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The information explosion, too, would have consequences. Its benefits must be used. The technology should be used to record traditional knowledge, which was not always available. Dr Swami- nathan quoted the example of Cherapunji in India. The wettest place on earth, with annual rainfall as high as 11600 mm, it faces a shortage of drinking water. Yet Jaisalmer, also in India, with 150-200 mm annual rainfall, has more drinking water than Cherapunji . What is known to people in Jaisalmer must be understood also in Cherapunji. One answer might be rural 'information shops,' and the M.S. Swaminathan Founda- tion is working on this concept.
All this had to be considered when planning the 'evergreen revolution.' Its elements, said Dr Swaminathan, should include precision farming, with precise
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delivery of inputs; and an integrated intensive farming system, or IFS, which would include intensification and diversification with added value from crops.
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Rural people could usually identify who amongst their neighbors were in this position.
• Better transfer of information to the poor.
• Attention to protein/calorie deficiency.
• Concentration on better sources of micronutrients (such as vegetable gardens).
• Better water and environmental hygiene, so that people could absorb the nutrients available to them.
• More concentration on women and children, in particular a fight against low birthweights so that young people would be able to meet the challenges of the information age.
To attain these objectives, said Dr Swaminathan, we need more science, not less.
For this, partnerships with national programs must be strengthened. And scientists must take time to bring
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technology to people in the countryside.
It was an exciting time, said Dr Swaminathan. There was so much new technology. But the scale of hunger, poverty and deprivation was vast.
The Director General warmly thanked Dr Swami- nathan for his address--which, he said, was like a symphony. He expressed his admiration for the work of the M.S. Swaminathan Foundation. Development, he said, can only be taken forward by certain individuals with brains and courage, and Dr Swaminathan was one on a world-wide scale. The seminar finished with an enthusiastic standing ovation from a large audience.
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his should include currently-neglected crops which were rich in micronutrients, and should be part of a multifaceted attack on poverty which should include training and trade. Public policy must be carefully tailored to include appropriate pricing and natural-resource management policies.
