While most American farmers tend to see themselves as combating global famine through production, some environmental scientists and researchers are challenging this assumption, arguing that American-style farm production is unsustainable, bad for the environment, and bad for farmers in the developing world.
Food insecurity and hunger have been increasingly important issues to the global community. While the United Nations has long supported sustainable agriculture and anti-poverty initiatives, many Americans have become increasingly aware of the dangers of food insecurity in the wake of a series of food riots turned revolution that have taken place in a number of developing world countries.
According to many US farm advocacy groups, American farmers see themselves as helping to fight poverty and hunger worldwide. In the words of the CEO of the Center for Food Integrity, “U.S. farmers have a tremendous sense of pride in the fact that they’ve been able to help feed the world.” According to one Indiana farmer, “it’s the duty of those of us who are left in the business, us family farmers, to help feed that world.”
Some environmental scientists, however, are suggesting that American farmers are not contributing to a sustainable global future. The majority of many American grains, for example, are not produced for food. About forty percent of US corn goes to fuel production and most soybean crops go to animal feed.
In addition, large-scale American farming may put undo strain on already struggling environments. Modern US production, a system that heavily relies on fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals, can damage fragile ecosystems. A better system, some organizations argue, would be to introduce more women into farm economies in the developing world and to boost small, sustainable agriculture.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
