Biodiversity Outperforms Industrial Farming

[castanea]

"Study: Biodiversity from Polyculture Outperforms Industrial Farming Chemicals
Heather Callaghan
Activist Post

Do we really need industrial agriculture to feed the world?

A study by the University of California, Berkeley, presented exhaustive alternatives to current practices. One section of the paper cited research pointing to the positive effects of biodiversity on the numbers of herbivore pests, finding that polycultural planting led to reduction of pest populations by up to 64%. Later, combined results of hundreds of comparisons also favored biologically diverse farms with a 54% increase in pest mortality and damage to crops dropping by almost 25%. The introduction of more diverse insects also promoted increased pollination and healthier crops.(source ecology and society)


A 9-year study conducted by researchers from the USDA, University of Minnesota and Iowa State University proved that in more complex systems, yield AND profits were both enhanced. When paired against the conventional corn/soy rotation, less fertilizer was used. This difference actually increased over the course of the study, indicating the quality of the soil was improving over time, instead of experiencing the depletion of common practices. (source Union of Concerned Scientists)

So the USDA knows this eye-opening evidence, yet it continues to give tens of billions in subsidies to keep current industry.

Soil management is a key long-term investment for farmers, many of whom are not presented with viable alternatives to the current practice by the tightly controlled agriculture landscape. Biodiverse practices have been shown repeatedly to not only balance soil nutrition, but lead to a healthier array of forage choices for livestock, more nutrition and a more long-term, sustainable balance with local ecosystems."

www.activistpost.com/2013/03/study-biodiversity-from-polyculture.html

[olddog]

thanks for posting this. Yes!

[steev]

It makes a difference when you're growing food, rather than industrial commodities.

I think the question is not "do we need industrial agriculture to feed the world" but "can we continue to cling to industrial agriculture, in the face of its increasing toxicity, expense, and environmental degradation"?

[castanea]

Unfortunately the mainstream media never asks the right questions so we have to be able to answer the wrong questions.

[steev]

There is never any point to answering the wrong questions; they are only put up to distract, muddy, or deflect consideration from the right questions, for the benefit of special interests, not the common good. Bullshit needs to be called out as such, not treated as reasonable discourse; it does not deserve to be dignified as if it were anything but self-serving hogwash or paid-for prostitution.

[prairiegardens]

The international Tribunal which sat in(Brussels?) last October released their findings and pretty much damned Monsanto. It was an international panel of 5 people who are judges in the legal profession in their own countries, but unfortunately it is not empowered to do anything about it. It is however an encouraging decision. If I knew how to link on this thing I'd link to it, but it's easy to find, even if studiously ignored by the media. Apparently the findings were released on the anniversary of the first civil action by Gandhi, so possibly a good omen.

[steev]

A primary reason why I want a pond on the farm is to promote the proliferation of frogs and toads, insectivores all; I have a well of puny potential nearby, of no other use to me, which will be fine for keeping it topped up in my arid environment, unlike the neighboring stock-pond, seasonal-creek-fed, which reduces to stagnant, algaefied, toxicity every Summer.

The past decade, I've been doing what I can to return biodiversity to my depleted acres, that being the only road to stable productivity.

Said pond will provide for the planting around it of less aridity-resistant trees, such as Italian Poplars and native Bigleaf Maples (which may be tap-able, someday, if cold Winters aren't a thing of the past) as wind-breaks. A viable pond could be a source of decent fish (for my sweetheart) and crawdads (yum!), as well as enriched irrigation for veggies. I see it built with an island, as a refuge from raccoons and coyotes for aquatic birds; I'd enjoy the occasional aquatic bird on my table; I do like domesticated duck and goose, which can be canned with veggies as excellent soups, not to forget their fantastic grease; really, do I need GMO/pesticide-laced corn, cotton, or soy oil? I'm slowly establishing olives, which do well, if nursed past the first couple years; prolly only looking at curing/eating them, not having likelihood of a press, so far.

The local who installed my septic system is doubtless off fighting fires right now, but I need to eventually consult with him on excavating a foundation and septic connection for my house (when the fire-season is past), as well as eventual construction of this pond. It will be a matter of damming, along the property-line, the ravine through which a large part of my land drains into the stock-pond; stopping such drainage with largely fill the pond, while having little effect on the seasonal creek's over-flowing of the pond, which hasn't watered stock for decades, so he'll not lose anything, but I'll gain.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Wow this is great! Keep 'em coming!

[jocelyn]

I had a friend and her son here yesterday or the day before. She is from China, and it was fun to see our place through new eyes.
Although they live in Town, she grows a garden, nice to see that. She said we grow a lot of food here, and I guess we do. I just hadn't thought of it that way. I'm an untidy, hodge podge type gardener. I let the blackberries grow into the rhubarb, so the purple finches can nest there, and in turn, they eat the grubs that bore into the rhubarb stems. I let the lemon sorrel grow with the blueberries, 'cause they both like sour soil and do well together. I like lemon sorrel in a salad.
Walnuts make nice shade, as well as food. Nut pines make a windbreak, and food. Chestnuts make shade, and food...apples, pears, quinces, plums, peaches, crab apples, cherries, all do well here. Then, vegetables, whatever we like. The soil is good here, so we can have whatever we like.
My friend says people do that in China too, very little industrial agriculture there, not like here. Since my friend is also retired now, she goes home to China for a visit with her Mom every winter. Her Mom is still spry and still has her wits, so it nice that she can visit.

[steev]

Besides, never underestimate the mental/physical value of regular time spent futzing around in a garden; beats the hell out of solitaire or daytime TV.

[jocelyn]

Yes it does, grin. Gardening feeds the soul as well as the tummy.