EVS Slides - 5.7
EVS Slides - 5.7
EVS Slides - 5.7
Ayalech can no longer afford maize after a 600% rise in food prices in
Ethiopia. She cooks wild cabbage for her hungry and malnourished
children. http://www.theguardian.com/society/gallery/2009/mar/31/g20-food-prices-africa
Tue, July 29, 2008 AM220 Lecture 8
Outline
● Dimensions of the Food Crisis
● Hunger, poverty, production, distribution
● Threats to Food Security: Present and Future
● Solutions to the Food Crisis
● Theoretical (Present) Solution
● Food Distribution
● Real Solutions
● Industrial Agriculture?
● Alternative Agriculture
● Vegetarianism
● What Can You Do?
Forced to eat dirt!
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4674e.pdf
World Food Production
● Actually the world is producing enough food to feed
everyone for now.
● Per capita food availability has risen:
● From ~2220 kcal/person/day in the early 1960s
● To 2790 kcal/person/day in 2006-08.
● Yet many people in the world still do not have sufficient
income to purchase (or land to grow) enough food.
● Besides, population is projected to grow from 7bi. to 9.6
bi. (2012-2050).
● >50% will occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where 25%
population is currently undernourished.
http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm
Per Capita Food Availability
http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/12/global-food-challenge-explained-18-graphics
Inequality in Society
●Nearly 1/2 of the world’s population (> 3 bi.) live on
<$2.50/day.
●More than 1.3 bi. <$1.25 a day.
●80% of the world population lives on less than $10 a day.
●1 bi. children worldwide are living in poverty.
●22,000 children die each day due to poverty (UNICEF)
● 805 mi. worldwide do not have enough food to eat.
●The world's 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the
combined annual incomes of countries having 45 percent
of the world's people.
http://worldcentric.org/conscious-living/social-and-economic-injustice
Spare Arms and Feed the Hungry
Is solving the hunger problem impossible?
….Perhaps not!
● For the price of one missile, a school full of
● Causes:
● Losses in yields due to adverse weather conditions
● Fluctuations in energy costs
● Increased demand due to rising population.
● Increased preference for meat and dairy products.
● Diversion of food crops and land for biofuel production
● Financial speculation and price fixing.ref
● Policy factors.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1059e/i1059e00.pdf, http://www.helsinki.fi/taloustiede/Abs/DP35.pdf
India: 0.13 ha/capita
(2012)
http://wdi.worldbank.org/table/3.1
Agricultural Yields in India
● Roughly 60% of India’s land is under
agriculture.
● Indian agricultural yields are generally low
due to:
● Soil and land degradation.
● Low percentage of irrigated land (only 35% of
arable land).
● Low agricultural technology and know-how.
http://wdi.worldbank.org/table/3.2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_India
Food Wastage and Spoilage
http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/12/global-food-challenge-explained-18-graphics
Conventional Farming
Activity Environmental Impact
Land Loss of biodiversity and habitats, topsoil loss, reduced
clearing water recharge, CO2 emissions.
Heavy Soil compaction, waterlogging, high cost, oil
Equipment dependence
Ploughing Loss of soil structure, porosity, moisture, moisture
carrying capacity, biomass/humus, biota; CO2 emissions
Fertilizers Fast plant growth & micronutrient deficiency, loss of
soil fertility, and biota, eutrophication, nitrates
pollution.
Pesticides, Toxicity to man & environment, POC, increased
Herbicides resistance in pests and weeds, ozone depletion (MeBr)
Irrigation Waterlogging, salination, evaporative losses, CH4
emissions
Corporate Monopolization of
Agriculture
● By end of 2001 worldwide:
● Top 10 agrochemical corporations…84% of the $30 bi. market
● Top 10 veterinary pharmaceutical companies…60% of the $13.6
bi. world market.
● 10 pharmaceutical companies…48% of the $317 bi. world
market.
● Only 6 corporations controlled 98% of the world’s market
in GM crops.
● The same 6 firms also controlled 70% of the world’s
pesticide market.
