The Green Revolution of the mid-twentieth century revolutionized the way the world fed itself. It introduced new fertilizers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds. At the same time, it also placed an enormous burden on the world’s environmental and ecological systems.
Now, more than 50 years later, pressures from population growth and climate change are forcing agriculture to innovate again. From Panama, to Ukraine, to North America, farmers and scientists are figuring out ways to increase global food supplies.
This hour, we learn more about their efforts with environmental journalist Joel Bourne. His new book is called The End of Plenty: The Race to Feed a Crowded World. We also consider some of the consequences if human ingenuity is not embraced.
GUESTS:
- Joel K. Bourne, Jr. - Regular contributor to National Geographic; author of The End of Plenty: The Race to Feed a Crowded World
- Justin Freiberg - Program Director for Yale West Campus and the Yale Sustainable Food Program
- Timothy Snyder - Professor of history at Yale University; author of Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning
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John Dankosky and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on September 22nd, 2015.