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

Tunisia Kenya Haiti

a (not- Food-Deficit Countries (FAO 2006) 2007-8 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 2005 2007: 923 M + 125 M to extreme poverty

a (not- WHO: obesity a global pandemic (~1.3 B obese) FAO: of chronic hunger 2009: > 1 B 854 M malnourished in 2005 2007: 923 M + 125 M to extreme poverty

pseudo-diversity

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

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

1.5 x 4.1 x data: FAOSTATS

The Soaring 2 70% > 2X data: FAOSTATS

The Industrial Grain-Oilseed-Livestock Complex data: FAOSTATS

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

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

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

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

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

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

1962 1982 2002 10 x FAO 2008 Global fertilizer consumption kg/ha

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 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

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

competition drive to standardize & industrialize production integration OFF- FARM Agro-Input TNCs -seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals TOP TNCs by % share of global commercial markets, 2004-6 Seeds (10) Animal pharmaceuticals (10) Agro-chemicals (6) 57% 55% 71% Source: ETC Group

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

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

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

Falling margins = US Farms -top 8% 67% land -top 3% 60% sales Canada: 1921 711,090 farms 2006 229,373 farms US Agricultural Census 2007

by subsidy regimes

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 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

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 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

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

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

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

water pollution & consumption

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

+ unaccounted health costs

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

The future of genetic diversity?

another unaccounted

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