● 94% of all GM crops grown worldwide were from 1
company’s germplasm: Monsanto’s.
http://www.greens.org/s-r/33/33-03.html
“…The agricultural sciences have over time
become increasingly subordinated to capital
and…this ongoing process has shaped both
the content of research and, necessarily, the
character of the products.”
–Jack Kloppenberg rural sociologist in First
the Seed.
“What is profitable affects, or even
determines, what is ‘scientifically true.’
Conway, G. and Pretty, J. N., Unwelcome Harvest: Agriculture and Pollution, Earthscan Publications, London, 1991, p. 645.
Jeyaratnam, J., Acute pesticide poisoning: A major problem. World Health Stat. Q., 1990, 43, 139–144.
Are We Violating the Constitution?
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/FAOPromotesOrganicAgriculture.php
Impacts on Land: Irreversible Land
Degradation
● South Asia: ~ 50% land degraded and
useless for food production.
● China: 27% irreversible loss of land for
agriculture, loss rate (2,500 sq. km /year).
● Madagascar: 30% of the arable land
irreversibly barren.
●^ a b c Ron Nielsen, The Little Green Handbook, Picador, New York (2006) ISBN 0-312-42581-3
●^ UNEP, Global Environmental Outlook 2000, Earthscan Publications, London, UK (1999) which may also be viewed at
http://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/food-and-soil.php
http://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/food-and-soil.php
Soil Carbon Sink
● Soils contain ~1,395 gigatons of C; Vegetation ~650
gigatons, atmosphere ~750 gigatons…(United Nations
Food & Agriculture Organisation)
● "Soil organic carbon is the largest [terrestrial C] reservoir
in interaction with the atmosphere."
● It includes plant litter, burnt char, other biomass and
humus (organic carbon polymers, lignin, aliphatic
compounds, waxes and terpenoids)
● More organic matter tends to accumulate in the litter and
soils of colder regions boreal forests and Taiga.
Loss of Soil Carbon
● Agricultural practices such as tilling, exposing soil to the sun
and burning lead to high soil temperatures, disruption of
plant root systems, destruction of soil microflora and
fauna…leading to oxidation of humus—C-emissions.
● Deforestation and burning leads to huge emissions of
carbon.
● Water logging/submergence of forests and soils (esp. peat
bogs) releases huge amounts of carbon in the form of CO2
and CH4.
● C-sink capacity of the world's agricultural and degraded
soils is 50 to 66% of the total historic carbon loss of 42 to 78
gigatons C
Loss of Crop and Wild Biodiversity
● Monopolization of agriculture by seed and
agrochemical MNCs
● Extensive crop monocultures
● Loss of highly adapted and diverse indigenous
crops and landraces
● Reduced resilience to changing climate
● More susceptible to MNCs power politics
● Reduced independence for farmer.
● Debt trap
http://g.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/codesign/imagecache/inline-large/post-inline/food-variety-tree-754.jpg
● “Genetic engineering is not merely causing
genetic pollution of biodiversity and creating
bio-imperialism, monopolies over life itself. It is
also causing knowledge pollution—by
undermining independent science, and
promoting pseudo science. It is leading to
monopolies over knowledge and information.”
–Dr Vandana Shiva |
Author, Activist, Pioneer, Scientific Advisor, Mother
Navdanya www.navdanya.org/
External Costs of Industrial Agriculture
● Industrial agriculture and the green revolution has masked
significant externalities, affecting natural resources and
human health as well as agriculture itself.
● Environmental and health problems associated with
agriculture have been increasingly well documented
● External costs of agriculture in the UK alone have been
estimated as 1.1–3.9 bi. pounds/yr.
● As the external costs of farming are not internalized in the
price of food, tax payers (or more likely the future
generations) will have to pay the bill that is getting bigger
every day.
Subba Rao, I. V., Soil and environmental pollution – A threat to sustainable agriculture. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 1999, 47, 611–633.
Pretty, J., The real costs of modern farming. Agric. Syst., 2000, 65, 113–136
Summing Up Corporate Agriculture
● Agriculture related firms form a nexus: Seed firms;
agrochemical concerns; agroforestry; veterinary services and
medicine; food industry; biotechnology; pharmaceuticals;
nanotech, bioinformatics.
