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grains, ferti lizers, cattle breeds, and
other larming techniques - to the
wide variety ol differing climates,
soils, and social conditions around
the world.
They pointed out, too, that the
subsistence larmer, who produces
much ol the agricultura! output in
many countries, has been greatly
neglected not only by politicians
but also by science in the rush to
apply mass-oriented technology
that is not suitable to more t radi–
tional farming practices.
Needed: Unprecedented Harmony
and Cooperation
Sartaj Aziz, deputy executive direc–
tor of the U.N. World Food Council ,
said at Ames, lowa, ' 'The food
problem ol !he next 25 years is es–
sentially manageable, but it will re–
quire
tremendous national and
international effort."
Al this late hour, il mankind is to
have any hope al all ol achieving
such massively locused effort to
solve the lood crisis, government
leaders and social institutions ol all
kinds must do al l they can to sub–
merge or del use divisive ancient
hatreds, animosities, and conllicts
within and without their borders.
Only a climate ol general world
peace and stability will encourage
governments, bankers, and busi–
nesses to risk the immense
amounts ol aid and technology
needed to help remedy the cri sis.
But are the leaders ol nations -
the prime ministers, advisers, parlia–
ments, and congresses who decide
lile and death issues for other mil–
lions- getting the message?
Apparently not. As
New York
Times
chiel corresponden! C. L.
Sulzberger analyzed recently: "So
lar there is little sign that the world
at large and the United States in
particular have yet come to grips
with what will almos! certainly be–
come a crucial international prob–
lem during the next U.S. president's
term: the threat ol mass starvation
in many lands."
Food Crisis Foretold
The outcome ol the lood cns1s 1s
prophesied in the Bible. Ultimately
there will be plenty ol lood for all :
" The plowman shall overtake the
reaper " (Amos
9:13).
But belore
The
PLAIN TRUTH November 1976
SALTMENACE
..Mankind ha ... a kind of arro–
gant as.<;umption that man's tech–
nological management of the
planct excmpts him from the limi–
tations nature imposes on every
other species," said Harrison
Brown. notcd Caltcch scientist, be–
fore a reccnt govemment sub–
committee.
Another scientist and ecologrst.
Erik P. Eckholm, asserts that
humans in poor countries as well
as in advanced nations are - out
of desperation. ignorancc. short–
sightedncss. and greed
destroy–
ing the basis of their own
livelihood as they violate the limits
of natural systems. He warns,
"Whilc ecological systems are
supple, they can snap back vi–
ciously when bent too far."
Encroachlng Crust of Salt-
A System Pushed Too Far
In various publications. Eckholm
is warning that growing soíl sali–
nity is onc of thc gravest threats
fadng world food production. Thc
crisis is a legacy of the great dam
and irrigation projects of the 1950s
and 1960s.
Now a thin. but lcthal white
crust of salt is spreading rapidly
over millions of acres of the earth's
most fertile land.
Eckholm reports that vast areas
of the 30 most irrigated countries
face severe food los..,es from sali–
nity. alkalinity. and waterlogging.
In a new joint study brought out
by the United Nations Environ–
ment Program and the Washing-
this occurs, the result ol man's
seeming inability to
tace
his prob–
lems and his failure to put aside
narrow na!lonal ideologies and con–
tlicts will be worldwide chaos.
Jesus Christ prophesied that
wars, lamines, and disease epidem–
ics would be among the "beginning
ot
sorrows " suffered by mankind
just befare he is torced to return to
earth to stop sinning nations lrom
ultimate catastrophe (Matthew
24:7, 8, 22).
Chapter 6 of the book ol Revela-
ton-based Worldwatch lnstitute.
Eckholm rcports that salt has dam–
aged 20% of the 25 million acres
on Pakistan's lndus Plain. the
world's largest irrigated region;
onc tenth of lndia's 150 million
irrigated acres; 20% of China's
main irrigated rcgion; between
25<{ and 50% of Syria's Euphrates
Valley; 15% of a new irrigation
project in Jordan's River Valley:
30% of Argentina's Patagonia re–
gion; as much as 50% of the irri–
gated land m Brazil's crowded
northeast: plus large acreages of
northwestern Mexico's Mexicali
and Yaquí valleys.
In the United States, thc rising
salt content of the Colorado River
has led to falling crop production
in California's rich Imperial and
Coachella valleys. The salt prob–
lem is particularly acute in Egypt
now that the Aswan Dam no
longer permits the Nile's annual
Hoods to fiush salt deposits away.
Today. in southern Iraq, vast
arcas glisten like fresh fallen snow
where once mighty empires pros–
pered in the days of Abraham.
The growth of irrigation is one
of the main reasons world food
production kept up with or sur–
passed population growth in the
past two decades. But with 15% or
more. of the irrigated land now
threatened, damaged. or de–
stroyed. the big question is
whether or not irrigation will ulti–
mately prove to be a severe long–
term detrimcnt to world agricul–
ture.
!ion reveals that lamine, along with
wars, disease epidemics, and ani–
mal plagues, will kili
one quarter
ol
mankind- over a billion people.
This greatrtragedy could be
avoided. But .mankind as a whole,
with all his divisions and competing
points of view, seemingly can '! gen–
erate the necessary will and means
todo so.
As Sartaj Aziz concluded at
Ames, "The next five years will de–
termine the tate ol the year
2000."
o
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