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Big Government, Big Business, Big Science, and “Sustainable Intensification”
Last year Tara Garnett of the Food Climate Research Network and Professor Charles Godfray of Oxford University published a report on “Sustainable intensification in agriculture: Navigating a course through competing food system priorities” — based on a two-day workshop with 30 “key thinkers” held in January 2012. To the great credit of all concerned, outsiders…
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Britain needs more farmers — so why not become one?
Everyone should think about farming as a career.
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What when it’s at home is sustainable intensification?
What does DEFRA’s latest buzz-word actually mean?
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Why the World needs small mixed farms
– and plenty of farmers to run themSupporters of Sir John Beddington’s The Future of Food and Farming claim that the report is all-embracing and even “holistic”, integrating all the various means by which food is produced into one grand pluralistic plan. In truth it is no such thing. Many possibilities are mentioned but mostly in footnotes, while the central narrative has…
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Enlightened Agriculture — or Agrochemistry al fresco?
Colin Tudge argues that the latest row surrounding neonicotinoids merely shows how wide of the mark agricultural strategies really are.
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Further thoughts on Sir John Beddington’s Foresight Report
Plenty of expert input but far short of the “paradigm shift” the world needs!
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“The Future of Food and Farming” equals more of the same
The government Chief Scientist demands “a redesign of the whole food system” but recommends business as usual.