Hungry Corporations: Transnational Biotech Companies Colonize the Food Chain

Helena Paul and Ricarda Steinbrecher with Devin Kuyek and Lucy Michaels 2004 Manila,
Philippines IBON Books

The Green Revolution

The green revolution myth goes like this: the miracle seeds of the green revolution increase grain
yields and therefore a key to ending world hunger. Higher yields mean more income for poor
farmers, helping them to climb out of poverty, and more food means less hunger. Dealing with
the root cause of poverty that contribute to hunger takes a very long time and people are starving
now. So we must do what we can- increase production.
The green revolution was a transformation of agricultural practice developed for the South by
scientists, governments and donor agencies from the North. The development of the varieties of
crops- such as wheat, rice, and maize- that would in response to higher inputs, produce higher
yields.
The green revolution of the 1960s and 1970s depended on the applications of fertilizers,
pesticides and irrigation to create conditions in which high yielding modern varieties could
thrive.
The green revolution was heralded both as the miracle path for economic development and as a
necessity to meet the needs of the ever-growing populations of the South. A means to stem the
potential threat of communism in south-East Asia and Central America, since persistent poverty
and hunger were considered fertile ground for revolution.
To promote the green revolution the Kenyan government forbids outreach workers to teach local
farmers how to compose, and rather promotes the use of chemical fertilizers.

The World Bank for the development of Boitechnology

The World Bank has already provided hundreds of millions of dollars develop biotechnology in
countries such as Kenya, Zimbawe, Indonesia, and Mexico.

The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

The Syngenta Foundation was Officially launched on 12 october 2001, with Klaus Leisenger as
interim executive director in addition to his position at the Novartis Foundation. Its stated goals
are very similar if not identical to the agricultural programme section of the Novartis foundation
fro sustainable Development.

Role of modern technologies in agriculture: With sustainable agriculture as the framework,

research and development can help developing countries control pests and fight plant diseases
while increasing yields and improving crops. In addition to selling products