Global warming, species extinction, COVID-19, and now the war in Ukraine. Global problems are more visible and palpable than ever. Day-to-day politics is dominated by ad-hoc decisions intended to provide short-term relief. Sustainable development is often “put off” until later. In agriculture, the well-known mantra of “mass production” is once again on everyone’s lips. But is it really a tried-and-true approach?
In this special feature, our editorial team is deliberately stirring up controversy. We are calling on the global agricultural sector to take responsibility for maintaining a long-term perspective in order to ensure food security in both the short and long term. After all, agriculture has far more responsibilities than simply maximizing yields at all costs. Sustainable development in agriculture must not be pursued only in times of peace. On the contrary, sustainable agriculture becomes a true force for good, especially in times of crisis.
On May 14, 2022, the G7 agriculture ministers made a firm commitment to continue working ambitiously toward the development of sustainable food and agricultural systems, despite the acute food crisis. A strong promise that must be kept!
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, various representatives of the agricultural lobby have succeeded in getting the EU to “waive” key sustainability requirements. Do we really need intensive agriculture down to the last square meter right now? Anne Charlotte Bunge, a doctoral candidate at the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, disagrees and explains that we in Europe do not actually have a food shortage. It is used as a killer argument to justify “business as usual.” In reality, the food system is facing a profound transformation across the entire value chain—from food production to consumption to food waste. She emphasizes: “Every decision we make now will impact food security in the future.” (More in the interview)
Unfortunately, one of these decisions was the EU’s move to bring fallow land back into full production due to the supposed food shortage. Fallow land—a mere 4 percent of Europe’s agricultural area—serves as a vital habitat for insects and animals, thereby effectively countering the biodiversity crisis. A political decision that really packs a punch. One party didn’t make it to the negotiating table: the skylark, which, after spending the winter in the south, was confronted with an “housing crisis” of the animal variety, as its nesting sites have disappeared. (More on the loss of fallow land in an interview with the skylark herself)
In the Global South, however, food shortages caused by export bans from Ukraine and Russia are a reality. Ousmane Pame provides us with a firsthand look at the situation in Senegal and the Sahel region. He is president of the REDES Network, an initiative dedicated to the development of “eco-villages” in the Sahel region.
In his view, the current food crisis is exacerbating existing problems, such as the degradation of soil quality, excessively high energy consumption, water pollution caused by pesticides, health issues resulting from intensive agriculture, and heavy reliance on global supply chains.
In eco-villages, on the other hand, people are successfully revitalizing their surroundings by practicing sustainable, traditional agriculture and agroforestry, reforesting land to re-establish ecosystems, and creating jobs and educational institutions (more on this in the interview).
Even though organic farming has proven in many places how resilient it is in times of crisis, it is facing particularly harsh criticism these days. The agricultural lobby accuses it of being morally indefensible in times of famine, arguing that it yields too little, requires too much land, or produces products that are too expensive. Thus, organic farming is said to be fueling the current crisis.
Erik Frydwald, CEO of Syngenta, went so far as to claim that the consumption of organic food and the EU’s goal of 25 percent organic farming are indirectly linked to hunger in Africa (Salzburger Nachrichten). The experts at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences’ Future Conference in April 2022 easily refuted his claim: They called it a completely absurd theory and an unnecessary provocation, since such a connection cannot be measured.
Speaking of price: Let’s take a closer look at our food prices through the lens of sustainability and talk about true costs. Environmental and social damage caused by food production is not included in these prices. These factors, which generate follow-up costs, are generally much lower in organic farming. In our article on true-cost accounting, we present a simple calculation that will surprise you.
Werner Lampert, who has been involved in the advancement of agriculture for more than half a century, also vehemently defends the necessity of organic farming inan interview. Sitting back and relying on the wonders of technology—above all, the supposedly promising field of genetic engineering—is not a solution. He encourages the “organic lobby” to make organic farming even better, more crisis-resilient, and more promising for the future. It already has a significant lead over conventional farming.
Two “Prüf Nach!”-certifiedorganic farms in the Mühl- and Waldviertel regions are putting this into practice. Sustainable farming methods mean you’re far less entangled in global systems. In two interviews, humus farmer Hubert Stark and the women farmers of the Loidholdhof at the Sonnenbankerl take us deep into the heart of the humus soil and discuss “grandchild-friendly” farming in harmony with nature.
Our colleagues, for whom sustainable consumption is a top priority, offer a few thoughts to spark further reflection:
“Eating organic is second nature to me—that’s how I was raised. It’s really important to me to eat wholesome, high-quality food; I’d rather go without something else.”
“For health reasons, I always choose organic—think pesticides, antibiotics, and the like.” “I want to support local agriculture and preserve biodiversity.”
How are committed organic food consumers dealing with rising food prices? “To be fair, we have to admit that we buy organic because we can still afford it at the moment.”
New ways to save money have already led them to change their eating habits: “When a steak costs 15 euros, you really think twice. The other day, we just shared a steak between the two of us.” “The snack foods we love so much but that are expensive are currently being ‘sacrificed’ in favor of organic options. Cooking more at home without processed foods also makes meals more affordable.” There’s a silver lining, too: “We’re now rethinking our consumption habits.”
Crises are a paradoxical phenomenon: they are usually not just tragic, painful events, but also inspire people to take action, think in new ways, and find common solutions.
Let’s use this momentum to drive forward the much-needed transformation of our food production, rather than letting it be dictated by short-sighted, ad hoc decisions. After all, if agriculture prioritizes sustainability now, we’ll be better equipped to weather future crises. That’s for sure!
There have been many agricultural revolutions over the past 10,000 years of human history. We may be in the midst of a new one, and it could be the most significant yet.
Prof. Jules Pretty, University of Essex