Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

low. This makes consumers happy but means farmersmay not be able to make a living.Another is to give farmers subsidies and tax breaks tokeep them in business and encourage them to increase foodproduction. Globally, government price supports andother subsidies for agriculture total more than $300 billionper year (about $100 billion per year in the UnitedStates)—an average of more than half a million dollarsper minute! If government subsidies are too generousand the weather is good, farmers may produce morefood than can be sold. The resulting surplus depressesfood prices, which reduces the financial incentive forfarmers in developing countries to increase domesticfood production—those connections again.A third approach is to eliminate most or all pricecontrols and subsidies and let farmers respond to marketdemand without government interference. However,some analysts urge that any phaseout of farm subsidiesshould be coupled with increased aid for thepoor and the lower middle class, who would sufferthe most from any increase in food prices. Many environmentalistssay that instead of eliminating all subsidieswe should use them to reward farmers andranchers who protect the soil, conserve water, reforestdegraded land, protect and restore wetlands, conservewildlife, and practice more sustainable agricultureand fishing.xHOW WOULD YOU VOTE? Should governments phase outsubsidies for conventional industrialized agriculture andphase in subsidies for more sustainable agriculture? Castyour vote online at http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14.14-10 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTUREWhat Is More Sustainable Agriculture?Learn From NatureWe can produce food more sustainably byreducing resource throughput and workingwith nature.There are three main ways to reduce hunger and malnutritionand the harmful environmental effects ofagriculture. One is to slow population growth. Another isto reduce poverty so people can grow or buy enoughfood for their survival and good health.The third is to develop and phase in systems ofmore sustainable or low-input agriculture—alsocalled organic farming or agroecology—over the nextfew decades. Figure 14-29 lists the major componentsof more sustainable agriculture. This method of foodproduction uses technologies based on ecologicalknowledge to increase yields, control pests, and buildsoil fertility. It relies more on a variety of perennialcrops (polyculture) rather than monoculture of annualcrops. It recognizes that it is unwise to overuse pesti-MoreHigh-yieldpolycultureOrganic fertilizersBiological pestcontrolIntegrated pestmanagementIrrigation efficiencyPerennial cropsCrop rotationUse of more waterefficientcropsSoil conservationSubsidies for moresustainable farmingand fishingSolutionsSustainable AgricultureLessSoil erosionSoil salinizationAquifer depletionOvergrazingOverfishingLoss of biodiversityLoss of primecroplandFood wasteSubsidies forunsustainablefarming andfishingPopulation growthPovertyFigure 14-29 Solutions: components of more sustainable,low-throughput agriculture.cides because this eliminates natural predators thathelp control pest populations and causes pest populationsto become genetically resistant to widely usedpesticides. Organic farmers or agroecologists also relymore or totally on manure and tilled-in crop residuesto help maintain and build soil fertility by increasingits carbon content. This can help reduce runoff and improvewater quality.Studies have shown that low-input organic farmingproduces roughly equivalent yields with lowercarbon dioxide emissions, uses about half as much energyper unit of yield than conventional farming, improvessoil fertility, and generally is more profitablefor the farmer than high-input farming.In 2002, agricultural scientists Paul Mader andDavid Dubois reported the results of a 21-year studycomparing organic and conventional farming. Theirresults and those from other studies have shown thatfor most crops low-input organic farming has a numberof advantages over conventional high-input farming.They include use of up to 56% less energy per unitof yield, and improved soil health and fertility. Organicfarming also provides more habitats for wildplant and animal species and generally is more profitablefor the farmer than high-input farming.302 CHAPTER 14 Food and Soil Resources