Agricultural technology and its societal implications

Although the refinement of laboresque technologies that save farm labor continues, its boom (in terms of sheer number of machines) passed during the quarter-century lifetime of Technology in Society. Instead, landesque technology, which spares land, holds the spotlight. Landesque is exemplified by high-yielding varieties, the Green Revolution, and genetically modified organisms. The contribution of landesque technologies to national performance can be charted on a plane with the dual dimensions of sustainability: 1) present need and 2) environmental impact. In the dimension of need, national crop production has increased. In the dimension of environmental impact, landesque technology plus consumption that increases more slowly than income has countered population and wealth to steer national journeys toward sustainability. On the sustainability plane, the genius to discover new landesque technology and the courage to apply it can steer nations toward still greater production without veering toward higher impact. # 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.