Sir,
In your article “Malthus, the false prophet” (May 15th, 2008) you pay an homage to Julian Simon, who challenged Malthusian ideas for decades, though you don’t give him credit, which is a pity, especially since Simon is dead. I subscribe your criticism against Malthusianism despite the recent increase of price of foodstuffs. Yet you show an enthusiasm towards new “green revolutions” based upon Genetically Modified Organisms. I am reluctant to put all my trust into technology: the former “green revolution” of the 1960s and 1970s did not benefit everyone, poor farmers were left out not having the means to buy the fancy inputs (fertilizers and pesticides that needed much irrigation, unsustainable in semi-arid and arid regions) sold by American lobbies that also promoted population control among the poor people, of course, being also pushed out into marginal and forested areas, and being blamed because of that. Without necessarily going back to an era of primitive agriculture, a new era of “human ingenuity” (one of the Julian Simon’s favorite expression) and social justice to stop agricultural subsidies in rich countries and to provide small farmers with the elementary means, say a piece of land, should be welcomed in many developing countries.
Pau Serra-del-Pozo
Barcelona (Spain)
