AGRICULTURE
REPORT - Agroecology, Part 1
By Mario Ritter
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English
Agriculture Report.
This week, we take a suggestion from a listener
in Brazil. Agricultural specialist Luiz Augusto Verona in Chapeco would
like to hear about agroecology（農(nóng)業(yè)生態(tài)學(xué)）.
He says it is a subject that these days "everybody talks about."
The word agroecology is generally used to describe
farming methods that can be carried out in a way that does not damage
the environment. Sustainable development（可持續(xù)發(fā)展）is
another term often used in connection with agroecology. Sustainable
development methods are designed to save resources.
Interest in agroecology has increased in recent
years. Now, many universities offer studies in this area. The University
of California at Santa Cruz and Pennsylvania State University are just
two of the schools that offer agroecology programs. Many agricultural
programs are also linking studies in animal biology, soil science and
other studies.
In many ways agroecology is an answer to the
technological movement to increase production in some crops. This movement
which developed in the 1960s and 70s became known as the Green
Revolution（綠色革命）. Scientists developed ways to make highly productive
forms of wheat, corn and rice.
Norman Borlaug helped bring about the Green
Revolution. Mister Borlaug was an agricultural researcher for the DuPont
Company. Later, he went to Mexico where he worked at the
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center（國際玉米小麥改良中心）.
He became the director. He also helped create new kinds of highly productive
wheat. Mister Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his efforts
to develop more productive crops and to train scientists. He remains
active in this work today.
The Green Revolution produced huge increases
in crop size in India, Mexico, Pakistan and the Philippines. It has
also placed importance on the use of chemical fertilizers and insect
poisons, and on the need for new crops. Today's genetically changed
crops are the next step.
Agroecology seeks to use scientific knowledge
of the environment to make good choices about growing crops. Many experts
say it is not competing with the goals of the Green Revolution. They
say both have a single goal: to feed the world's people.
Listen next week as we tell more about agroecology.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report
was written by Mario Ritter. This is Steve Ember.
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