New Delhi, July 12 -- Dear Reader,

Our annual mango season is almost over. I hope you ate some good ones as they are not easy to find these days. India's beloved fruit is mired in a cauldron of misfortunes, which include wayward weather, poor orchard management and unsafe post-harvest practices. Frankly, I am worried about what will happen a few decades from now. Will the 500-year-old Alphonso still be around? What will we lose if we lose our best varieties, most of which are centuries old?

Don't lose sleep over it just yet- a lot many things in this world are hanging by a fine thread. Let me tell you a different story. One that I learnt not so long ago and it took my breath away.

The story of agriculture, we were told, is a result of ...