Agricultural policy has, since the end of WWII, been focused on increasing the production of commodity crops like corn, wheat, and soy. These efforts have been tremendously successful, for example corn production went from 22 bushels an acre in the 1940s to over 200 bushels an acre today. However, these policies have also led to the decline in the number of farms and the decline in the diversity of farms while also increasing soil loss, increasing soil infertility, and releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Agriculture can be changed, returning to practices on a large-scale that are restorative. Examine the following:
A quick visual of our current animal agricultural system: search in this site: https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/
An amusing presentation on our current situation and possibility for change, “How I Fell in Love with a Fish”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=4EUAMe2ixCI
A different consideration of our productivity: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/034015/meta I happen to really like this article but if you click the video on the page, it gives you a quick over view.
Read an article by Michael Pollan, one of the foremost writers on all things food related. https://michaelpollan.com/articles/ Select from the sustainable agriculture, agricultural policy or environment sections.
Do a web search for “Regenerative Agriculture”, how is this defined and select a video to review and share.
Remember Drawdown, the scientifically researched solutions to the climate crisis? How many are related to food/agriculture? Which one do you find compelling? https://www.drawdown.org/
After considering at least three resources use specific details to share what you learned, and how your thinking on the issue has been impacted, including but not limited to:
(a) Assess the degree to which you think our society should implement strategies to change our food/agricultural policies?
(b) What problems are associated with the current system?
(c) What would be some of the benefits of changing the system to one that is more sustainable?