The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

Agriculture really wanted it to die in the ditch. When it became clear tome that the main purpose of the program was to promote a rapid end togrowing winter grain, leaving it "dead by the side of the road" so tospeak, I exploded in indignation.Forty years ago the call was to grow wheat, to grow foreign grain, togrow a useless and impossible crop. Then it was said that the Japanesevarieties of rye and barley did not have as high a food value as Americangrain and the farmers regretfully gave up growing these traditionalgrains. As the standard of living rose by leaps and bounds, the word wentout to eat meat, eat eggs, drink milk, and change from eating rice toeating bread. Corn, soybeans, and wheat were imported inever-increasing quantities. American wheat was cheap, so the growing ofnative rye and barley was abandoned. Japanese agriculture adoptedmeasures which forced farmers to take part-time jobs in town so theycould buy the crops they had been told not to grow.And now, new concern has arisen over the shortage of foodresources. Self-sufficiency in rye and barley107