● Capitalized market valued between $2.5–4 trillion.
● Approximately 12 firms control 75% of this market.
● These corporations are not committed to humanitarian ends—
i.e., feeding and curing people, or tackling hunger or disease.
● Instead, they are committed to feeding themselves and their
shareholders increasing profits, making well people better, and
fomenting simultaneously social sickness and corporate wealth.
● The name of the game is, privatize benefits and socialize costs.
http://www.greens.org/s-r/33/33-03.html
Death Trap of Industrial Agriculture
● 70% of all Indians are small marginal farmers with land
holdings of a few acres or less.
● Giant seed and agrochemical MNCs market expensive
seeds to them promising extraordinary yields, quality
and profits.
● However, the crops are addicted to high water use and
agrochemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides
…often marketed by the same MNCs.
● Majority of introduced commercial crops (esp. hybrids
and GMOs) are not adapted to local conditions.
Death Trap of Industrial Agriculture
● These crops are more vulnerable to climatic changes,
disease and pest attack.
● Farmers are urged to turn traditional diverse farms into
cash crop monocultures.
● MNCs also aggressively market farm machinery in the
name of higher productivity and profits.
● Forces farmers to borrow; oft. at unreasonably high
interest rates (30-60% p.a.) from private moneylenders.
● Produce is sold by farmers in a market controlled by
traders and MNCs, and which is subject to price-fixing
and the vagaries of government policies.
Death Trap of Industrial Agriculture
● Farmers cannot indulge in "unauthorized seed-saving”.
Patent violation…lawsuits.
● F1 hybrids, Terminator Technology (sterile seeds).
● Must purchase seed for the next season from the seed
corporation…at ever-increasing prices.
● Newer seeds need higher and higher inputs of newer
and deadlier pesticides and fertilizers…purchased from
the same MNCs.
● Repeated borrowing becomes necessary
● Crop failures or inability to sell crops at a suitable price
causes the debt to spiral out of control…farmer suicides.
Death Trap of Industrial Agriculture
● The excessive fertilizers lay waste the
land…depleted soil carbon, deficiency of
micronutrients, loss of soil biota, eutrophication
and pollution of waterways.
● Excessive irrigation: water logging, salinization
of soils, groundwater depletion.
● Excessive pesticides, herbicides: pollution of
air, land and water,
● Heavy farm machinery: soil compaction (plough
pan) water logging.
Indian Farming: Cost Breakup
S. Item %Cost
No.
1. Seed 20
2. Chemicals 32
3. Diesel (groundwater 10
pumping)
4. Labor 38
TOTAL INPUT COST 100
http://www.cog.ca/documents/Economics%20of%20organic%20farming.pdf
Indigenous Crops with Diversity
● Traditional and indigenous crops are highly adapted and
resilient to local conditions (including microclimate, soil,
pests etc.) over hundreds or even thousands of yrs.
● Require minimal inputs. Can be very successfully grown
using organic methods and without mechanization.
● Reduce the farmer’s need to borrow: own seed, own manure,
no pesticide etc…beats the debt-trap.
● Premium market price…due to better quality and organic
certification.
● Increasing crop diversity on farm, improves resilience to
weather fluctuations in rainfall, weather conditions, pest
attack etc; prevents a total crop failure—inherent insurance
policy
Indigenous Crops with Diversity
● Improve farmers’ diets.
● Occupy an ecological niche and minimizes environmental
impacts incl. soil degradation, water wastage, habitat
destruction, pollution, etc.
● Encourage seed saving: dynamic seed banks—diverse gene
pool of successful adaptations to local conditions.
● Encourage local agribusiness such as processing and
preservation of traditional foods.
● This provides local food security (during off season),
community income and reduces dependence on large
commercial agricultural companies that can be exploitative to
small farmers.
Questions About Alternative/
Organic Farming
● Can alternative farming produce enough food for
everybody?
● Is it economically feasible?
● Is it possible to meet the nutrient requirements of crops
entirely from organic sources?
● Are there any significant environmental benefits of
alternative farming?
