Modern Sustainable Agriculture
Takes on myths about modern agriculture perpetuated by films like Food Inc & popular media, presents facts about ‘factory farming’, corn, organic food & pesticides, biotechnology, livestock production & climate change, meat consumption and climate change . ( a longer slower version of ‘A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture’) This provides an example of the impacts of economic growth and technological change, the invisible green hand.
25 Responses to Modern Sustainable Agriculture
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For research comparing the sustainability of local vs modern supply chains, see my posts under economics and sustainability at economics principles and applications dot blogspot dot com
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 4:19 am
Modern production practices (biotech, pharmaceutical technologies) processing & supply chain mgt made possible by companies like monsanto, ADM, Cargill, & Wal-Mart stack up very well in energy use/GHG emissions vs. Local sourcing
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 4:29 am
When you include GHG associated with both production and transportation, that’s where the local and other less conventional models of food production have the greatest challenge in terms of sustainability.
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 4:30 am
…the irony in his own words he admits without realizing the positive impacts of modern agriculture
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 4:35 am
Of course Pollan was not saying anything positive about corn, thats the geniuos of including it in this video, that he has gotten so tied up in emotive political ends, he’s overlooked the miracles of modern science and corn production, he misses the forest for the trees in that quote. That’s the
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 5:12 am
Your points re organic are well taken and i agree
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 5:35 am
Your points re o
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 6:11 am
The point is, most of tge farms that get classified by activists as ‘industrial’ including most CAFO’s are in fact family owned, and considering all of the evidence presented in this video, and more, come closer to meeting your definition of sustainable than smaller scale organic/local models.
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 7:11 am
“Not one definition fits sustainable agriculture.”
False. Sustainable agriculture is that which can be continued perpetually without causing its own destruction or the destruction of the world around it.
Modern agriculture is NOT sustainable agriculture.
shanehughes3
January 22, 2012 at 8:07 am
Organic does not equal sustainable. In fact, organic has come to mean so many things that it now means nearly nothing. Many sustainable farmers don’t even bother calling their products organic, because organic is just a catchphrase that supermarkets use to sell certain product lines
shanehughes3
January 22, 2012 at 8:16 am
Michael Pollan:
He isn’t saying positive things about corn. The US is addicted to subsidizing much of its domestic agriculture, with corn near the top of the list. We produce more than we need. As a result, we’ve put corn in things that we don’t need to put it in, with HFCS and biofuels as a key example. Corn production isn’t the savior of the US food supply – it’s forcing its way in.
shanehughes3
January 22, 2012 at 8:31 am
On your data about ghg emissions:
These numbers likely include transportation connected to ag in the gross transport number. Most sustainable initiatives are also local; most industrially produced food travels thousands of miles before it is consumed. Sustainable ag would cut down on ghg emissions tied to transportation.
shanehughes3
January 22, 2012 at 8:36 am
“98% of all farms are family farms.”
First of all, family does not mean sustainable. I personally know of several “family” farms that actually function more like a CAFO. But this statistic is almost useless in what you’re trying to say. How much larger is the typical industrial ag operation than the typical family farm? There are more family farms because they are much smaller. One industrial farm could be the size of dozens of family farms. What you really need to look at here is output.
shanehughes3
January 22, 2012 at 8:48 am
And how long do you think modern industrial agriculture is going to last as fossil fuel becomes more scarce and more expensive? Industrial agriculture exists because of inexpensive fuel, and it won’t remain inexpensive for much longer.
amberb57
January 22, 2012 at 9:20 am
Scene. Note, as indicated in the literature improved biodiversity is actually a direct and indirect effect of biotechnology, just one component of many that makes biotech so sustainable. I’m also confused about ‘real farming.’ Nearly 100% of all farms are family farms, and given the very large rate of biotechnology production, most rely heavily on green technologies like biotech. This is true for all farm sizes, including biotech’s largest growing market segment, small landholds in the developi
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 10:16 am
@LACYV1 I’m not sure where you are coming from exactly. I would encourage you to watch the video once more, but pause and review the scientific research associated with each s
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 10:30 am
You make me sick. Promoting the death of biodiversity, and encouraging unsustainable farming practices because you are too scared or lazy to advocate real farming?
LACYV1
January 22, 2012 at 11:19 am
@mygodsgrace1, you are growing food “as God designed in the first place?” Generations of plant and animal breeding improved them to the point they are barely recognizable as what God designed. In Biblical times, you’d sow a kernel of corn and reap 5-10 kernels. Crops were so unproductive compared to modern crops that nearly everyone was involved in farming every day. Even a potter had a family field and maybe a few animals. Only the very richest people didn’t work with the soil or keep animals.
PippiLongsox
January 22, 2012 at 11:43 am
@mygodsgrace1, show me some Big Ag farms. I’ve been on many, many farms, and have yet to see a farm that is not a family farm.
PippiLongsox
January 22, 2012 at 11:57 am
@GordonWalton, buying local is also a good way to increase your carbon footprint, from driving around to all these local farms.
PippiLongsox
January 22, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Excellent telling of the facts. Too bad most people aren’t interested in facts. I’d like to see you show how less progressive types of agriculture are not sustainable because simply saying modern agriculture is sustainable doesn’t make it so. I know it is, but, obviously, some people don’t know that–or don’t want to.
PippiLongsox
January 22, 2012 at 1:35 pm
@millasmen also note, we gave most of those corporations the power they asked for via the extremely rigorous regulations on biotech via the FDA, USDA, and EPA .
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 1:50 pm
@millasmen Bear in mind, also at this time (after WWII) the use of ‘nuclear breeding’ came about where plants where bombarded with varying levels of nuclear radiation to cause unpredictable mutations to hopefully improve yields. Today’s organic standards still embrace this technique. Also note. GMO’s have largely reduced chemical use, while the LD 50 rate and persistence of many chemicals pesticides *allowed* in organic food are worse than those utilized in biotech crops.
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 2:34 pm
What a load of b*ll*cks. Keep it local. Keep it organic. Think they failed to mention the gm crops that in scientific research were found to have given rats lesions but still got them on the supermarket shelves because the big corporations hold all the power. Oh and what about the fact that insecticides came about after WWII when there were loads of chemicals left over from nerve gas???
millasmen
January 22, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Kudos to you mygodsgrace1! I think that is great. I’m glad some people can farm that way and we have the choice to consume that way. Scientifically I don’t think it is sustainable for billions of people to all eat that way. And as you know, most of the references for the video were references to comments from real farmers like yourself or peer reviewed academic research. I myself have no connection to ‘Big Agriculture’ other than my passion for 98% of all farms that are family farms, as depict
Ageconomist
January 22, 2012 at 3:13 pm