Why do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties? Key issue 4 Why do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

Challenges for Farmers in Developing Countries Today’s topics: Challenges for Farmers in Developing Countries Challenges for Farmers in Developed Countries Strategies to Increase the World’s Food Supply Sustainable Agriculture

Challenges for Farmers in Developing Countries

Issue: POPULATION GROWTH In order to feed growing populations, subsistence farmers in the developing world are under pressure to increase their yields. Fields manually watered with apartments in view

She identified three ways farmers innovate: ESTHER BOSERUP articulated the theory that farmers respond to population pressure with INNOVATION. She identified three ways farmers innovate: They increase land under production (terracing, irrigation) New farming methods adopted (increased productivity) Land left fallow for shorter periods

Hills in Bhutan being terraced to host intensive rice production

Boserup’s five stages of fallowing (Increasing productivity) 1.) Forest Fallow: Use 2 years, fallow 20 forest returns 2.) Bush Fallow: Use 5-8 years, fallow 10 undergrowth returns 3.) Short Fallow: Use 2-3 years, fallow 2 grasses return 4.) Annual Cropping: Used year-to-year with crop rotation to retain soil 5.) Multi-Cropping: Fields never left fallow, used in all seasons

Issue: INTERNATIONAL TRADE In order to increase efficiency, better technologies and seeds are needed, and currency ($$) is needed to acquire them.

To raise needed $, developing countries must sell export products to developed countries. This means dedicating more farming area to export crops, at the expense of subsistence crops – a dilemma. GROWING PINEAPPLES FOR EXPORT

The Sahel region (semi-desert) Food Scarcity in Horn of Africa Food Supply in AFRICA Parts of Africa, like the SAHEL and HORN OF AFRICA, struggle to feed their growing populations. The Sahel region (semi-desert) Food Scarcity in Horn of Africa

These regions are too arid for intensive agriculture, and meager int’l trade means there is little currency available for capital investment.

Afghan girl attending a poppy field (used for HEROIN) DRUG CROPS In order to bring in foreign currency, some countries engage in the illicit export of crops used to produce narcotics. Afghan girl attending a poppy field (used for HEROIN)

TOP EXPORTERS OF DRUG CROPS 1.) COCAINE – derived from COCA LEAF Colombia, Peru, Bolivia 2.) HEROIN – derived from POPPY PLANT 90% from Afghanistan 3.) MARIJUANA – CANNABIS SATIVA plant Mexico world’s largest producer

Challenges for Farmers in Developed Countries

Issue: OVERPRODUCTION Because efficient practices are so widely adopted, commercial farmers produce far more than is actually needed- leading to low prices.

Encouraging (paying) farmers not to grow overproduced crops The US Gov’t Responds to OVERPRODUCTION in 3 ways: Encouraging (paying) farmers not to grow overproduced crops Subsidizing farmers when commodity prices are low Buying surpluses and selling/giving them to other countries

FARM SUBSIDIES

Issue: ACCESS TO MARKETS Because shipping is a major expense, DISTANCE TO MARKETS greatly affects what commercial farmers choose to grow.

JOHANN HEINRICH VON THUNEN developed an important model to express how proximity to market impacts commodities produced.

Center: Urban Area (Market) VAN THUNEN’S MODEL Center: Urban Area (Market) 1st Ring: Market-oriented gardens and dairying (perishables) 2nd Ring: Forest (timber - expensive to transport) 3rd Ring: Crops and pasturing (stable for shipping) 4th Ring: Grazing (requires lots of cheap land)

Here we see the effect of a river, which can be used for transport. Physical features which impact transportation affect Van Thunen’s model. Here we see the effect of a river, which can be used for transport.

STRATEGIES to INCREASE the WORLD’S FOOD SUPPLY

Strategy: INCREASE EXPORTS FROM SURPLUS COUNTRIES Some countries produce far more food than they need, while others struggle to meet their needs. An equitable and expanded system of DISTRIBUTION could tackle this issue.

NET IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS OF FOOD MOST FOOD EXPORTS MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST

Strategy: INCREASE LAND UNDER PRODUCTION CIRCULAR CROPS IN KANSAS More food can be grown by expanding agricultural land, but this method also brings grave challenges. CIRCULAR CROPS IN KANSAS

In many regions, agricultural land is expanded into marginal areas by increasing irrigation (water use). This leads to issues with water supply, and can spread DESERTIFICATION. The ARAL SEA’s tributaries were tapped to grow cotton; the sea has nearly disappeared today, replaced by desert.

Growing urban centers consume PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND as they develop outward, making agricultural expansion difficult

Strategy: EXPANDING FISHING The expansion of FISHING is one way to increase food supply without depending on land-based farming.

FISH CONSUMPTION has risen dramatically in recent decades- driven by the developing world- from 27 million metric tons in 1960 to 110 million in 2010.

In the same time, FISH PRODUCTION has increased even more sharply, from 36 to 145 million metric tons. The excess production is largely used in ANIMAL FEED.

Most of this expanded production has come from AQUACULTURE – the cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions.

Aquaculture presents issues of its own.

While AQUACULTURE has expanded, catch of fish from the ocean has been declining. OVERFISHING has deleted stocks of many important fish, such as COD.

The UN estimates that ¼ of all fish stocks are overfished, and ½ are fully exploited- including all of the most desirable stocks.

Strategy: INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY The global famine neo-Malthusians predicted never happened; tremendous advances in the mid-20th century led to an expansion of agricultural productivity.

This era of innovation was called the GREEN REVOLUTION. Technological advances – like the COMBINE were combined with scientific advances like GENETICALLY MODIFIED seeds and improved FERTILIZERS.

Though the Green Revolution made agriculture vastly more productive, it did so at great ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL cost.

PROBLEMS WITH THE GREEN REV’N HEALTH PROBLEMS- High rates of GM consumption may reduce antibiotic effectiveness; diversity of local crops may be lost to export focus. EXPORT PROBLEMS – Some regions, like the Eurozone, have strict limits on GM imports. DEPENDENCE ON U.S. – Consumers forced to buy seeds every year from US-based companies; ‘terminator’ gene.

Among the worst impacts of the Green Rev’n is on WATER. Crops/techniques used require FAR more water than traditional methods. Expanded irrigation threatens water security around the globe.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE practices that preserve and enhance environmental quality

ORGANIC farming is the most popular form for sustainable agriculture; it eschews chemicals and fertilizers.

Only. 6% of worldwide commercial agriculture is organic Only .6% of worldwide commercial agriculture is organic. It is highly concentrated- 32% is from Australia, 12% from Argentina.

There are THREE PRIMARY WAYS sustainable agriculture is achieved.

1.) SENSITIVE LAND MANAGEMENT Using the LAND in ways that maximize sustainability. Popular method is LAND TILLAGE – the planting of crops in raised rows.

2.) LIMITED/NO USE OF CHEMICALS Sustainable agriculture avoids unnecessary or avoidable use of chemicals; organic farming uses none at all, except for natural compounds (manure for fertilizer).

Attempts to make farm as self-sustaining as possible 3.) RESPONSIBLY INTEGRATED CROP AND LIVESTOCK Attempts to make farm as self-sustaining as possible Animals are not confined to small quarters (free range, cage-free)

Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties? Strategies to Increase the World’s Food Supply Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable agriculture are agricultural practices that preserve and enhance environmental quality. Three principal practices distinguish sustainable picture (and, at its best, organic farming) from conventional agriculture: Sensitive land management Limited use of chemicals Better integration of crops and livestock