● Is the food produced by organic/alternative farming
superior in quality?
● Is it possible to manage, weeds, pests and diseases in
alternative farming?
Viable Option for Future Food Security
● Neither conventional, nor organic/alternative agriculture
might be sufficient to provide for future food needs due
to enormous projected growth in population.
● Yet, modeling studies indicate that large-scale
conversion to organic agriculture would neither result in
drastic reduction in world food supplies nor necessitate
conversion of undisturbed lands to agriculture.
● In fact, widespread conversion to organic agriculture
would result in crop yield increases as a result of
increased investment in research and extension.
Avery, D. T., Saving the planet with pesticides and plastic: The environmental triumph of high-yield farming. Hudson Institute, Indianapolis,
1995, p. 432.
Trewavas, A. J., The population/biodiversity paradox. Agricultural efficiency to save wilderness. Plant Physiol., 2001, 125, 174–179.
Lampkin, N. H., Estimating the impact of widespread conversion to organic farming on land use and physical output in the United Kindom. In
Economics of Organic Farming (eds Lampkin, N. H. and Padel, S.), CAB, Wallingford, UK, 1994, pp. 353–359.
Viable Option for Future Food Security
● Limiting population drastically is a matter of necessity
● Equitable food distribution is also required.
● Prevention of diversion of foodgrains towards livestock
feed must be prevented…a case for vegetarianism.
● Prevention of conversion of agricultural lands (or
produce) into fuel farms must be prevented.
● If the above critical issues are successfully addressed,
organic agriculture is an economically viable,
environmentally friendly and socially nurturing option.
Organic Farming Yields
● Avg. yield increases due to organic farming—A survey of 208
projects in developing tropical countries:
● 5–10% in irrigated crops and
● 50–100% in rainfed crops
● Significantly higher yields than conventional when under stress
caused by drought, heat, excessive rain or unseasonably cold
weather, disease or pest attack.
● 30% reduced yields in transitional phase (1-4 yrs.) depending upon
intensity of mechanization and chemical use prior to switchover.
Yields recover after transitional period.
● Premium prices after transitional phase.
● Steady annual growth in demand (20-25% ) for organic food in
developed and developing countries.
Pretty, J. and Hine, R., Reducing food poverty with sustainable agriculture: A summary of new evidence. SAFE Research Project,
University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, UK, 2001, p. 136. http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/feb252005/561.pdf
http://www.cog.ca/documents/Economics%20of%20organic%20farming.pdf
Do Polycultures Overyield
Monocultures?
● Overyield in polycultures is common.
● The traditional corn/beans/squash polyculture of Mexico
produces overyields as high as 50 %
● Some studies found overyields as high as 150 %
● Another study: consistent 5-15% increase in yields due to
intercropping
● Perennial polyculture: The Land Institute
● 19% overyield with a mixture of eastern gamagrass and Illinois
bundleflower,
● 26% overyield with 3-species mixture (eastern gamagrass,
Illinois bundleflower, and the cool season (C3) mammoth wild
rye.
Low Inputs and Sustainable Productivity
● Organic farm production costs < conventional farms, with
low purchased inputs.
● Inputs eliminated or drastically reduced are: fertilizers,
pesticides, purchased feed, veterinary bills, and replacement
livestock
● Organic farmers have lower fixed (overhead) costs for
depreciation and interest charges attached to capital inputs,
such as machinery and equipment.
● Enrichment of soil ensures future (sustainable) productivity.
● No increase in tillage needs for weed control upon following
good management practices and improving soil structure.
Economic Feasibility of Organic
Agriculture
Organic Farming is certainly economically feasible
due to the following reasons:
● High or ‘at par’ yields
● Low inputs
● Better storage quality of products
● Premium prices and growing demand
● Farm self-sufficiency
● Increased resilience and high productivity under adverse
conditions
● Sustainable use of local resources
● Empowerment of farmers and local communities.
Economic Feasibility of Organic
Agriculture
Good returns due Low inputs. Local
to premium prices inputs of manure
High Profits!! and comparable etc.
yields
Rajendran, T. P., Venugopalan, M. V. and Tarhalkar, P. P., Organic cotton farming in India. Central Institute of Cotton
Research, Technical Bulletin No. 1/2000, Nagpur, 2000, p. 39.
