Re: Have you written on bee pollen being contaminated by sick bees?
What you say is true and on that score, do you think that we have built an immunity towards many of the "protections" that we have to be able to feed the world for without those "protections" we would not be able to feed the world.
One might call that a misconception but at the moment we have nothing to sustain growth of plants that is necessary for the large populations on this earth, what are your thoughts Hv?
I think a lot of the claims about the technology helping to feed the population in hype. Granted some of it has really helped such as selective breeding, which has turned tiny grass seeds in to what we now know as corn.
But some of the other technologies such as gene splicing are really no more than corporate greed. Look at Monsanto in particular who is suing farmers for patent infringement when their crops are contaminated with pollen from Monsanto's GMO plant pollens when they get carried over from bees or wind.
Part of it is also just plain ignorance. For example, there are all sorts of ways to improve soil quality and nutrients such as "green manurers", seaweeds, etc. Even tilling plants under for them to compost. Instead a lot of farmers are harvesting the crops then burning what is left losing valuable organic matter than could benefit the soil. Then they go out to buy soil conditioners and artificial fertilizers to put back in the soil because they burnt off the natural stuff. That is like taking spring water and distilling it then going out and buying minerals to put back in the water.
As for insect control they could incorporate more natural predators. Or use safer pyrethrums or intercropping.
We can also eliminate a lot of these problems and produce larger yields with hydroponics or aeroponics systems.
Point is that there is always natural options, but people are not often willing to implement them either due to a little extra effort needed or they buy in to sales hype of the big chemical companies.