Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

1. Paradigm Shift in Agriculture for Sustainable Rural Development Photo Credit: Stanford Produce Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

2. Module Readings • Beus, C.E. and Dunlap, R.E. 1990. Conventional versus Alternative Agriculture: The Paradigmatic Roots for the Debate. Rural Sociology, 55: 590-616. http://www.soc.iastate.edu/class/325/beus.pdf • Ikerd, John E. 1998. Sustainable Development as a Rural Economic Development Strategy: http://web.missouri.edu/~ikerdj/papers/sa-cdst.htm • Stinner, D H, Paoletti, M G and Stinner, B R (1989). In search of traditional farm wisdom for a more sustainable agriculture: a study of Amish farming and society. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 27: 77-90. • Anderson, Molly D. 2008.  Sustainable agriculture and rural development in the United States:  Progress and priorities.  Supplement to Non-governmental Organization Major Group Paper for the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)-16, 5-16 May 2008. Retrieved from http://www.foodsystems-integrity.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/US_NGO_Supplement.2103954.pdf • McFadden, Steven. 2003. History of Community Supported Agriculture Part 1 and 2: http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0104/csa-history/part1.shtml and http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0204/csa2/part2.shtml • Biofueling Rural Development: Making the case for linking biofuel production to rural revitalization: http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/PB_biofuels.pdf Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

3. Module Outline • History of Agriculture • Current Agriculture Structure • Paradigm Shift: Conventional to Sustainable • Alternative Agriculture Development: Biofuels • Discussion/Conclusions Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

4. Module Objectives • Understand historical trends in rural agriculture • Understand paradigm shift from conventional to sustainable agriculture in a rural community setting • Illustrate advantages/constraints for shift in North America • Understand driving forces in adaptation of alternative agricultural strategies for rural development • Question the viability of sustainable agriculture in rural development? Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

5. History of Agriculture in Rural Communities Please view the following videos • www.youtube.com/watch?v=oieJ8X7nCwo • www.youtube.com/user/marketnewsgroup#p/u/1/txw_nUXiRuY Photo Credit: University of Manitoba Archives Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

6. U.S. Agricultural Trends Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

7. The Industrialized Agriculture in the U.S.A • “The fundamental purpose of industrialization is to enhance productivity and economic efficiency by making it possible to produce a greater value of output from a given amount of input”. • Agriculture became more mechanized, which allowing farmers to consolidate more land, labor, and capital under their control. • Industrialization has brought tremendous economic benefits by reducing cost and increasing the availability of food, it has done so by imposing significant costs on nature and society through environmental degradation and growing social inequity. Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

8. Industrialization Path Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

9. Mechanization • Mechanization led to: • Decline of land devoted to oats and a rise in soybean acreage • Corn is now produced on more area than any other crop in the U.S. • Double cross hybrid seed varieties that made it more resistant to pests and diseases • Increased agricultural production due to: • Technology • Animal Husbandry • Cropping Practices Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

10. People & Agriculture • Farm labor requirements declined due to: • Mechanization • Economic conditions • The end of western expansion of agriculture • Demands changed • Transition from home-grown fruits, vegetables, oats, and wheat to purchased, canned, frozen, and instant food products • Eventually food demand stopped increasing with income leaving farmers and ranchers to depend on export markets to sell excess production Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

11. Trends Shaping the Future of Agriculture • “Peak oil” • Agriculture industry relies on cheap and accessible energy • Oil is hard to extract • Industrialized agriculture era will come to the end, if the current practice is continued • Current practice should be changed, such as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) • New trends are needed, such as farming with the ecosystem Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

12. Example of current practice: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) • CAFO represent the pinnacle of industrial agriculture. • CAFOs specialize in one species of livestock or poultry. • CAFOs are not farms; they are industrial production systems. • Negative impacts associated with CAFO, such as human health risks, noxious odors and pollution Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

13. From Traditional to GMO’s • Please watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbkLM6tr-nI Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

14. A New Shift:Conventional to Sustainable Many farmers and consumers have become increasingly dissatisfied with the industrial agricultural system, citing: - damage to the environment - reduced quality of food - increased obesity and disease - contaminated food - reduced food security The following clips from Food Inc. illustrate these concerns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69gT9LBCMxg&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzWDEI5UyMg&feature=related Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

