climate change & agriculture

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’