing that organic agriculture can produce enough per inhabitant to feed the planet’s current population. “These models suggest that organic agriculture has the potential to satisfy the global food demand, like the conventional agriculture of today, but with a minor impact on the environment”. In other words: you obtain the same result without causing damage! With this small phrase alone, the FAO is destroying the productivist model. It’s over; there is no more to be said. In this way, governments are invited to allocate some resources for organic agriculture and to integrate the objectives and actions into their national strategies for agricultural development and poverty reduction, putting the emphasis on the needs of vulnerable groups”. The report also insists on investing in the development of human resources and providing organic agriculture education within the framework of long-lasting development strategies, because “organic agriculture is a system of global production management which excludes the use of fertilizer and pesticides that are synthetic as well as genetically modified organisms, bringing maximum reduction of pollution of air, soil, and water, and optimizing the health and productivity of interdependent communities of plants, animals, and human beings”. Clearly, organic agrarians could not have said it better. This time, and even though we know the aptitude of agricultural firms to organize misinformation and maneuver the executive leadership, it seems that more and more fuel is being added to the fire in the case against conventional agriculture. This will not be without consequence !

*The text was is based on the press release by Pierre Antonios, from the FAO Office of Media Relations.

Notes:
1 – FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
2 –This international conference was organized by the FAO in association with the Associazione Italiana per l’Agricoltura Biologica (the Italian Association for Organic Agriculture), the Centre international de hautes études agronomiques méditerranéennes (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies), the FNAB (National Federation of Organic Agriculture), Rural Advancement Foundation International, the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), Third World Network, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the Worldwatch Institute.
3 – See the report "Alimentation / santé" – Related news also available on their site: L'agriculture biologique relance la biodiversité or Les Français consomment de plus en plus de produits bio


4 – Read "Swiftboating, Stealth Budgeting, and Unitary Executives" by James Hansen

[Nature & Progrès

Nelly Pégeault
Nature et Progrès,Issue n° 63, July 2007

]