History of Agricultural Systems

Origins of Agriculture

Agriculture begins in densely populated areas

Agriculture diffuses to remote areas…

… as farmers displaced hunter-gatherers, between 10,000 and 5,000 years ago.But, some innovations likely spread between cultures, too

Trading networks permit…

the division of labor, and thus, the rise of civilization

But most agriculture was still…

subsistence agriculture

Early trade was bartering

Greek drachma of Aegina , 700 BCE

but the rise of standard currency, (money), facilitated expanded trade and further division of labor.

Agriculture is labor intensive

Domestic animals augment human labor

and provide fertilizer.

Industrialization in Europe

A beam engine of the Watt type, London, 1859

Industrialization of agriculture

Steam-powered tractor, 1882

Industrialization of agriculture

• Mechanical tillage• Pump driven large irrigation systems• Synthetic fertilizer• Pesticides and herbicides• Mechanical harvesting• Intensive livestock operations

What did each of these replace?

High-yielding varieties of plants

that are uniform in size and respond well to these innovations.

Positive aspects of industrialization

Global population, 1950-2010

Preventing food insecurity and famine as global populations grow

Extending industrialization to the third world: The Green Revolution

Norman Borlaugdeveloper of high yield grain varieties, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1970

Wealth, Development, Autonomy

Negativeconsequences

of industrialization

e.g. pollutionfrom excessive pesticide

and herbicide use

Reliance on finite fossil fuels

Hubbert curve, showing declining production of oil in the US.

Land tenure changes due to increasing industrialization of agriculture leads to…

Rural-to-urban migration and the rise of slums in cities around the world

Kibera Slum Nairobi, Kenya

Returning to sustainability…

Students:

What does sustainability mean?

How can the negative consequences of industrialization be ameliorated while still providing the benefits of modern agriculture?

Defining Sustainable Agriculture

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs• Enhance environmental quality and the natural

resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends

• Make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls

• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as

a whole.

Examples of sustainable practices

• Recycling crop waste and livestock manure• Growing N-fixing legumes in rotation• Amending soil organic matter• More efficient irrigation systems• No till farming; preventing soil erosion• Reduced energy usage in all aspects of farming• Biological controls of pests• Free range animal husbandry • Others?