May 31, 2023

Erna Bennett and the Perils of the Green Revolution: Part Two

50 minutes

This episode picks up where the previous episode left off, exploring Erna Bennett's work with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and her increasing criticisms of the Green Revolution's impact on global agriculture. The episode portrays Bennett as a dedicated scientist who challenged powerful interests within the FAO and the broader agricultural establishment to advocate for a more nuanced and ecologically sound approach to food production.

Bennett's Critique of Seed Banks: "More Artifacts Than Resources"

Building on her earlier work in genecology, Bennett argued that simply storing seeds in banks was insufficient for protecting plant genetic diversity. She believed that removing seeds from their natural environments and storing them in controlled conditions halted the evolutionary processes that allowed plants to adapt to changing environments and pressures. This critique challenged the prevailing view that seed banks were the primary solution to genetic erosion. Bennett stressed that preserving the dynamic relationship between plants and their environments was essential for maintaining their evolutionary potential. She likened seed banks to museums, preserving artifacts rather than living, evolving organisms. This perspective, although initially controversial, has gained traction in contemporary discussions about the limitations of seed banks and the need for complementary conservation strategies.

Challenging the "Plug and Play" Approach to Plant Breeding

Bennett criticized the dominant approach to plant breeding during the Green Revolution, which focused on isolating and manipulating individual genes to achieve specific traits, such as high yields or disease resistance. She argued that this reductionist perspective overlooked the complex interactions between multiple genes and the environment. She likened this approach to the simplistic Punnett squares used to illustrate basic Mendelian inheritance, highlighting the inadequacy of such models for understanding the intricate web of genetic interactions in real-world ecosystems. Instead, Bennett advocated for a more holistic understanding of plant genetics, emphasizing the need to conserve entire genotypes – the complete set of genes within an organism – to preserve the full range of adaptive potential.

The Importance of Local Knowledge: Echoes of Efraím Hernández Xolokotzi

Just like Efraím Hernández Xolokotzi, whose story was explored in previous episodes, Bennett recognized the vital role of local knowledge in understanding and preserving plant diversity. She argued that seed collections should be accompanied by meticulous documentation of local agricultural practices, cultural traditions, and environmental variations. This emphasis on integrating scientific knowledge with the wisdom of farming communities directly challenged the top-down, technocratic approach often associated with the Green Revolution.

Clashing with Otto Frankel: A Debate on the Practicality of In Situ Conservation

The episode highlights a key intellectual debate between Bennett and Otto Frankel, a prominent geneticist and advocate for the Green Revolution. Frankel argued that preserving landraces – locally adapted varieties – in their original environments was impractical in a world where those environments were rapidly changing. He questioned the purpose of in situ conservation when agricultural landscapes were undergoing significant transformations. Bennett countered that while Frankel's concerns were valid, the solution lay not in abandoning in situ conservation but in adapting it to dynamic conditions. This disagreement underscores the tension between preserving traditional agricultural practices and adapting to the pressures of modernization.

The Green Revolution's Blind Spot: Communities Feeding Themselves as a Threat

The episode delves into the ideological underpinnings of the Green Revolution, arguing that it was based on a belief that Western science was necessary to "save" the world from hunger and that communities feeding themselves were somehow a negative outcome. Frankel's skepticism towards Bennett's focus on local food production is framed as evidence of this worldview. The hosts suggest that Frankel, and by extension the Green Revolution's proponents, saw the goal of agriculture not as empowering communities to provide for themselves, but as integrating them into a globalized system of food production and consumption. This interpretation aligns with critiques of the Green Revolution that highlight its role in promoting industrial agriculture and corporate control over food systems.

Corporatization of Seed Banks: The "Personal Resource Bank" Problem

The episode explores how seed banks, initially intended as a public good, became increasingly vulnerable to corporate interests. Bennett observed that certain companies viewed these publicly funded collections as their own private resource banks, seeking to acquire and control valuable genetic material for commercial purposes. The hosts draw a parallel between this phenomenon and the strategies employed by companies like Kellogg's, which dominate supermarket shelves by acquiring and controlling multiple brands. This comparison highlights how corporate consolidation can undermine public institutions and erode access to essential resources, including genetic diversity.

Silencing Dissent: Bennett's Struggle Against Corporate Influence within the FAO

Bennett's outspoken criticisms of corporate influence within the FAO led to increasing marginalization and silencing. Her superiors pressured her to downplay her concerns, and she was eventually isolated from research activities and prohibited from attending meetings without explicit permission. This treatment reveals the power dynamics within international organizations and how dissenting voices can be marginalized, particularly when they challenge the interests of powerful corporations.

Bennett's Departure from the FAO: A Blaze of Glory and Lasting Impact

The episode culminates in Bennett's dramatic exit from the FAO in 1981, after 20 years of service. She refused to retract a scathing critique of the FAO's complicity in promoting corporate interests, which was accidentally released to the public. Her resignation on May Day, followed by her participation in a May Day march in Rome, is presented as a symbolic act of defiance against capitalist exploitation and a commitment to worker solidarity.

Despite facing significant opposition, Bennett's work had a lasting impact on the field of plant genetic resources. Her early warnings about the dangers of genetic erosion helped to raise awareness of the issue and contributed to the development of international agreements aimed at conserving plant diversity. The episode concludes by emphasizing the importance of recovering and amplifying Bennett's story, which has been largely obscured, perhaps intentionally, from mainstream narratives about the Green Revolution. T

It's worth noting that this episode, while based on historical research, is presented through the lens of the hosts' specific political perspectives. They openly identify themselves as "proles" and frequently critique capitalism and corporate influence. Therefore, it is important to consider their potential biases when interpreting their analysis of Bennett's story and the broader context of the Green Revolution.

For sources, transcripts, and to read more about this subject, visit: www.agroecologies.org

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