Forbes Article: America's Agricultural Angst

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I thought this article was a pretty good review of the state of U.S. agriculture. I strongly agree with his points on organic agriculture, particularly that we can't feed the world with organics. Now don't get me wrong - I support both organic and conventional production, and everything in between. In fact, I bought a tub of organic salad from Costco yesterday because it was the spring mix I wanted and it was a good price. As with most comparisons, I believe the organic versus conventional methods debate has pros and cons on each side. Farmers have found markets for food produced in a variety of ways. We cannot feed the world with organic farming and urban gardens, which is the supposed utopia some are promoting in the policy arena.

Less than 2% of the country's population is directly involved in farming, but as the author points out, 1 in 6 jobs is related to agriculture - such as processing, transportation, marketing, etc.

96% of U.S. farms are still family-owned, even if they don't look like the subsistence farms of a century ago. Over time, as people moved off farms, and cities and suburbs grew, agricultural researchers and farmers became more efficient and technical - growing more with less.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) continue to be controversial, though they have so much potential to feed a hungry, growing world. Now, I have a personal limit as to how far I think genetic engineering should proceed. I start getting uneasy with the cloning of animals and anything related to humans. That being said, there are many opportunities with plant modifications alone. It is hard to argue against the value of Golden Rice (Vitamin A fortified) and other nutrient-enriched feedstuffs that can provide major missing elements for the diets of malnourished people in developing countries. We shouldn't just turn these products loose, but with a benefit-risk evaluation, environmental considerations, and proper management, this crop can literally save peoples' lives.

Finally, a word on environmental regulations. This article highlights the situation in California's Central Valley where regulations exacerbated a running three-year drought. I'll post a more-detailed explanation of the situation later, but the summary is federal water pumps were turned off because that action might impact the Delta smelt, an endangered species. The species is still doing poorly, other factors need to be considered for real results, and farmers in the Central Valley received virtually no irrigation water.

If we want to continue to produce food in this country, there must be a balance between environmental regulations and the ability to stay in business.