Industrial Agriculture Anth 210, October 16, 2007

Soil Nutrients Water Sun Air Energy Carbon, Oxygen Humans Labor: Clearing Burning Planting Fencing Weeding Harvesting Pest Control Storage Etc. Useful plant Useless plant Shifting Agricultural Ecosystem Nutrients Fibers Drugs Decorations Etc.

Sun Air Energy Carbon, Oxygen Humans Labor energy: Plowing Harrowing Planting Fencing Weeding Harvesting Pest Control Storage Etc. Useful plants (crops) Intensive Agricultural Ecosystem Nutrients Fibers Drugs Decorations Etc. FARMLAND Nutrients Water source Irrigation Animals Traction energy Manure (nutrients) Labor energy

Sun energy: Plowing Harrowing, Planting Fencing, Weeding Harvesting, Pest Control, Storage, etc. Industrial Monocrop Agricultural Ecosystem FARMLAND Air Energy Carbon, Oxygen Humans Single crops Nutrients Water source Irrigation Fossil Fuel Machinery Fertilizer Nutrients $ -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 ratioPopulation density Surplus Fossil Fuel Energy Industrial Agriculture

Agricultural Intensification: Energy and Ecology Foraging Shifting Agriculture Intensive Agriculture Industrial Agriculture 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 Oats Pines 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

Extensive Irrigation

75 circles Single computer $50,000 each 20 pumps, 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