Exactly, my dear Watson

Professor Robert Watson makes a habit of producing comprehensive UN research reports packed with several years of data on what is happening to our world. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Captains of the U.S./Australia team finally started to react to the reports, but several years later than the Rest of the World squad. The same thing is happening now with the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development - http://www.agassessment.org/ - with the U.S.and an odd ally wishing to tweak the recommendations (change the rules?) to promote a greater emphasis on free markets.

This new report - summarised well in the Guardian.... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/15/food.unitednations1
will hopefully do for Food Security what Stern did for Climate Change... move it up the political agenda. It recommends agricultural reforms to stave off the world food crisis. The answer is not all in technology and intensification, but does require political will and requires decisions that take into account the social & environmental sustainability issues.

Exactly, my dear Watson.

P.S. And from the heights of human survival to the depths of pedantry (sorry!)... anyone who thinks that should be "Elementary, my dear Watson" can check:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/elementary-my-dear-watson.html