January 1, 2008
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmSigns of a Green Revolution
By David Biello
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Per capita food production in sub-Saharan Africa is at last rising. According to the World Bank's World Development Report 2008, agricultural growth there “has accelerated from 2.3 percent per year in the 1980s to 3.3 percent in the 1990s and to 3.8 percent per year between 2000 and 2005.” That growth has cut poverty rates in 10 of 13 countries analyzed. In addition to lack of drought, these results arose from an African “green revolution” that experts and United Nations officials called for in 2004. It entails relatively simple strategies, such as government subsidies for fertilizers and better crop varieties, so that farmers pay only 25 percent of the actual costs. Moreover, food production has been increasing more than population growth. Problems still persist, though, such as a lack of access to agricultural markets in the developed world. And global pressure to produce biofuels rather than food may mean that hunger will not be erased anytime soon.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
