climate change & agriculture
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CLIMATE CHANGE & AGRICULTURE. ‘Modern agriculture has become the art of turning oil into food.’ -B. Clark & R. York (2008:13). “…I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider." -Rajendra Pachauri, IPCC head. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
CLIMATE CHANGE & AGRICULTURE
‘Modern agriculture has become the art of turning oil into food.’
-B. Clark & R. York (2008:13)
“…I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider."
-Rajendra Pachauri, IPCC head
UNEVENNESS• ‘Developed World’: 80 kg/person• ‘Developing World’: ~30 kg/person
World Meat Production Per Person, 1961-2004
0
10
20
30
40
50
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: FAO
Kilo
gram
s
44% increaseby 2030 (FAO proj.)
The ‘Meatification’ of Human Diets
Farm animal vs. human population
Human Population
Farm Animal Population
Animals Slaughtered /
year
0
10,000,000
20,000,000
30,000,000
40,000,000
50,000,000
60,000,000
1965 1975 1985 1995 2005Source: FAO
-late 19th C – global chicken population ~100,000,000
-today: chickens killed annually ~50,000,000,000
-in the US, more chickens killed in 1 day today than were killed all year in 1930
Mechanization
Simplification&
Standardization
But…
‘Nature doesn’t know monocultures’
Simplification&
Standardization‘Soil Mining’
Mechanization
Fertilizeresp. Nitrogen,Potassium, &Phosphorous
agro-ecosystems: relatively closed-loop cycles of nutrients and energy and managed diversity
Simplification&
Standardization‘Soil Mining’
Increased vulnerability
to weeds, insectsdisease…
Mechanization
Fertilizeresp. Nitrogen,Potassium, &Phosphorous
Agro-ChemicalsHerbicides,InsecticidesFungicides,
Disinfectants
‘Enhanced Seeds’
agro-ecosystems: relatively closed-loop cycles of nutrients and energy and managed diversity
Simplification&
Standardization‘Soil Mining’
Mechanization
Fertilizeresp. Nitrogen,Potassium, &Phosphorous
Agro-ChemicalsHerbicides,InsecticidesFungicides,
Disinfectants
agro-ecosystems: relatively closed-loop cycles of nutrients and energy and managed diversity
disarticulation of livestock from
landscape
Animal-Pharma
Increased vulnerability
to weeds, insectsdisease…
‘Enhanced Seeds’
Simplification&
Standardization‘Soil Mining’
Increased vulnerability
to weeds, insectsdisease…
Mechanization
Fertilizeresp. Nitrogen,Potassium, &Phosphorous
Agro-ChemicalsHerbicides,InsecticidesFungicides,
Disinfectants
‘Enhanced Seeds’
agro-ecosystems: relatively closed-loop cycles of nutrients and energy and managed diversity
Distance & Durability of Food
‘Food miles’disarticulation of livestock from
landscape
Animal-Pharma
Simplification&
Standardization‘Soil Mining’
Increased vulnerability
to pests, weeds,disease…
Mechanization
Fertilizeresp. Nitrogen,Potassium, &Phosphorous
Agro-ChemicalsHerbicides,InsecticidesFungicides,
Disinfectants
‘Treadmill effect’
‘Enhanced Seeds’
agro-ecosystems: relatively closed-loop cycles of nutrients and energy and managed diversity
Distance & Durability of Food
OUTPUTS
‘Food miles’
Agriculture as through-flow, industrial process
biophysical overrides hinge on FOSSIL ENERGY & DERIVATIVES
disarticulation of livestock from
landscape
Animal-Pharma
INPUTS
Animal-Pharma
disarticulation of livestock from
landscape
Simplification&
Standardization‘Soil Mining’
Increased vulnerability
to pests, weeds,disease…
Mechanization
INPUTS
Fertilizeresp. Nitrogen,Potassium, &Phosphorous
Agro-ChemicalsHerbicides,InsecticidesFungicides,
Disinfectants
‘Treadmill effect’
‘Enhanced Seeds’
agro-ecosystems: relatively closed-loop cycles of nutrients and energy and managed diversity
Distance & Durability of Food
OUTPUTS
‘Food miles’
Agriculture as through-flow, industrial process
WASTES
persistent toxicity
C02 emissionsC02 emissions
C02 emissions
water pollution
water pollution
C02 + CH4 emissions
water pollution
water consumption
violence
16:15:13:1
grain-fed livestock: “reverse protein factories” (Lappe)
Our ‘Ecological Hoofprint’ -protein, carbohydrates, minerals, etc. lost in
cycling feed through livestock = as livestock production expands, extra land space needed for agriculture
LIVESTOCK Prod’n =18% of anthropogenic GHG
- clearing forested land (biggest)- fertilizer (prod’n + transport)- farm vehicles- ruminant flatulence
“…I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider."
-Rajendra Pachauri, IPCC head
Shun meat, says UN climate chief BBC News (Sept. 8, 2008)
Fragments, or the cusp of bigger changes…?
Community ShareAgriculture (CSAs)
Food Miles
Farmworker Unions
Animal WelfareMovement Animal Rights –
Veganism
rising concernabout climate change
community resistance to
factory farming
progressivefarmer
organizations
(e.g. NFU, NFFC) community gardening
& permaculture movement
Soaring Organic Demand
Civil disobedience…GMO crop-burnersGuerrilla Gardening
Fair Trade
strugglesto get back to the land
Community ShareAgriculture (CSAs)
Food Miles
Farmworker Unions and
Mobilizing ‘Illegals’Animal Welfare
Movement
Animal Rights – Veganism
community resistance to
factory farming
community gardening
& permaculture movement
Soaring Organic Demand
Civil disobedience…GMO crop-burnersGuerrilla Gardening
strugglesto get back to the land
Fair Tradeprogressivefarmer
organizations
(e.g. NFU, NFFC)
rising concernabout climate change
challenge: widen & connect!
“To ask the biggest questions, we can start with the most personal – what do we eat?”
• Frances Moore Lappe
the ‘intimate commodity’