In a recorded address, Prince Charles - a keen organic gardener - says what he calls this "flight from the land" is happening in both developed and developing countries. One thousand delegates from 42 countries are attending the four days of discussions. The conference has been told that a booming trend towards organic farming continues. Its value is estimated at $35 billion, and this is expected to quadruple in the next decade.
The conference heard of environmental benefits of organic farming, such as not adding to the contamination of drinking water by pesticides, and improving biodiversity and soil quality.
This conference is being held in Adelaide, and in his recorded address, Prince Charles said that tragically, for as long as society throughout the world continue to put a low valuation on their food, denigrating food to the status of fuel, and abandoning any loyalty to their local and indigenous farmers, trends towards urbanisation are almost inevitable and will lead to immense and frightening problems in the future.
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