There was a time when one associated the Nandi foothills with the river Arkavathi and a lush green as far as the eye could see. Today, the foothills are populated with eucalyptus plantations.
Green Revolution (GR) technologies, supported by official policies, and fuelled by agro-chemicals, machinery and irrigation, are well known to have improved agricultural production and productivity.
A participant at the CAP Go Natural fair, Cik Salwatinisa from Tunjong, Kelantan proudly displayed a range of organic SRI rice, farmed and milled for consumption by her company, Sunnah Tani Sdn. Bhd. in Tunjong, Kelantan.
Despite the pre-Cancun Wikileaks revelation of U.S. strong-arm tactics at the Copenhagen summit, and U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern's remarks about "climate bribery", wherein he said countries asking for aid were in no position to accuse the U.S. of bribery; it is largely perceived that the Cancun Climate Meet has picked up the lost momentum of Copenhagen.
Rice is at the heart of a fierce strategy debate as the country prepares to launch the second Green Revolution in the eastern states. Policymakers and scientists have drawn up ambitious plans to increase the productivity of this cereal which feeds two-thirds of Indians.