[b]The Agriculturalist, Part Two[/b]

Despite his humble manners, attire, demeanor, and mindset, Archibald Santos was allocated more resources than a regular farmer or even an ordinary government official. This was not because of corruption, but because of trust, trust given to him by figures as varied as the President, the [i]Bangko Sentral[/i], and the local Credit Unions that dotted the land now as far as Mindanao. As he drove his ethanol-powered Automobile (made in China) to his workplace, the middle-aged man looked at the fields of tall, knobbly and rough, but still young Neem trees planted at strategic places in the fields surrounding the Agricultural College of Central Luzon. These trees, also known as [i]Azadirachta indica[/i], had natural anti-insect and anti-fungus properties, keeping away pests naturally. Not merely that, but the seeds of the tree were farmed for their oil, which acted as a natural, non-toxic pesticide.

The fields also contained Sigarilyas/Winged Beans, and another 'wonder-crop', [i]Moringa oleifera[/i], or in Filipino, Malunggay. Moringa oleifera/Malunggay was a fast-growing tree that easily reached heights of 12 meters, with thin, soft trunks. The leaves were edible, and contained vitamins, manganese, protein and even iron. The seed pods/fruit can be turned into a curry, and contained much the same, along with fiber. The seeds themselves contained Vitamin C, like Citrus, and the roots can be used as a condiment as they tasted like Horseradish when ground. And best of all, it resisted drought, as it needed less water than other crops. That was the true quality of it as a wonder-crop.

Archibald watched as the people he had paid to farm Neem, Winged Beans, and Moringa; poor people recruited from the cities, as well as second and third sons of smallholder farmers, practiced using new agricultural techniques. The payment not just included a generous sum of cash, but also the greater part of the harvest. 

[i]Build credibility,[/i] Archibald thought as the parking lot of the low-rise building came in sight. [i]We need the farmers to believe in us, and our new seeds and techniques. Then we can spread our [b]true[/b] ingenuity to all.[/i] Once he parked his car and opened the door, he was greeted by two of his 'associates', members of the 150-strong R&D team he was a member of. He smiled, looking at the leftmost associate, and spoke, "So, any word from my Alma Mater?"

Said associate, a slightly younger man about to leave his mid-thirties, replied: "None yet. The University of Minneapolis has not replied to your request to rebuild ties. At the same time, attempts to approach the University of Paris have suffered from problems of distance. Japan and China, as usual, are quiet. We are on our own."

A sudden surge of bitterness struck Archibald then, but he pressed it down; it was a distraction, it would not help. "If this world forsakes us, then it will only postpone the date of starvation further down the line. I saw what I saw in my Alma Mater, how their conformist thinking led them to ignore the fact that so many plants, including their own staples of potatoes, can feed people as well as rice and wheat or even better. How fertilizer is based on finite minerals that will eventually run out. And of course, the toxic effects of pesticides."

He clenched his fists. [i]Is Borlaug's ghost haunting us from beyond the grave, convincing the world that one form of wheat, one form of rice would fit all? That 'agricultural advances' that give power only to a few sociopathic agri-businesses are the way to go?[/i] Archibald would have lost himself in anger then, but the second associate, realizing where this was going, tilted her head and said: "The Ministry of Foriegn Affairs has agreed to your request; the next trade mission heading for Ethiopia will buy seeds of Teff, as well as buy or commission agricultural texts and almanacs on how to farm it." 

Teff was a relative of rice and barley, a thin plant with small, edible seeds also known as Teff. These seeds, being smaller than wheat or rice, cost much less fuel to cook, and thus much less energy and money. It was also adapted to [i]both[/i] dry and wet conditions, perfect for the Philippines, with its dry and wet seasons. Not merely that, but a handful was enough to sow a large area; the potential was evident (though not to Borlaug, obviously).

The young woman, her hair tied in a bun as her lab coat glimmered in the early moonlight, spoke her words calmly and coherently. She knew exactly how to calm down Archibald's mood; the team leader himself appreciated that, as did the other associate. A few seconds more, and the Agriculturalist would say:

"Let's go inside." Already, the lights were shining from the windows, powered by methane from processed biomass (including human and animal waste), along with secondary generators that used ethanol or just oil.  

-----

"So, Anita," Archibald spoke to the female associate once they were inside the building, seated around a small table that if not for the notes on it, would have been mistaken for one used for poker: "How's your project?" He meant her attempts to create a type of 'sugarcane charcoal' in order to add further productivity to the sugar farmers of the former [i]haciendas[/i] of the Philippines. Anita smiled, then spoke:

"It's doing well. I've proven that charcoal can be made using [i]bagasse[/i], one of the waste products from sugarcane processing. This charcoal, when made into briquettes, burns clearly, without smoke or fumes, thus decreasing the risk of athsma in children and adults alike," The young woman then frowned. "But the costs are higher than expected; I have to use not only a kiln to burn and carbonize it, but also a binding agent and a press to turn the waste into briquettes."

Archibald nodded, "Nevertheless, we have a product that is less wasteful than the normal charcoal made from wood. You did well; I suppose we will just have to contact the Worker-owned cooperatives in the cities to produce presses and binding agents for us." If there was anything Archibald disliked about this new system, it was that several cooperatives, all with different standards and prices, were needed to do the work of one old-style Corporation. It was even worse with anything involving chemicals as well as machines.

Nevertheless, the benefits still outweighed the risks. In the old days, he would not have gotten to this height through ability and prestige alone. He had to remind himself of that.