RP205 Farming for the Future

 RP205 Farming for the Future

Farming has come a long way since seeds were first planted in Mesopotamia around 13,000 years ago. Biological, chemical, and technological inventions have increased production and decreased risk. Especially in the last sixty years, new machines, new chemicals, specialization, and government policies promoting production have turned farms into huge industrial businesses. Individual farms are larger, but the number of farms and farm workers has shrunk. We produce more food, so what's the problem?

The problem is the future. Many of the developments that make farms so productive right now are actually creating terrible problems for future generations. Chemicals and fertilizers are seeping into soil and groundwater. Soil is being depleted of nutrients. Communities are collapsing as human workers are no longer needed. Family farms can't compete against big agribusiness.

The sustainable agriculture movement wants to stop harmful industrial farming. It uses farmland in a way that doesn't use it up. Instead of maximizing production now, sustainable farms operate in a way that allows them to continue to farm for years to come. Sustainable agriculture seeks to protect the environment of farms and their surroundings, respect the health of farm animals, provide farmers with a fair wage, and ensure that workers are respected and paid fairly.

Sustainable farms do this in a few ways. They operate organically or minimize their use of chemicals and non-renewable resources. They keep waste products on their land instead of letting them spread. They grow and rotate diverse crops so that soil is replenished rather than depleted. They treat animals humanely and avoid giving them antibiotics and other drugs (that may pass to humans and the environment around the farm). They employ humans over machines whenever possible.

As the problems of industrial farming become clear, sustainable agriculture becomes more appealing. Countries are creating policies to promote it, and organizations are rewarding farms for operating sustainably. With farming, as with so much else, we are discovering that bigger, faster, and more is not necessarily better.