industrial agriculture

Industrial Agriculture

Anth 210, October 16, 2007

Soil

NutrientsWater

Sun

Air

Energy

Carbon,Oxygen

Humans

Labor:ClearingBurningPlantingFencingWeedingHarvestingPest ControlStorageEtc.

Usefulplant

Uselessplant

Shifting Agricultural Ecosystem

NutrientsFibersDrugsDecorationsEtc.

Sun

Air

Energy

Carbon,Oxygen

Humans

Labor energy:PlowingHarrowingPlantingFencingWeedingHarvestingPest ControlStorageEtc.

Usefulplants(crops)

Intensive Agricultural Ecosystem

NutrientsFibersDrugsDecorationsEtc.

FARMLAND

NutrientsWater

Watersource

Irrigation

Animals

Tractionenergy

Manure(nutrients)

Labor energy

Sun

energy: PlowingHarrowing, PlantingFencing, WeedingHarvesting, Pest Control, Storage, etc.

Industrial Monocrop Agricultural Ecosystem

FARMLAND

Air

Energy

Carbon,Oxygen

Humans

Singlecrops

NutrientsWater

Watersource

Irrigation

Fossil Fuel

Machinery

FertilizerNutrients

$-cides

Exchange Value

Consumer goods

Agricultural Intensification:Energy

Foraging Shifting Agriculture

Intensive Agriculture

Energy Input per unit of land

Energy output per unit of land

Net energy/land

Output/input ratio Population density

Surplus

Fossil FuelEnergy

IndustrialAgriculture

Agricultural Intensification:Energy and EcologyForaging

Shifting Agriculture

Intensive Agriculture

IndustrialAgriculture

Energy source Human Human Human+animal Fossil fuel

Energy efficiency High High Moderate Lowest

Yield per person Low + Low + Low High

Diet Protein High Mod to low Low* High

Biodiversity (farm) Moderate Moderate Low

Biodiversity (landscape) High High Moderate Mod to low

Value produced Use Use Use+exchange Exchange+use

Population supported V. low Low Mod to high Highest

Agricultural Intensification:Energy Efficiency

Agricultural Intensification:Ecology

The Landscape Approach

Two agricultural landscapes

Corn

Buckwheat

Potatoes

OatsPines

Mixed forest

Near Yangjuan, China

Near Walla Walla, Washington

Wheat

Fallow Wheat

Plowed Wheat

• 3rd largest carrot producer in the U.S.: about 5%• 20,000 acres; 10,000 in crops• Rotate between potatoes, garlic, carrots, peas• About 60,000 tons of carrots on 2,500 acres• 2 harvesters, [40 total in U.S.] $600,000 each• 75 irrigation circles• Carrot production line

A large industrial farm:Mercer Ranch

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Extensive Irrigation

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Extensive Irrigation• 75 circles• Single computer• $50,000 each• 20 pumps, 800-1500 hp.

A factory in the field

The carrots from the field are first washed then transported to lines where mechanically grade and transport separately for cell carrots, jumbos, clip-tops, juice and baby-peel carrots.

Agricultural Intensification:Social and Technical Aspects