Josette Sheeran, executive director of the USDA’s food program, says “poor farmers will not be able to afford fertilizer and diesel” because of high energy prices (4/15, A-6, “Global hunger crisis deepens”). She correctly sees the connection between biofuel and food shortages. But in that thinking also lies the assumption that fossil-based diesel and fertilizers would help us to overcome the crisis.
How safe is a food production based on nonrenewable energy? What happens when these are getting scarcer? We have to honestly tell the world that basing agriculture on these two pillars not only destroys soil and farms, but has also raised totally unrealistic expectations on how many people the Earth can sustainably feed in the long run.
The U.S. agricultural system has proved to be ruinous for the land. Pollution, degradation of the soil, high erosion, health problems for man and beast are just a few of the consequences.
We need to find ways to produce food in harmony with nature all around the globe. That is the organic way.
By the way, my wife and I farm organically with draft horses and provide more than 90 families with vegetable and eggs.
Klaus Karbaumer
Platte City
devin
Do you have a concept of how labor intensive Klaus' method of farming actually is? Or of the great limitations of animal powered equipment as opposed to mechanism powered? Or of the 7/24/365 effort required in maintaining and taking care of work animals? I experienced some of this in my youth and it is a very hard way to make a living. OMI to go back to "animal power" would require a great increase in the number of farmers. It would also require that most of them would have to be content to live in a work intensive and somewhat limited life style. Working from "can see" to "can't see" makes a long day but that was how it was done.
Posted by: Engineer | May 04, 2008 at 06:20 PM
Ohmmmm. OHmmmm. OHmmmmm. Maybe Klaus and devin will invite us all to their communes!
They walk among us folks.
Posted by: Rogue | May 04, 2008 at 09:16 AM
I applaud your efforts, Klaus. As energy costs keep rising, so will the cost of food produced according to modern agricultural paradigms that depend heavily on major energy expenditures. The food Klaus produces will be almost completely unaffected by these rising costs. That's a big reason I buy from farmers like Klaus at farmer's markets whenever I can.
Posted by: devin | May 04, 2008 at 12:38 AM