here on Monday that revival of sustainable and environment-friendly
agricultural practices held the key to achieving food
security.Delivering the inaugural address at an international seminar
on 'Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Plant Biomass,' organised by
the University of Kerala in association with the Lund University,
Sweden, he said threat to food security was the consequence of man's
plunder of natural resources to satisfy his greed. "The solution is to
go back to Nature and restore harmony with the environment," he
said.The Minister said the government's effort to promote organic
farming in Kerala had received a good response from farmers.In his
keynote address, chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board
V.S.Vijayan said the nation's drive to increase the GDP-based economic
growth had led to grave consequences for the natural environment.
"Environmental degradation and species extinction are the result of
this mad race to achieve the GDP growth rate at any cost. As much as
38 per cent of wetlands have disappeared over the last 10 years,
affecting water availability. There is no action plan to protect the
remaining wetlands." Dr. Vijayan said biomass-based development
offered a means to reverse environmental degradation. "As a key input
for organic farming, efforts should be directed to sustainable
utilisation of this resource," he said.Baboo M. Nair, Lund University,
Sweden, who presided over the function, also stressed the need to
ensure sustainability through intervention at the grassroots level.
The Hindu, 16th December 2008
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