The war in Ukraine has once again made yield the yardstick for success in agriculture. Our soils and fields are there to feed people, nothing else. Is that really the case?
Asia and Africa were struggling with food shortages in the 1950s and 60s, so they began to grow high-yielding varieties of wheat, maize and rice. The credo: an agricultural revolution rather than social revolutions. New cultivation methods were used: fertilizers and pesticides, irrigation systems, mechanical cultivation of large monoculture areas. High yields and productivity were the central goal. The so-called "green revolution" was so successful in this respect that the amount of food available per person worldwide increased by 11 percent between 1970 and 1990. 150 million people managed to escape famine.
However, the revolution had its downside, which was already heavily criticized in the 1980s: The high water and energy requirements as well as the use of fertilizers and pesticides had drastic consequences for the environment. High-yielding varieties only grow really well on nutrient-rich soils. The cultivation of only a few varieties led to high seasonal unemployment among landless harvest workers and the new cultivation methods were too expensive for small farmers. The impoverishment of the growing rural population worsened worldwide and led to people fleeing to the cities, where life was expensive.
The cry for alternatives grew louder and louder and continues to this day. The intentions of the "green revolution" and its initiators were certainly laudable and necessary. However, it has also shown that the pure focus on maximizing yield and production in agriculture is short-sighted, as its tasks are much more diverse.
COUNTRY ECONOMY - COUNTRY WORK
The core task of agriculture is and remains feeding people. But agriculture (including forestry and fisheries) is also an employer for 874 million people, i.e. 27.4 percent of the world's population. It is therefore the second largest employment sector and is at the beginning of the value chain of our food system. Worldwide, 83 percent of farms are small family farms (less than 2 hectares) and produce a third of the world's food.
The number of farms in our part of the world has been declining for several decades , with small farms in particular disappearing. Larger farms and "factories" are increasingly taking over the field. Farmers are evolving into farmers on commercial farms or often into farm workers on large industrial farms. Although the population has a high regard for the work of farmers(study from Germany), the term "slave labor" is repeatedly used in media reports when it comes to the working conditions of harvest workers in the agricultural industry or the precarious living conditions of small farmers in Europe.
Cultivated land (economy)
With the beginning of agriculture and livestock farming around 7,000 years ago, new landscapes and habitats such as meadows, pastures and fields emerged in Europe, which was largely forested. The oceans and seas did not remain unused either. Numerous new plants were introduced and plant and animal species were bred. Europe thus became richer in species as a result of agriculture.
The majority of our environment is a "cultural landscape" - a landscape created by anthropogenic ecosystems with a predominantly utilitarian function.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries have the major task of preserving landscapes, protecting their biodiversity and ecosystems and maintaining their functions: Protection against erosion, avalanche protection,CO2 storage, recreational space, wood as a fuel and building material, food, water, raw materials for medicines, soil formation, maintenance of the nutrient cycle and much more.
Climate sinners - climate saviors - a paradox?
Are the tasks of agriculture merely necessary repair tools for the damage it has caused? This question is certainly justified. Up to 37 percent of greenhouse gases are currently generated in food production. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of water consumption. 70-80 percent of biodiversity loss and deforestation occur in the course of food production.
The good thing is: Switching to sustainable farming therefore has huge potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, createCO2 reservoirs and preserve or regenerate ecosystems.
Country life as a cultural asset
The diversity of cultural traditions that agriculture produces is extremely worthy of protection. They create identities and form communities: the cooperative system, the harvest festival, the processing of agricultural products such as linen or sheep's wool products, handicrafts and woodworking. One of the greatest cultural assets is probably the culture of cooking and eating. Every region has its own delicacies and culinary skills to offer. The list is endless. In a world of constant change, cultural diversity also makes it easier for us to constantly adapt to new circumstances.
"Knowledge hub" farm
Traditional knowledge about cultivation and agricultural work is essential for the transformation towards sustainable agriculture. Small-scale farms in particular usually have good solutions and knowledge for local conditions. Knowledge carriers here are the indigenous population or organic farmers, who maintain traditional practices and often develop innovative farming concepts at the same time.
Numerous farmers pass on their knowledge to children and adults, whether directly on the farm, as part of workshops and educational events or at the market stall.
Throughout Europe, there are more and more farms that create jobs and training facilities for people with disabilities or for offenders, drug addicts or the long-term unemployed.
The farm becomes a multifunctional place: social institution, school, research field, workplace, place of community, networker beyond its basic boundaries. However, the right structures and framework conditions are needed. In the long term, small-scale agriculture with sustainable management can cope well with this wealth of tasks.
If you're asking yourself: all well and good, but how can we avoid famine if we don't maximize yields? The answer is a sustainable diet that enables us to feed 10 billion people in a healthy way . Keyword: Planetary Health Diet
Sources and further reading:
FAO World Food and Agriculture Statistical Yearbook 2021
Ending Africas Hunger, The nation, 2009
The Green Revolution revisited: Critiques and Alternatives, Bernhard Glaeser, 2011
Food security and supply, Future Conference of the BOKU 2022
Social farming creates jobs, Dr. Thomas van Elsen, ASG Ländlicher Raum 2011
Farmers - more than just food producers, Federal Information Center for Agriculture, 2021
