Farming for the Future

Worldwatch Live Online Discussion

Brian Halweil: Senior Researcher

February 1, 2002 - 1:00pm EDT

This week's guest will be Brian Halweil, author of Chapter 3, "Farming in the Public Interest." In this chapter, Brian shows how farmers and agricultural scientists in many parts of the world are restructuring the way we grow food, focusing less on purchased chemical and technological fixes and more on taking advantage of the ecological processes occurring in the field. These new approaches will move us closer to meeting the three broad goals for food and agriculture from the 1992 Earth Summit: ensuring an adequate and accessible food supply; providing stable and profitable livelihoods for farm families and rural communities; and building up ecological health.

Dick Bell, Worldwatch: Welcome to the third of Worldwatch's weekly series of discussions about State of the World 2002. Today's guest is Brian Halweil, author of chapter 3 of State of the World 2002, which deals with developing sustainable agriculture. Welcome Brian!

Brian Halweil: Thanks for getting us started, Dick.

Memphis, TN: Are more countries loooking to tourism options, such as farm tours, to help financially sustain agriculture?

Brian Halweil: Agro-tourism, or encouraging people to visit farms just to take tours, to learn about farm activities, or to work on the farm for a few hours, is becoming more and more popular. Not just as a way to generate additional income for farmers, but also as a way to reconnect city folk with rurul ways. I know it's extremely popular in Europe, particularly countries like Italy and Austria, where the government supports agrotourism.

Alberta, Canada: How can you use organic methods on the kind of giant wheat fields we have up here in Alberta?

Brian Halweil: Obivoulsy, the conversion can't happen overnight, but there are lots of examples I know of from the Midwest of organic methods being used on pretty large-scale corn, wheat, and soybean farms. The important first step is often simply diversifying the crop mix, adding a winter rye crop or a nitrogen fixing legume to the mix. As the additional diversity helps build up the ecological infrastructure of the farm, and as the farmer's knowledge of organic methods improves, then disease and soil fertility problems begin to improve. But it takes time to wean a farm, and a farmer, off of one way of doing things.

Atlanta, GA: I keep reading about a new farm bill. Is there anything in the bill that will help speed up organic farming?

Brian Halweil: Congress was supposed to pass the new farm bill last year, 5 years after the 1996 bill, but political wrangling has delayed it indefinitely. It may be passed as soon as next week or as late as next year! There was a lot of hope that this bill would be the "Green" farm bill, the bill that would finally shift the billions of dollars of subsidies away from paying farmers for producing a handful of commodities, to instead rewarding farmers for meeting ecological goals. But mostly the draft bill has missed opportunities, and has only minimally increased support for organic farming--from $1 million to $1.5 million, which is mostly for administrative costs. A clause in the draft that would have helped subsidize the cost of a farm getting certified as organic has been dropped from the bill.

New York, NY: Isn't it true that there's no difference between the nutrition value of organic vegetables compared to supermaket veggies?

Brian Halweil: That's a very tough question to answer, because so many factors determine nutritional value, including the variety of the vegetable, how long it's been sitting on a shelf, how it was transported, at what temperature it was stored, how it was grown. . . People have argued that organic produce is more nutritious because there is more emphasis on building soil fertility, building up micronutrients in the soil, but there have not been many studies to look into this. However, this is some good evidence that modern breeding of veggies has selected away from nutritional value (and taste) as breeders have selected for crops that can be shipped without damage or give maximum yield. So since many organic farmers tend to select heirloom or old farm varieties of veggies, the nutrient content may be higher.

Washington, DC: What does it cost to ship our food all over the country, or around the world? Isn't that adding to the Greenhouse problem?

Brian Halweil: Yes, the sprawling nature of our food chain is consuming lots of energy and generating lots of greenhouse gases. I've got a section on this in my chapter. In the US, it's estimated that the energy consumed in shipping, refrigerating, and storing food is 8 times greater than the caloric energy provided by the food itself. And in all countries for which there are data, people are depending on food coming from farther and farther away.

Seeking out local food can help us shorten this chain.

Baltimore, MD: Frank Purdue has got farmers on the eastern shore raising millions of chickens in these tight cages, and they're producing huge amounts of manure that leak into the Bay and kill off fish. Is there a more sustainable way to raise chicken?

Brian Halweil: Many vegetarians might argue that the most sustainable way to raise a chicken is not to raise it at all. I've visited some pretty cutting-edge farms that are raising chickens in chicken houses on wheels. The houses have lots more room than the typical cages in a factory farm, and the chickens are free to roam outside of the houses. Every few days, the houses are wheeled to a new position in the field, so the birds are fertilizing the field, feeding mostly on pasture and bugs in the grass. The waste doesn't build up in the same concentrated quantities. Similar "rotational grazing" schemes are being used for pigs and cows, and they would go a long way to reducing the eco-burden of meat production.

Chicago, IL: What about biotechnology? I keep hearing that we can grow more food if we bioengineer crops so they're more drought-tolerant, say, or resist bugs. It sounds good, but would it help?