Organic Foods Retain Quality Better
Reganold, J. P., Glover, J. D., Andrews, P. K. and Hinman, H. R., Sustainability of three apple production systems.
Nature, 2001,410, 926–930.
Benge, J. R., Banks, N. H., Tillman, R. and De Silva, H. N., Pairwise comparison of the storage potential of kiwi fruit
from organic and conventional production systems. N. Z. J. Crop Hortic. Sci., 2000, 28, 147–152.
Organic food: Safe and Healthful
● Studies reject the claim that organic foods
increase exposure to microbiological
contaminants
● Organic foods are proved superior in terms of
health and safety
Pell, A. N., Manure and microbes: Public and animal health problem? J. Dairy Sci., 1997, 80, 2673–2681.
Burros, M., Anti-organic and flawed. New York Times, 17 February 1999.
Jones, D. L., Potential health risks associated with the persistence of Escherichia coli O157 in agricultural environments.
Soil Use Manage., 1999, 15, 76–83.
Rutenberg, J., Report on organic foods challenged. New York Times, 31 July 2000, p. C 11.
Organic food: Safe and Healthful
● Higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as
calcium, magnesium, iron, and chromium—The UK Soil
Association..
● An independent study found higher levels of all 21 nutrients
in organic crops, particularly potatoes, cabbage, spinach and
lettuce.
● Higher micronutrient content that contributes to better health
● Consumers have lower incidence of non-communicable
diseases and boosts plant and animal immunity against
disease
● Up to 50% fewer mycotoxins (toxins produced by fungi)
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/FAOPromotesOrganicAgriculture.php
Organic food: Safe and Healthful
● Organic products have significantly lower
pesticide residues than conventional products.
● Significantly lower nitrates in organic foods
(nitrates are associated with intensive use of
nitrogen fertilizers) are significant food
contaminants
FAO, Food safety and quality as affected by organic farming. Agenda item 10.1. In Twenty-Second FAO Regional Conference for Europe,
Porto, Portugal, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 24–28 July 2000.
Woese, K., Lange, D., Boess, C. and Bogl, K. W., A comparison of organically and conventionally grown foods – Results of a review of the
relevant literature. J. Sci. Food Agric., 1997, 74, 281–293.
Benbrook, C. and Baker, B., Placing pesticide residues and risk in perspective: Data-driven approaches for comparative analyses of organic,
conventional and IPM-grown food. In Ecological Farming Conference, Monterey, CA, 24–27 January 2001, www.eco-farm.org.
Successful Pest Management
● Preventative pest and disease management strategies are
successful
● Involves selection of hardy crops and varieties.
● Improving soil and plant nutrients to grow healthy plants
that are resistant to disease and pests.
● Use of ‘organic’ pesticides e.g. neem products.
● Biological pest control: encourage natural predators like
spiders, wasps, frogs, lizards, birds by providing suitable
habitats.
● Timing planting, harvest and watering, etc.
● Pest and disease incidence is less severe in organic farms.
Organic: Environment Friendly
● Organic farming systems (compared to
conventional farming) performed significantly
better on 18 environmental impact indicators and
worse in none.
● A review of over 300 published reports
● Environmental impact indicators (floral diversity, faunal
diversity, habitat diversity, landscape, soil organic matter, soil
biological activity, soil structure, soil erosion, nitrate leaching,
pesticide residues, CO2, N2O, CH4, NH3, nutrient use, water use
and energy use), organic farming systems performed
significantly better in 12 and performed worse in none.
Stolze, M., Piorr, A., Haring, A. and Dabbert, S., The environmental impact of organic farming in Europe. In Organic Farming in
Europe: Economics and Policy, University of Hohenheim, Hohenheim, Germany, 2000.
Organic Input Availability
● Application of organic manure is the only option to improve the
soil organic carbon for sustenance of soil quality and future
agricultural productivity.
● Theoretically 700 mt of agricultural waste in India/yr. for
conversion to manure.
