Food/How the Internet can help feed the world

As should be clear from the above, there are techniques that enable people to grow an abundance of food sustainably, in very little space. But these are not in widespread use because people do not know about them. Information is the key resource for agriculture - 15th century peasants had all the tools needed for high-yield organic permaculture; the problem was that they didn't know how to do it. And now, sub-Saharan Africa has some of the best growing conditions in the world - plenty of rain, good soil, huge biodiversity - but is the hungriest part of the world, largely because people do not know how to grow a lot of food in their local area.

Creating universal Internet access can greatly remedy this situation. With a person gets an Internet connection, enormous amounts of free information that they can use to grow food is suddenly available to them.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has a database of Knowledge and Information Resources, explaining proven best practises that farmers can apply to feed their families. There are many websites on aeroponics, hydroponics, aquaponics, urban gardening, vegetable growing and permaculture. Many of these websites have thriving forums where people can ask for help with particular problems they encounter. 20 years ago, a person who wanted to find out how to set up, say, an urban mushroom farm or aquaponic system, would have had to go to great lengths to find out such information; now it is available in minutes. Decentralized abundant food production cannot come about without this knowledge being extended to all people.