15. Alternative Food Systems Rationale: • Shorten supply chains • Shift to local and democratic governance • Smaller scale environmental impacts • Equality and economic security for farm workers and farmers • Humane treatment of animals • Priority for community health and vitality • Examples: • Organic • Community Supported Agriculture • Permaculture • Rotational Crops Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

16. Hormone free Fair trade GMO free Organic grassfed Organic agriculture is a way to farm and a food system Principles: • Locally available resources • Recycling of nutrients and organic matter • Use of diversity and agro-ecological methods to improve total farm output and soil fertility (International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems) Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

17. Community Supported Agriculture • Introduced in the U.S. in the mid-1980s • Community interested in safe food and economic partnerships to ensure stable markets for agricultural products (USDA) • Sharing risks/benefits and providing mutual support Photo credit: USDA Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

18. Permaculture “Permaculture is a design system whereby we find ways of living to allow for permanent cultures to exist. Where all humans can live abundantly well while leaving the planet in better condition then whence we found it.” – Bill Wilson, Midwest Permaculture Please view the following introduction to permaculture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGEwhBNf8TQ&feature=related Photo Credit: Holocene Design Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

19. Rotational Crops Crop rotation preserves soil’s nutritional integrity and protects against disease and insect infestation. Please view the following short description: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwp1lY2OlK0&feature=related Photo Credit: Self-Sufficient UK Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

20. Building Resilience Please read the following article illustrating the link of resilience and community knowledge in agriculture as presented in a case study of an Amish community: Stiner, D.H., Paoletti, M.G. and Stinner, B.R., 1989. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment27, pp. 77–90. (Found on readings slide) Please read the following excerpt… slow food.pdf Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

21. Counter Approach for Sustainable Rural Development and Agriculture: Biofuels Pleasewatchthisvideo Photo Credit: Science News Washington Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

22. Conclusions • Agriculture has evolved from local family farms to large-scale monocultures • The current framework of agriculture is highly mechanized and industrialized • Alternative food systems provide opportunities for community and ecosystems resilience • Alternative food systems (i.e.: permaculture, organic, CSA, rotational crops) has seen an increase in adoption for rural and community development • Biofuels is another alternative to agriculture and rural development but uncertainty in policy implications currently exist Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

23. Discussion Questions: Viable or No? • In your opinion, what is sustainable agriculture? • Can sustainable agriculture be a viable alternative for rural communities? • What are the trends in agriculture in your country/communities? • What are the limitations to implementing alternative food systems in rural communities? • Is biofuels an appropriate alternative for “sustainable” development? Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture

24. Additional Resources • Petrini, Carlo. Short excerpt from Slow Food Nation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECzTRG7tjV0 and book Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean and Fair • Paul Fieldhouse . 1996. Community Shared Agriculture. Agriculture and Human Values 13 (3) 43-47 http://www.springerlink.com/content/p070658054074768/fulltext.pdf • Biofuels: A major rural economic development opportunity: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bbb.104/pdf • Block, Ben (2008) “International Commission Calles for ‘Paradigm Shift’ in Agriculture” Worldwatch Institute. • Pulido, J.S., and G. Bocco. (2003) “The traditional farming system of a Mexican indigenous community: the case of Nuevo San Juan Paranagricutiro, Michoacan, Mexico.” Geoderma 11: 249-265. • Deborah Stiles, Greg Cameron, (2009) "Changing paradigms?: Rural communities, agriculture, and corporate and civic models of development in Atlantic Canada", Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Vol. 3 Iss: 4, pp.341 – 354 • Ikerd, John E. (2010) “Reclaiming Rural America; Sustainable Community Development” presentation for Town Hall Meeting on Local Sustainable Community Development, Sioux City, IA. • United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library Publications Webpage, Community Supported Agriculture page http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml • International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS) http://www.icrofs.org/Pages/News_and_events/index.html • Local Harvest: www.localharvest.org/csa/ • Organic Agriculture: UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Working Group on Organic Agriculture . 2003. ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/y4587e/y4587e.pdf Seminar in Rural Sustainability: Sustainable Agriculture