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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Fwd: Sustainable farming - PC and large scal

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  • From: <permed@nor.com.au>
  • To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Fwd: Sustainable farming - PC and large scal
  • Date: Sat, 31 Aug 02 12:04:21 -0000

>Corporate industrial farming in the USA is highly subsidized
>by the government, and the availability of cheap commercial
>fertilizers and water for irrigation makes them profitable,
>but not efficient.

While I'm aware of issues around 'corporate industrial agribizz' it was
really brought into a new perspective reading "The Botany of Desire"
about the author's visit to potato farmers in Idaho where input costs
average $1950 per acre and return on yield $2000 - no wonder they need
3000 acres per farm to be 'economically viable'. All depends on use of
ground water, massive applications of chemicals (via irrigation system)
and government subsidies to produce the right potatos for MacDonalds
french fries. The soil is sterilised i.e. clinically dead, crops
broadacre hydroponically grown and when the land is salted or poisoned
and can no longer produce they buy up another 3000 acres of dessert and
do the same thing all over again. These are the farmers clamouring for GM
potatoes so they can reduce their chemical input costs a little - maybe
by $50 an acre to double their return.
Robyn



  • Re: [permaculture] Fwd: Sustainable farming - PC and large scal, permed, 08/30/2002

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