The problem of the modern world is unsustainable horticulture practices around the world ,for an example mono crops a breeding ground for every disease and viruses in the world that dose not include the rambet spraying with combination of every chemical on the planet earth we should have mixed crops that include insect repelling plants and biological war fair on smaller scale farms .
The soil should have some form of humus and combined with natural sprays with chemical spraying this would lower the the rate of a great deal of modern cancers that plague the planet let a loan what we are doing to our aquatic life,our bird species .mammals,insects ,soil and the rest it go on for ever .
All this is in the aid to money for vested interests but at what point do we as a human race say hey whats the use of money when the planet is one big sewer with no sustainable future.

Hillbilly. I think we all hear and see whats going on, ( kill the world and kill ourselves ) can money be put in-front of common sense? Well that's the way the world swings at the moment. Humans only learn when Sh@t hits the fan, by then, as you know, its to late. I think, each person must think as a countable(one drop in the ocean) and the difference will be in the hand of the beholder so to speak.

If you do whats right, ( and make money ) others will follow.

Nice thoughts.

hillbilly,

Of course you're right, but unfortunately you are up against vested interests, gross public myopia and vested interests.

Few can see the reason for change or are too scared THEY may lose something, jobs, profits, investments etc.

Good luck selling your message.

I can't completely agree. While modern horticulture is not sustainable neither then is the projected 9 billion population. Which do you get rid of first - high production or high demand?

Genetic modification is giving us insect controling plants, successful not just by the insects they kill but moreso by the ones they don't. Leaving non-target species to continue their lives.

Spraying "natural" chemicals doesn't automatically mean safe, and to top it off a recent study by the Food Standards Agency questioned the health merits of organic produce.

There's no argument about increasing cancers, but the remedies include eating more vegies with no mention of horticultural chemicals as causation, at least in this report. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2003/pr27/en/

"at what point do we as a human race say hey whats the use of money when the planet is one big sewer with no sustainable future"

Excellent question, because the way our society has become so urbanised there is no sustainable future. Wastes/nutrients are not returned to the lands that produced the foods and it is unlikely they ever will be, as tranport costs increase.

Lamenting monocultures overlooks the reality that fewer and fewer people wish to spend their days toiling in the fields. For that to change farm product prices have to radically escalate relative to the general economy, or the economy has to collapse with ensuing rampent unemployment. Preferably the former.

The solution you all seek is very available But there is no other solution. Jesus taught us to pray " let your kingdom come, let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Most of the western world no longer believe in the relivence of God and his word But they know that man left to his own devices is doomed. Any thinking person knows as we attempt to correct our mess it only gets worse. There will be no man made solution to the problem as it requires a change of heart which does not happen apart from Jesus.
Man has tried religion and that only causes division and strife. That has failed as man made kingdoms become the focus. Man has tried the law and that doesn't work for mans heart is rebelous {humans fallen nature}.
Jesus put it very simply "Two new commands I give, put God 1st place in your life and love one another". If you have another idea That Works PLEASE let me know. Both Kevin Rudd and Malcholm Turnbull Profess to be christians but put their belief in evolution first in their actions.
God is a jealous God and shares his grory with no other But he has no hesitation with sharing his glory with Jesus which should tell us what the father thinks. Jesus claimed to be the source of life, the truth, and the only way to the father. Man sees that as arrogant but the words of budda, mohammad and ALL other men no matter how great we think are do not fix mans problems they only create more division.
Man was given the job to tend Gods great garden But chose instead to believe satins word. We continualy change the meaning of words and have lost the message of hope. What has this to do with horticulture you ask well all the ideas you recomend are in the bible on how to make the garden bloom. Until the garden becomes a labour of ourlove for God it will not reach its full potential.

its an important topic
just the gmo
or just mono cropping

or just the big business takeover of farms and the farmers rights and lobby organmisations...and influence

or turning corn into fuel at huge goovt subsidy
so the price of corn doubles
and poor people starve

not to mention water theft...huge dams for a few multinationals to grow rice in deserts...while the people lose their farms/land..and eventually their water..or water qualiry...or life

but its sad that peoples faith and trust
in science /law, church and govt has been perverted