- A growing population and its growing food demand
- Increasing uncertainty of environmental changes
Both of these factors can be addressed
by organic agriculture. This is the way forward, not large-scale modern
agriculture that currently dominates farming practices globally.
Modern, large-scale farming has come
into existence within the past half century and is characterized by monocropping
which is the practice of growing only one crop each year on the same plot of
land, the constant and heavy use
of chemical inputs, and seeds which produce high-yielding crops, but do not
re-germinate. These practices lead modern large-scale agriculture to be highly
unsustainable because a) the soil becomes less productive, b) practices are not
resistant to shocks, and c) power is transferred from farmers and consumers to
multinational and seed corporations.
a) Soil
Degradation
Monocropping is a relatively new
farming practice that has replaced traditional methods of growing multiple
crops on a piece of land. This repeated process of growing the same crop on the
same land is harsh on the soil and causes soil to become less productive.
This soil degradation is enhanced
through the increased use of chemical inputs. It is a vicious cycle whereby
chemical inputs in the form of pesticides and fertilizers are meant to address
soil degradation. But this constant use exacerbates the problem and with each
harvest, more and more chemical inputs are needed.
b) Vulnerability
Another danger of modern, large-scale
farming is that it is less resilient to climate change and shocks. For example,
if the crop planted is not drought resistant then the whole harvest is ruined.
Likewise, if a pest attacks a crop, it will ultimately attack the whole
harvest. Traditional farming methods, on the other hand, respected the
diversity of seeds and crops and this diversity of farming allowed a certain
amount of safety in the event of a single crop failure.
c c) Power
to corporations
Finally, many small scale farmers are
unable to compete, let alone survive in an industry dominated largely by a few
multinational and seed corporations, where power is concentrated. These
corporations supply farmers with seeds that do not re-germinate. This means
that farmers are reliant on seed companies to provide them with seeds each
year, rather than becoming self-sufficient. So, in addition to requiring more
chemical inputs, which require additional spending, farmers now must also buy
seeds each year for their harvests. This takes control away from farmers and
places it into the growing agribusiness industry, which strives to make profits
rather than ensure food security for the needs of a growing population.
For these
reasons, modern large-scale
farming is highly unsustainable and will be unable to feed future generations
