Gates eyes a greener revolution

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said on Thursday that the next round of green revolution on the lines of those in India in 60s should be greener than the first.

"The next Green Revolution has to be greener than the first," Bill Gates is expected to say today in a speech at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, the Foundation said.

"It must be guided by small-holder farmers, adapted to local circumstances, and sustainable for the economy and the environment," Gates will say laying out the Foundation's vision during his first major address on agricultural development.

The Gates Foundation also announced on Wednesday grants to nine foundations totalling $120 million illustrating the range of efforts necessary to empower millions of small farmers to grow enough to build better, healthier lives.

Gates will also pay tribute to Dr Norman Borlaug, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his pioneering work in expanding agricultural production in the developing world, who died recently.

Gates will say that the world should draw inspiration from the agricultural transformation in Latin America and Asia during the 1960s to 1980s, known as the Green Revolution, which averted famine, saved hundreds of millions of lives, and fuelled widespread economic development.

At the same time, he will also warn that as scientists, governments, and others strive to repeat the successes of the original Green Revolution, they should be careful not to repeat its mistakes, such as the overuse of fertiliser and irrigation.

According to World Bank, three-quarters of one billion people who live in extreme poverty depend on agriculture for a living. More than one billion people suffer from chronic hunger in the developing world. Despite these challenges, there are reasons for optimism in the fight against hunger, the Foundation said.

After two decades of neglect, the world's attention is once again focused on agricultural development. The G20 group of leading donor and developing nations recently made a three-year, $22-billion pledge to help solve global hunger by supporting small farmers in the developing world. "It's a great thing that donor nations are focusing on this issue," Gates will say.

"But we need them to spell out clearly what the $22-billion meanshow much is old money, how much is new, how soon can they spend it, and when will they do more?"

Gates will also highlight the Foundation's ongoing research on crops that can withstand drought and flooding so poor farmers can adapt to climate change. It is also supporting a ground-breaking effort with the World Food Programme to buy food from small farmers in the developing world for food aid.

Image: Bill Gates