Brian Halweil: This is a huge question and hard to answer in this format. Please look at some articles I've written on the topic, "The Emperor's New Crops," and "Biotech, African Corn, and the Vampire Weed," available on the Worldwatch website. In a nutshell, I have been unimpressed with what biotech has so far been able to offer farmers. Proponents claim that this technology is necessary to feed the world and to usher in an era of sustainable agriculture. But what we have thus far seen coming out of the biotech pipeline are crops that keep farmers more closely tied to pesticide use, and since the technology is almost wholly controlled by the private sector and defined by patents, there is very little attention given to developing crops relevant for poor, hungry farmers.

Los Angeles, CA: I am very familiar with the U.S. Agriculture situation. I am curious about other countries. What countries and have a great sustainable agriculture system and which do not? And are we using certain countries as models for the future?

Brian Halweil: Another big question. In my chapter, I point to what I see as success stories which should be modeled by the rest of the world. Cuba provides one example of a nation that, due to dire economic circumstances (lack of money for agchemicals or imported foods), needed to make a nation wide shift to organic production. And that nation has been incredibly successful, using a very solid science and ag research community to help make the shift, educating farmers, converting beer factories to compost factories, and also encouraging a massive shift to organic, urban gardens which now provide 30-50 percent of the fruit and veggies in Cuba's cities. But this was in many ways forced on Cuba.

European nations provide a very different sort of success in which they have begun to shift the billions of dollars that farmers currently get for producing a few commodities (corn, soybeans, wheat) towards using that same money to reward farmers for meeting certain ecological goals. The former system reinforced monoculture, while the new system encourages diversity, reduced chemical use, and tree planting on farms.

Jefferson City, MO: Are GMOs the answer to producing more food per acre planted?

Brian Halweil: See my answer to a similar question a few minutes ago. I don't think there's much evidence that GMO's are the answer for increasing production. If we are interested in reducing hunger than production will need to be raised where people are hungry--in rural Africa and Asia, primarily. And the big limitations for these farmers are ecological constraints, like access to water and low soil fertility. Those problems wont be fixed by a new seed variety.

ames, ia: I believe that local food systems represent a concrete way for communities to empower themselves and retake control of their food systems. Many are interested in learning more about local food systems and the efforts to rebuild/revitalize them in the United States- where would you recommend looking for information? thanks

Brian Halweil: In most places, there are other people just like you who are interested in this sort of information. And many of these people have tried to start organizations, such as local food councils, farmers markets, and buying clubs, to help connect local eaters and local farmers. The US Department of Agriculture has some info on this, as might many state Departments of Agriculture and local universities. But check out www.localharvest.org for some other leads.

Aberdeen, MD: In light of the droughts predicted again this year, how can farmers better prepare their crops/soils to help withstand long periods of insufficient rainfall?

Brian Halweil: Hard to give a general response for this sort of question since the best solutions will likely be specific to location, crop, and other factors. In general, farmers can greatly increase their resilience to drought (and other climatic spasms) by increasing the organic matter content of their soil, planting trees and other perennials which buffer the soil, and covercropping to reduce evaporation.

Hawaii: The Island of Hawaii, with 150,000 people on 4000 square miles, currently imports 80% of its food. To feed our population in the event of major infrastructure disruption, how much land will we need? What do you think is the best way to maintain that land in subsistence crops when many small farmers are drawn to higher-value non-food production?

Brian Halweil: You might think that this pattern, loss of subsistence crops and self-sufficiency, is restricted to Hawaii and other island states/nations, but this pattern is becoming common everywhere. And this gets to some of the earlier questions about local food systems. Many communities around the world have developed local food procurement standards for schools, hospitals, government cafeterias and other businesses to encourage local production.

Portland, Oregon: Can sound ag-policy be brought into line with the "green revenue shift"? Can farmers survive with zero subsidies? If they need help, would it be better, instead of providing politically slanted subsidies, to make farming totally tax-exempt? What about forgoing ag-policy entirely and paying everyone a second income, letting the (cow) chips fall where they may?

Brian Halweil: Some of the alternatives that you mention are being discussed by economists and politicians in this country and elsewhere. It's become harder and harder to make a living as a farmer, for many reasons: agribusiness monopolies that fix prices and farmers getting a declining share of the food dollar, just to name a couple. Another alternative to what you suggest would be targetting the subsidies to the smallest farmers who are most in need of support. As the subsidies are currently distributed, they go disproportionately to the largest and wealthiest growers. No wonder most farmers are in crisis.

aberdeen, md: from this discussion, it seems your an advocate of locally grown produce. do you think it's feasible to have small backyard gardens in urban areas? i often worry about the safety factors, ie fertilizers from neighbors yards, soil quality, pollution run-off from the streets. Do you have any feelings towards this?

Brian Halweil: I've got a small (20 foot by 15 foot) garden behind my house in downtown Washington, DC, and I've encountered many of the problems you mention. My neighbors are big fans of Roundup and other chemicals, and this has forced me to shift my garden to fewer and fewer edibles and more flowers and herbs. But I can still eat mostly local by visiting the many farmers markets in DC, as well as being a member of a buying coop which sources from local growers.