Theoretical Estimated Actual
Availability Availability
Manure basis 5 1.5
tonnes /ha arable
land/yr
NPK basis 100 33
Kg/ha arable land/yr
Katyal, J. C., Organic matter maintenance: Mainstay of soil quality. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 2000, 48, 704–716.
72. Tandon, H. L. S., In Plant Nutrient Needs, Efficiency and Policy Issues: 2000–2025, National Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, 1997, pp. 15–28.
Sequestering Carbon Benefits
Agriculture
● Adding 1 ton C/ha to degraded soil can increase crop
yield by 20-40 kg/ha for wheat, 10-20 kg/ha for maize,
and 0.5-1 kg/ha for cowpeas.
● Can offset fossil fuel emissions by 0.4-1.2 gigatons
C/yr…5-15% of the global fossil-fuel emissions.
● Soil C can be improved by afforestation, agroforestry,
no-till farming, cover crops, manuring and sludge
application, improved grazing, water conservation and
harvesting, efficient irrigation, avoiding water logging.
● Soils under conservation tillage contain 30–50% more
C than soils under traditional tillage (Nelson, 1999).
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/304/5677/1623
Sequestering Carbon Benefits
Agriculture
● Regenerative agriculture (no-till, mulching, cover cropping,
manuring, biochar) if practiced on the planet’s 3.5 bi. tillable
acres, could sequester up to 40% of current CO2 emissions—
agricultural carbon sequestration.
● At a C-sequestration rate of 2,000 lb/ac/year (over
1,760,000 km2) of USA’s cropland could sequester 25 % (1.6
bi. tons) of USA’s total fossil C-emissions (6.5 bi. tons)
● The same practices can dramatically enhance yields (by 50-
100%) on rain-fed or drought prone lands.
● Organically managed soils can thus convert CO2 from a
greenhouse gas into a food-producing asset.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_sink
^ A report recently released by Rodale Institute and based on nearly 30 years of research in its side-by-side studies of organic and conventional
agriculture. ^ Lappé, Anna (9 May 2008). "Timothy LaSalle of Rodale on the surprising climate benefits of organic farming". Grist.
http://www.grist.org/feature/2008/05/09/index.html?source=rss.
Organic Agriculture: Human Friendly
● Organic agriculture, can integrate tradition, new
knowledge and innovation
● It can lead to an increased engagement in farming
● It can trigger greater opportunities for rural
employment and socio-economic upliftment.
● Positive health impacts
● Local food security and nutrition
● Empowerment of farmers and local communities.
Agriculture: The Natural Paradigm
●Natural ecosystems are self-supporting.
●They do not require external inputs other than
rainwater, sunlight etc.
●They lead to an improvement in fertility and
productivity over time.
●Can we design agricultural systems on the lines of
natural ecosystems?
●Nearly, self-supporting...requiring minimal
inputs...and yet highly productive
Superiority of the Natural Paradigm
Very High ● High yields.
Efficiency!! ● Overyielding polycultures
Efficiency = Output
Inputs
Low inputs of:
● manure
● labor
● machinery
● irrigation, etc.
Meet The Grandfather of Natural Farming...
Masanobu Fukuoka
● Agricultural scientist, farmer, philosopher, admirer of
Gandhi.
● Awards: Ramon Magsaysay Award, Desikottam Award,
Earth Council Award
● Author of: “ The One-Straw Revolution” By Masanobu
Fukuoka (and 3 other titles)
● No-till, no fertilizer, no pesticide, ground mulch and green cover, direct
seeding (seed balls)
Masanobu Fukuoka
(1913-2008)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--
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Outline
● Dimensions of the Food Crisis
● Hunger, poverty, production, distribution
● Threats to Food Security: Present and Future
● Solutions to the Food Crisis
● Theoretical (Present) Solution
● Food Distribution
● Real Solutions
● Industrial Agriculture?
● Alternative Agriculture
● Vegetarianism
● What Can You Do?
Vegetarianism and Sustainability
Dr R. K. Pachauri, Chairman of IPCC: “We
didn’t say it before, but we are saying it now.
