Feeding the world...

Agriculture was invented about 10,000 years ago. It was a revolution (the Neolithic Revolution): people went from a nomadic way of life (hunting and gathering roots, fruit and berries) to a sedentary one dependent on farming. The population started to increase because life expectancy rose (mothers were better fed and so healthier and therefore lived longer and had more babies) and the infant mortality rate fell (children were better fed and healthier and survived better).

How do you feed correctly a population of seven billion? Is food security guaranteed for a population likely to reach nine billion by 2050? Can it be done without over-exploiting land and animals or damaging the environment? Are there "too many" people in the world? Can and should the intensive agricultural methods used in the North be used in the South (where the rise in population is strongest)?

After WW2, the priority was to guarantee food security. In the developed countries, mechanization, and the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides increased yield per hectare (100mX100m=10,000m²) considerably. The surface area used in agriculture increased. Monoculture  (of rice, wheat, maze, soybean, etc.) replaced polyculture. The aim of industrial agriculture is to feed a growing population (cheaply) and to maximize profits.

The problem with intensive agriculture and industrial livestock rearing is that it:

• pollutes the water;
• makes the soil poor (there is environmental degradation);
• goes against biodiversity;
• creates dependency on the use of certain seeds, artificial fertilizers and pesticides;
• makes us dependent on monocultures (these are susceptible to diseases);
• involves transport over long distances (pollution);
• is highly mechanized (dependent on petrol);
• can be dangerous for human health;
• compromises animal well-being.

The use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) means that farmers become more dependent on agrochemical and seed companies (GMO seeds are infertile and so the farmers have to buy seeds each year). The long-term effects on health and on the environment of GMOs are not known.

Organic farming is an alternative to productivist agricultural methods. It does not use artificial fertilizers or pesticides and respects animal welfare. The drawback is that it is more labor intensive and therefore costs more to the consumer. Also, is it possible to guarantee food security for 9 billion people with sustainable agriculture? About 4% of farms are organic in France (in the Puy-de-Dôme,  out of a total of about 8000 farms, there are only about 170 organic farms); in Austria, about 20% of farms are organic. Why, despite the increasing demand for organic produce, the benefits of organic farming methods to the environment and to human health, and the potential for employment, is organic farming still a marginal practice?

In the South, farming methods are more traditional, but do not necessarily meet the needs of a growing urban population. Monocultures in the South (e.g. cotton) are subject to fluctuating world market prices and to unfair competition from subsidized farms in the North. Farmers’ livelihood in the South is also undermined by cheap agricultural products from wealthier countries being dumped on local markets.

It would cost about $30 billion to feed the world’s nearly 1 billion hungry for one year. Spending on pet food reached $19 billion in 2012. The USA military budget in 2012 was $682 billion. Judging from these figures, it would appear that food security for all is not a priority...

Questions

1. When was agriculture invented?
2. Why was it a revolution?
3. Why did life expectancy rise?
4. What is "food security"?
5. What is the population likely to be in 2050?
6. What are "intensive agricultural methods"?
7. What is the "North"?
8. What is the "South"?
9. What is "yield"?
10. What is the difference between monoculture and polyculture?
11. What is the aim of industrial agriculture?
12. List three problems with intensive agriculture.
13. What is organic farming?
14. How many farms are organic in France?
15. How does this compare with Austria?
16. Why do traditional farming methods in the South not always meet the needs of the people?
17. Are farms in the South successful businesses (why/not)?
18. What is "dumping"?
19. How many hungry people are there in the world?
20. How much would it cost to feed the world's hungry?