Media advisory - Live chat with the father of India's Green Revolution: "From Green to Evergreen Revolution: How to Feed the World"

OTTAWA, Oct. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - Professor M S Swaminathan, the father of the Green Revolution that staved off famine in India 40 years ago, will be chatting live on World Food Day, October 16th, about the future of global food security. In a conversation with Doug Saunders of The Globe and Mail, Professor Swaminathan will take questions from the public and address how an 'Evergreen Revolution' might help feed the world. The discussion will take place on Twitter and The Globe and Mail website at 12pm (ET).

In the 1960s, economists and demographers believed that India stood on the brink of famine. They feared that population growth would outstrip food production and that the 1970s would be a time of famine and hunger in India and the rest of Asia. Professor Swaminathan's vision of the Green Revolution transformed India almost overnight from a "begging bowl" to a "breadbasket," nearly doubling the country's crop yield and ending reliance on grain imports. Professor Swaminathan has recently put forward the concept of the "evergreen revolution," aimed at feeding the world without harming the environment.

Acclaimed by TIME Magazine as one of the 20 most influential Asians of the 20th century, Professor M S Swaminathan is considered the father of the Green Revolution that staved off famine in India more than 40 years ago. He was the inaugural World Food Prize laureate in 1987. IDRC has long supported Professor Swaminathan's pursuit of bringing information and communication technologies to India's rural poor.

Send your questions via Twitter to @IDRC_CRDI before and during the event. Follow the conversation on The Globe and Mail website, and join the broader discussion by tagging your tweets with #Swaminathan.

This live chat is organized by IDRC and The Globe and Mail, with support from the World Food Prize.

For more information, visit www.idrc.ca.

Putting research to work
Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) funds practical research in developing countries to increase prosperity and security, and to foster democracy and the rule of law, in support of Canada's international development efforts. We promote growth and development and encourage sharing knowledge with policymakers, other researchers, and communities around the world. The result is innovative, lasting solutions that aim to bring change to those who need it most.

SOURCE: International Development Research Centre

For further information:

Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé | ([phone] |[e-mail] |@IDRC_CRDI