One of the best ways to fight global warming is
to adopt a vegetarian diet”. Speech in Geneva,
January 15, 2008
A Crowded Earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation
Saving Grain for the Hungry
● The world already produces enough food for the
present 7 billion people; could even support double —
12 billion people.
● But 36 % of world's grain (21% in developing countries
and 70% in industrial nations) feeds livestock, poultry,
and fish farms…inefficient converters of grain
● 1 kg meat ➔ ~7 kg of grain (corn or wheat)…human
food!
● 670 mi. tons of the world's grain used for feed could
feed 800 mi. people.
● In 2007, 923 mi. undernourished.
Saving Grain for the Hungry
1 = 40
Meat eaters require 14 times as much
water for their diets as do vegetarians.
Water Pollution
● For example, shifting from pork to chicken requires
half the grain, and hence half as much water.
● The massive quantities of waste produced by
livestock and poultry threaten rivers, lakes and
other waterways with pollution, toxic algal blooms
and massive fishkills.
● US livestock waste is 130 times that produced by
humans. ,
● Livestock farms are getting larger throughout the
world.
Water Pollution
Masanabu Fukuoka (translated by Frederic P. Metreaud) “The Natural Way of Farming – The Theory and
Practice of Green Philosophy” 1985 Japan Publications Inc. ISBN 0-87040-613-2.
Forest
P.R. Sarkar
Outline
● Dimensions of the Food Crisis
● Hunger, poverty, production, distribution
● Threats to Food Security: Present and Future
● Solutions to the Food Crisis
● Theoretical (Present) Solution
● Food Distribution
● Real Solutions
● Industrial Agriculture?
● Alternative Agriculture
● Vegetarianism
● What Can You Do?
Food Crisis: What can you do?
● Support local produce: local farmers, retailers
● Grow your own food: urban gardens, community
gardens/farms, terrace gardens.
● Adopt low input, small-scale, biodiverse,
organic/natural farming methods integrated with
sustainable land and watershed management.
● Both farmers and consumers should support crop
diversity. Plant and purchase delicious and
nutritious minor millets, pulses and vegetables.
Food Crisis: What can you do?
● Avoid MNC-marketed hybridized/GM crops and
products.
● Eat home-cooked, fresh food; avoid preserved,
processed or junk food.
● Be vegetarian: Spare the grain for hungry humans. Have
a heart! “Don’t turn your stomach into a graveyard for
unfortunate dead animals!”—Lokmanya Tilak
● Farmer microfinancing options
● Local community-operated warehousing, cold storage
and food processing/preservation industry for farmers to
survive unfair price-fixing, and market crashes.
Food Crisis: What can you do?
● Ensure dignity of farmers and workers
● Ensure living wages
● Work for a profound rural change:
● Land reforms, education, health, infrastructure
● Provide restitution for the injustices of the past
and present
● Developed countries to avoid exploitative
practices and policies by their govts and MNCs
towards poor countries.
● Cancel debts of poorer countries.
Food Crisis: What can you do?
● Enable distribution of surplus food to poor
countries
● Fuel plantations must be restricted to marginal
lands. Other alternative energy/fuel sources
should be researched and promoted.
● Stop war: Promote peace negotiations; resolve
issues reg. sharing of scarce resources, religious
intolerance and hatred.
● Limit global warming and pollution, land
degradation, deforestation, etc.
Reading and Video Resources
● “ The One-Straw Revolution” By Masanobu Fukuoka (and
3 other titles)
● No-till, no fertilizer, no pesticide, ground mulch and green cover, direct
seeding (seed balls)
● “Rishi Krishi” By Mohan Shankar Deshpande
● Angara, earthworms, amritapani, natural pesticides
● “Permaculture” By Bill Mollison
● Sustainable community, planned designs, natural patterns
● Food Forests in 7 minutes (7 min) with Geoff Lawton.
● 300 Year Old Food Forest in Vietnam (6 min) with Geoff Lawton
● Farming - The Gandhian Way - A Tribute to Shri.
BHASKAR SAVE
● Nero's Guests by P. Sainath.
Learning is not compulsory…neither is survival.