Not-so cheap food: illusions of efficiency and the chemical-industrial food system

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Not-so cheap food: illusions of efficiency and the chemical-industrial food system"

Shon Banks
6 years ago
Views:

1 Not-so cheap food: illusions of efficiency and the chemical-industrial food system

3 Tunisia Kenya Haiti

5 a (not- Food-Deficit Countries (FAO 2006) Price Increases: Impact on Trade Balances (World Bank 2008) 2010 Global Hunger Index Survey FAO: of chronic hunger 2009: > 1 B 854 M malnourished in : 923 M M to extreme poverty

6 a (not- WHO: obesity a global pandemic (~1.3 B obese) FAO: of chronic hunger 2009: > 1 B 854 M malnourished in : 923 M M to extreme poverty

8 pseudo-diversity

9 The Biological Narrowing of Global Food Production (from crop type to soil micro-biology to plant genetics) TOP 30 CROPS ~95% -based caloric and protein intake

10 The Biological Narrowing of Global Food Production (from crop type to soil micro-biology to plant genetics) TOP 30 CROPS ~95% -based caloric and protein intake (maize, rice, wheat) >50% of all plant-based calories + SOY (#4) + coarse grains

11 1.5 x 4.1 x data: FAOSTATS

12 The Soaring 2 70% > 2X data: FAOSTATS

13 The Industrial Grain-Oilseed-Livestock Complex data: FAOSTATS

14 meatification? FAO projection 2050: 51 kg + class disparities data: FAOSTATS

15 The Industrial Grain-Oilseed-Livestock Complex industrial monocultures & animals both disarticulated and entwined

16 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity

17 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization substituting K/technology for labour & localized knowledge standardization / biological simplification

18 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization substituting K/technology for labour & localized knowledge standardization / biological simplification

19 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining

20 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining Imperialism

21 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining inorganic fertilizer N, P, K phosphogypsom stacks + wastewater ponds

23 x FAO 2008 Global fertilizer consumption kg/ha

managed diversity mechanization standardization /

insects, weeds, fungus, disease inorganic fertilizer

24 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, disinfectants

25 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation

diversity mechanization standardization / biological

weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil

speeding turnover (factory farming) pharmaceuticals &

26 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) pharmaceuticals & mutilations water inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation

non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining

27 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) pharmaceuticals & mutilations water inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation

28 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) pharmaceuticals & mutilations water inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation centralized knowledge & power

non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs mechanization

29 non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs mechanization standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) pharmaceuticals & mutilations water inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation INPUTS OUTPUTS

30 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production integration OFF- FARM Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

31 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production integration OFF- FARM Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals TOP TNCs by % share of global commercial markets, Seeds (10) Animal pharmaceuticals (10) Agro-chemicals (6) 57% 55% 71% Source: ETC Group

32 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production OFF- FARM Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Agro-Food TNCs -processing, distribution, retail

39 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production OFF- FARM Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Agro-Food TNCs -processing, distribution, retail

40 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production consolidation & integration OFF- FARM Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Agro-Food TNCs -processing, distribution, retail

41 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Agro-Food TNCs -processing, distribution, retail Agriculture: corporate (Phil McMichael 2000)

42 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Agro-Food TNCs -processing, distribution, retail rising COSTS falling PRICES COST PRICE SQUEEZE

43 competition drive to standardize & industrialize production Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Agro-Food TNCs -processing, distribution, retail rising COSTS falling PRICES COST PRICE SQUEEZE ON- FARM = declining margins = Fewer and Bigger FARMS e.g. US 2007: 125,000 farms; 75% production

44 Falling margins = US Farms -top 8% 67% land -top 3% 60% sales Canada: ,090 farms ,373 farms US Agricultural Census 2007

45 by subsidy regimes

46 The Competitive Advantage of Industrial Agriculture SCALE pressures magnified by SUBSIDIES -explicit >> skewed to biggest producers -implicit >> unaccounted environmental costs

mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity hinge on FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as through-flow

47 mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity hinge on FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs carbon emissions standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) become the art of turning -B. Clark & R. York (2008:13) pharmaceuticals & mutilations water inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation INPUTS OUTPUTS

48 become the art of turning -B. Clark & R. York (2008:13)

mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as

enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover

49 mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs carbon emissions standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) nitrous oxide emissions water pollution water treatment demands pharmaceuticals & mutilations water inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation INPUTS OUTPUTS

50 mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs carbon emissions standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) nitrous oxide emissions water pollution persistent toxicity & bioaccumulation water pollution water treatment demands pharmaceuticals & mutilations water inorganic fertilizer chemical pesticides irrigation INPUTS OUTPUTS

51 mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs carbon emissions standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) pharmaceuticals & mutilations water nitrous oxide emissions water pollution water treatment demands inorganic fertilizer persistent toxicity & bioaccumulation water pollution chemical pesticides disruption to aquatic ecosystems salinization & waterlogging GMO risks irrigation INPUTS OUTPUTS

52 mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs carbon emissions standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) water pollution methane emissions pharmaceuticals & mutilations violence water nitrous oxide emissions water pollution water treatment demands inorganic fertilizer persistent toxicity & bioaccumulation water pollution chemical pesticides disruption to aquatic ecosystems salinization & waterlogging GMO risks irrigation INPUTS OUTPUTS

53 water pollution & consumption

55 mechanization non-industrial agriculture: relatively closed-loop cycles of biological and physical materials and managed diversity FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES Agriculture as through-flow process contingent on external inputs carbon emissions standardization / biological simplification soil mining vulnerability to insects, weeds, fungus, disease enhanced seeds and reduced soil moisture increasing refining, processing, and distance & durability of food loss of biodiversity disarticulation of livestock from land + speeding turnover (factory farming) water pollution methane emissions pharmaceuticals & mutilations violence water nitrous oxide emissions water pollution water treatment demands inorganic fertilizer persistent toxicity & bioaccumulation water pollution chemical pesticides disruption to aquatic ecosystems salinization & waterlogging GMO risks irrigation INPUTS OUTPUTS

56 + unaccounted health costs

57 e.g. bees ¾ bees to reproduce pollinate ~ 1/3 of global food production by volume colony collapse syndrome

58 The future of genetic diversity?

59 another unaccounted

60 The Competitive Advantage of Industrial Agriculture SCALE pressures magnified by SUBSIDIES -explicit >> skewed to biggest producers -implicit >> unaccounted environmental costs more complicated than economies of scale

Ch Food Resources. wheat, rice and corn provide ~50% of the calories people consume; all three are annuals

Ch Food Resources. wheat, rice and corn provide ~50% of the calories people consume; all three are annuals Ch. 12 - Food Resources How is Food Produced? What Plants and Animals Feed the World? 15 plant and 8 animal species supply 90% of our food wheat, rice and corn provide ~50% of the calories people consume;