Feeding the Planet

Environmental Protection through Sustainable Agriculture
By Klaus Hahlbrock

Almost a billion people all over the earth suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Many of them are starving while the world's population continues to grow dramatically. The population in the industrialized nations, whose hunger is still abundantly satisfied, must struggle with the costs of heavily subsidized overproduction of food. Still, the worldwide lack of food will also pose a threatening problem to them.

Klaus Hahlbrock, Professor of Biochemistry and former director of the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, asks the central question about how the hunger problem can be solved and biodiversity can be preserved at the same time. He pleads for a more deliberate, gentle and responsible way of treating nature and ourselves.

'[T]he writing is fluent, and major facts and arguments bear repetition for their reinforcement value. The books were first published in German with sales exceeding expectations. The translation is of high standard and the books are a pleasure, as well as stimulating, to read. And in the true spirit of The Sustainability Project, these books complete with search, bookmark and notes function are also now available in e-book format...

For informing, educating and stimulating debate and action among society in general and among scientists, administrators and politicians, these 12 books in 'The Sustainability Project' will provide all with food for thought and a lasting resource for teaching and public speaking on a wide range of the interdependent issues that will determine whether future development is sustainable - or not.'

The New Agriculturist, November 2009

Author activity:

Professor Hahlbrock is speaking at the EMBO/EMBL Science and Society Conference in Heidelberg, Germany 0n the 6th and 7th of November 2009. The conference is titled 'Food, sustainability and plant science'.

Professor Hahlbrock is chairing the first session on day one of the conference, and will present the closing speech for the conference under the same title as his book; “Feeding the Planet – Environmental Protection through Sustainable Agriculture”.

Review in CHOICE Magazine (USA), February 2010:

'This book gives an accessible overview of the problems society faces in feeding a rapidly growing world population. Hahlbrock (biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Plant Breeding Research, Germany) eloquently describes the development of agriculture from the Neolithic revolution to present times, and shows how increases in human populations were linked to revolutions in agriculture, specifically developments in plant breeding. He argues that the future success of humanity will require a fundamental change in strategy from expansion to contraction as people set themselves the difficult goal of increasing food production while reversing ecological destruction and halting exponential population growth. This monumental goal, according to the author, can likely only be achieved with the help of genetic engineering to speed the development of new crop varieties. Despite denials that it is Hahlbrock's intention to advertise genetic engineering, this is exactly how the book comes across, and he does make a convincing case. However, the author barely touches on the challenges and potential problems associated with this approach. For a more thorough discussion of the potentials and challenges of genetic engineering, see Lords of the Harvest by Daniel Charles (CH, Apr'02, 39-4565). Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and general readers. -- J. R. Reeve, Utah State University.'