WHEN Beria was arrested in the summer of 1953, one of the charges was that he had been sabotaging agriculture. The world smiled, believing quite rightly that other, more squalid issues were involved.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Reporting from Europe, Jeff McMahon covers the environment. The first three agricultural revolutions allowed the human population ...

Agriculture refers to the cultivation and exploitation of animals, plants and other forms of organic life for human use, covering everything from food and fibre to medicines and fuel. In many respects ...