Did the Green Revolution, which brought high-tech agriculture to developing nations in the 1960s, prevent famine? Recent research takes a much more skeptical view.
What do ammonium nitrate and iodine have in common? Both substances are of immense service to humankind, and the history of their discovery is closely linked to that of the production of explosives.
African countries, like Nigeria and Ethiopia, increased their food production using a system-wide approach, and not the traditional reliance on isolated projects.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s new climate documentary is an urgent call for the promised green tech revolution. But it shows too much faith in politicians and corporations to change their ways.
The modernisation of agriculture has been touted by economists and the IMF as a way of reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. But caution about the benefits of the Green Revolution is advisable.
China is pouring money into clean energy - not just to tackle climate change but because these are economically fruitful industries. And as China develops them, the technologies will get cheaper for everyone.
The challenges of feeding a hungry planet are many. Gene editing crops to be more productive, nutritious or hardy could help, but concerns about GMOs abound.