alternative view of future production

[jensend]

i agree on some points. in the end food will have to be produced closer to consumer.



UN expert calls for farming changes
AFP October 16, 2010 Comments (15)
•Story•Photos ( 1 )
Picture taken on October 16, 2010 in Paris shows some of the 10.000 plates set up by international humanitarian organisation "Action against Hunger" in front of the Eiffel tower for the "Banquet against Hunger", an event taking place as part of the World Food Day.Photograph by: AFP, GettyGENEVA, Oct 16, 2010 (AFP) - The United Nations top official on the right to food called for wholesale changes in farming methods to safeguard the environment and ensure everyone has enough to eat.

Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, said in a statement to mark World Food Day that there is currently "little to rejoice about," and "worse may still be ahead."

"Current agricultural developments are ... threatening the ability for our children’s children to feed themselves," he said. "A fundamental shift is urgently required if we want to celebrate World Food Day next year."

De Schutter said the emphasis on chemical fertilisers and a greater mechanisation of production was "far distant from the professed commitment to fight climate change and to support small-scale, family agriculture."

In addition, "giving priority to approaches that increase reliance on fossil fuels is agriculture committing suicide," he said.

"Agriculture is already directly responsible for 14 percent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions — and up to one third if we include the carbon dioxide produced by deforestation for the expansion of cultivation or pastures.

"As a result of climate change, the yields in certain regions of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to fall by 50 percent by 2020 in comparison to 2000 levels. And growing frequency and intensity of floods and droughts contribute to volatility in agricultural markets."

De Schutter said that pursuing the current approach would be "a recipe for disaster."

Instead there should be a global promotion of low-carbon farming, he said, adding that "agriculture must become central to mitigating the effects of climate change rather than a large part of the problem."

"Low-technology, sustainable techniques may be better suited to the needs of the cash-strapped farmers working in the most difficult environments," De Schutter said.

"They represent a huge, still largely untapped potential to meet the needs and to increase the incomes of the poorest farmers."

Climate change and agricultural development must be thought of together, instead of being dealt with in isolation from one another, De Schutter urged.

"To do so, we need to resist the short-termism of markets and elections. Development of longer-term strategies through inclusive and participatory processes could and should clearly identify measures needed, a clear time line, and allocation of responsibilities for action."

"What today seems revolutionary will be achievable if it is part of a long-term, democratically developed plan, one that will allow us to develop carbon-neutral agriculture and to pursue everyone’s enjoyment of the right to food through sustainable food production systems."

The 30th celebration of World Food Day on Saturday has the slogan: "United against hunger."

The main issues in focus are rapidly increasing demand for food commodities and changing climates that affect abilities to produce food.

© Copyright (c) AFP

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/expert calls farming changes/3683082/story.html#ixzz12coyib1H

[charliep]

An interesting article for a group of farmers that are among the worlds most
mechanised and fartherest from export markets. I have to note that western
Canada exports half what it produces. Wheat is on the high end at 2/3.

[jensend]

i think what the un is thinking about is that north america, europe and fsu are using cutting edge technology to produce food for export at a rising price while a lot of these developing nations have unused potential without the investment. there is a financial price as well as an environmental price to moving food half ways around the globe. if we have reached peak oil or at least peak cheap oil transportation costs will throw a crimp into the lifestyles of all of us.

[charliep]

In some sense it is also about countries like China and India being able to
feed 1.3 and 1.1 bln people respectively. They have been able to mostly
feed themselves to date but improving incomes/desire for better lifestyles
will change this (likely). You can then talk about Africa and its agricultural
potential. Eastern European countries are similar.

Note that the buzz in a lot of agricultural policy work is sustainability.
Have to admit I don't know what this is other than on a very simple farm
level (eg. the conversation about straw in another thread).

[jensend]

to me sustainability is, quite simply, keeping the use of non-renewable resources to a minimum. the whole world economy is extractive - takes resources from the earth and they are finite. i remember at a stickland seminar decades ago brenda was quite aghast when she figured out i was saying everything and everyone was reliant on something taken from the earth. i asked her if she would have a job if farmers weren't using the resources in the earth to produce food. we can talk about the service economy all we want but the earth, sun and rain are what sustain all of us.

[bucket]

I am wondering how much more efficient farmers in western canada would be in respect to environmental issues had the railways stayed in place. And not created long hauls and a trucking industry for ag products.

[tmyrfield]

Ah yes the UN
remember: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2004/04/investigate-the-united-nations-oil-for-food-fraud

and now they are backing the hopelessly corrupt IPPC and the scam of global warming; http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/10/16/hal-lewis-my-resignation-from-the-american-physical-society/#more-26117

Thank our lucky stars that Canada was denied a seat on the UN security council in favour of the founding member of PIGGS: http://imarketnews.com/node/12887

[Kodiak]

Thanks for reminding us to keep perspective tmyrfield. It's easy and fashionable to parrot the ideologies of the most pampered "experts" at the UN and other institutions, who have the most expensive PR and promotion budgets in the world, and who spend their lives on airplanes and 5 star hotels making sure the whole world knows they, and they alone, have ALL the answers.

And of course, if like you and I tmyrfield, someone dares question the wisdom (or motives) of these highly intelligent didactic folks, they are summarily put in their place among the other uninformed Neanderthals and unenlightened.

[Jay-mo]

You nailed it Kodiak. To take anything the UN says or does at face value is foolish at best and willful, blind stupidity at worst.
The UN has proven itself to be corrupt at its core with the recent climate science scandal only the latest event in a history of blunders.

[charliep]

Another view of agriculture.

[URL="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/17/iowa.farm.visit/index.html?hpt=C2"]farm visit[/URL]

[charliep]

Wal Mart's initiative around sustainable agriculture.

[URL="http://www.agweb.com/article/wal-mart_unveils_global_sustainable_agriculture_goals/"]walmart and agriculture[/URL]

[Jay-mo]

Good post charlie, but am I the only one getting sick of hearing the word "sustainable"?

[charliep]

Using the word sustainable and Walmart in the same sentence is an
oxymoron but having said that they have a lot of market power and
understand their cusomer base better than you and I do. Emphasis on
sustainability is likely the flavor of the day but it still bears watching.

[charliep]

More stuff from one of my favorite publications - Food Navigator USA.

[URL="http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Demand-for-sustainability-is-high-comprehension-is-low-says-Mintel/?c=jYz%2BwZTNAeUcECXVH1TWPA%3D%3D&utm_source=newsl etter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newslett er%2BDaily"]consumer understanding sustainability[/URL]