2011 State of the World

The 2011 edition of this annual publication concentrates on innovations that nourish the planet, addressing some of the key issues relating to the future of food, especially in Africa. The emphasis is on ecological projects with low use of external inputs and tailored to local conditions. The Green Revolution path involving irrigation, mechanisation, high yielding seed varieties and chemical fertilisers can lock farmers into a cycle of dependency when they have to purchase expensive inputs every year. The situation in Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly acute, since arid and semiarid areas are projected to increase and therefore cut overall yields. In this context, soil structure is extremely important and cannot be maintained simply by the use of chemical fertilisers. Previously, the land was left fallow for a period, but population pressure has made this less feasible, and it seems that it is the lack of organic matter which is destroying the productivity of their soils. There is much reason for hope when reading the accounts related in this book.