Banks for bean counters
The wild ancestors of the world’s most important crops could help avert devastating problems. But time is running out to collect them
IN THE early 1970s Asia’s rice farmers faced ruin. The brown planthopper, an insect up till then found mostly in Japan, began to appear across the region. It fed on young plants and transmitted grassy stunt virus, causing crops to shrivel and brown. As it swept through Asia’s paddy fields, yields crashed. By the end of the decade it had caused damage costing over $300m—more than $1 billion in today’s money.
This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Banks for bean counters”
International September 12th 2015
From the September 12th 2015 edition
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