Market forces today do not consider environment.

Agricultural development, globally.

An article in Science 19 June 2009 (Vitousek et al) presents three examples of maize producing systems with the following characteristics (nitrogen kg/hectare):

Western Kenya: addition  7, removal grain+straw 23+36, balance –52.

Northern China: addition 588, removal grain+straw 361+0, balance +227.

USA Midwest: addition 155, removal grain+straw 145+0, balance +10.

 

Kenya will not improve without nutrient additions, it may be called fertilizers or something else. Without this the system will be ever more impoverished. The authors, ecolocical scientists, recommend programs and support for fertilizer use. Dogmatic organic programs cannot handle largescale nutrient depletion.

Northern China has so far given priority to production, which has resulted in a wasteful and environmentally inefficient system.

USA has been more wasteful before 1995, but programs and information have improved the situation. But it should be recognized that the system described here includes soybeans every other year. Since soybean is nitrogenfixing this very much improves the situation.

 

The authors conclude that sometimes fertilizer use needs encouragement (Kenya), sometimes it needs moderation and control.

(The market does not manage this. The peasant in Kenya has no market, in China production has priority).

 

Conclusion: “..most national agricultural agencies lack the means to assess the impact of changing farm practices at appropriate scales and the incentives to promote the adoption of nutrient conserving practices and processes. Without these tools, it will be difficult to develop and sustain modern agricultural systems without incurring continuing human and environmental costs.”

 

One could wish that politicians and policymakers could be influenced by these viewpoints. Market alone is not enough. Or, rather, presently the market has no chance to include issues of environment and sustainability. But it could be arranged.

Dogmatic organic philosophy is not enough.

Tags: Economy, environment