Prishtina, Kosova: What crops can be grown to improve the topsoil in my country

Brian Halweil: Again, difficult to answer that question, since I'm not that familiar with the local conditions. But perennial crops whose roots dig deep into the soil and don't need to be cultivated every year can greatly build topsoil, as can nitrogen fixing legumes. Rows of trees or trees interplanted with crops can also help build the soil.

aberdeen, md: would you advocate for a total ban on pesticide use in farming or just a conservative use? do you think an effort like this would be possible in the US when companies such as monsanto would lobby against it.

Brian Halweil: In an ideal world, I would feel safer with a ban on pesticide use. Many of these chemicals have poorly understood impacts on human health and the environment. But transitions take time, and if farmers are going to reduce their dependence on agrochemicals, then they will need help in terms of new knowledge, but also new incentives (taxes on pesticides, support for diversifying crop rotations, etc.) And, as you indicate, there are some very powerful interests that would do all they can to block this sort of transition.

Allentown, PA: I have heard that agriculture in third world countries is decreasing because the U.S. sells food to them cheaper than they can grow it locally. The reason for the low cost, even with shipping expenses, is that U.S. subsidizes the cost. Farmers are selling their land and becoming more and more dependant on first world countries for food. It would seem this practice would lead to an even further gap between rich and poor, destruction of soil and disruption of local economies. Is this a problem and how big a problem is it?

Brian Halweil: Yes, you are describing a growing problem for Third World agriculture. U.S. and European farmers are able to "dump" their subsidized crops in Third World nations and this can squash local production. Local farmers can't compete and are forced to get out of farming altogether. It tends to exacerbate the rich/poor divide, and reduces food self-sufficiency. This is one of most destructive loopholes in world trade agreements, politically-powerful First World nations are allowed to "dump" exports, but would never allow a Third World nation to "dump" some crop on them.

Hilo, Hawaii: What percentage of your food can you raise on your 15X20 garden?

Brian Halweil: My wife and I were raising a good chunk of our summer veggies (tomatoes, basil, peppers, greens) by making very intensive use of space, both horizontal and vertical. But we're growing mostly herbs and flowers now because of concern of pesticide spillover form our neighbor.

Ames, IA: What do you think the potential is of the Internet to help family farms find buyers that are looking for specialized crops?

Brian Halweil: There is lots of potential (check out sites like www.localharvest.org), but I don't think it is the ultimate solution. One of the big social and psychological benefits of connecting growers and consumers is face-to-face contact.

boulder, co: what are some of the differences in terms between eco-tourism and agrotourism? because farmers are often more incorporated into the market economy, are the problems w/ agrotourism, in terms of "the gaze of the west," less prevalent? are the examples of agrotourism where the tourism has significantly altered the local community? is agrotourism generally as attractive as eco-tourism without creating some "unique" cultural experience?

Brian Halweil: Not sure I completely understand the question. Agrotourism would tend to focus the tourism experience on the aspects of a working farm, whereas I understand ecotourism to be an approach to tourism (any type, including agrotourism) that minimizes the negative impact on the environment and maximizes the benefits for the local culture and community. In some countries, agrotourism has become a big part of farm income.

ames, iowa: i am very concerned with the direction international development is taking- spearheaded by groups like the WTO and IMF. the policies they champion seem pro- agri-business and anti-farmer. are there any international farming groups distributing information and rallying behind farmers?

Brian Halweil: Your concern is legitimate. Most international development groups, while they may have changed their rhetoric, are still pushing a type of agricultural development that is chemical intensive, low in diversity, and tends to encourage scaling up--quantity over quality. Many of these groups work from the assumption that the fewer people in agriculture, the better. Many of these groups have also stopped calling for land reform, rural credit and some of the other policies that would be very helpful to improve the lives of poor farmers. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has begun to work more closely with farmers groups, and is also ramping up its support for organic farming, but compared to the IMF and Worldbank and other aid agencies, the UN Agriculture Organization is small potatoes.

Kutztown, PA: Dear Mr. Halweil, with regard to several of the farming and gardening questions you have been asked today, could you point people looking for help in the direction of The Rodale Institute? As you are no doubt aware, it's a non-profit organization that has helped farmers, policy makers and the public to make the connection between soil, food and health using organic and regenerative farming and gardening. Farmers and gardeners world wide have benefited from its practical training programs and information. It's located at 611Siegfriedale Road, Kutztown, PA 19530. Tel 610-683-1400. The web site is at www.rodaleinstitute.org (Thank you, sincerely, Sarah Eykyn)

Brian Halweil: Hello, Sarah. Yes, I should have referred people to Rodale whose research is relevant not only for many of the questions concerning farming in both the First and Third worlds. I encourage folks to check out Rodale.

Dick Bell, Worldwatch: Thanks so much for participating in this week's discussion. Next Friday, February 8, join us to talk with Lisa Mastny, author of a chapter on the perils and promises of tourism, one of the world's fastest growing industries. Thanks for coming, and let us know if you have any suggestions or questions.

Brian Halweil: Thanks to everyone for the great questions and patience with my responses. Have a good weekend. Brian