Food and Society- Midterm 1
Clapp 2012a: Summarize the agricultural policies Clapp describes.
Food aid (food @ reduced rates→ countries began having taste for american food) Quotas (limit amount of product that goes out) Exporting the industrial model Import tariffs Export subsidies Benefits (to surplus exports): regulated costs, political benefit (relieved tension), moral benefits (lower storage costs) Impacts: opened up new markets, other countries followed, debt and consolidation, political allies WHO benefited: food corporations, synthetic fuels, input suppliers, meat processors, largest farm, consumers (both positive and negative)
Describe and explain changes in farm size
# of farms going down average size of farms getting bigger
Identify how off-farm actors have grown in power
-Horizontal integration: firms acquire or join former competitors to control a greater share of the marketplace. CR 5= top 5 companies control 75% of tractor sales. Anything greater than 40% or cr4 is considered inequality of power between buyers and sellers. -Vertical integration is when a firm controls multiple nodes in processing, distribution, or sales of a product.
Describe and explain public universities research and outreach priorities
-Tax $'s help fund public universities research. -Land grant funding is extra funds allocated by the federal government. -Research at these universities focuses highly on industrial agriculture. -As Universities lose funding they turn to the private sector for funding. In turn they agree to not report any negative findings about that private company. -Big companies are paying for the positive, innovative research that they want
Identify ways to counteract the treadmill
-Universal basic income · More competition with greater transparency ·Reduce inequality between labor and industry -Stronger environmental regulations (ax pollution) ·Break up oligopolies by enforcing antitrust laws ·As consumers make smarter and more informed decisions about the products you purchase
Altieri 2000: What are some of the key ecological principles of relatively sustainable farming? What are some ways "modern"/"conventional" farming deviates from those principles? What are some of the major environmental consequences of modern agriculture? Which barriers to "sustainable"/"alternative" agriculture does Altieri identify?
-used to be based on natural processes which helped the diversification of products -consequences of monoculture: nutrient cycling, poor structure, susceptible to pests -ecological diseases; fertilizers polluting -monopolization of the agriculture industry
Describe current US farm policies and specify the major types:
4 Types of Subsidy Allocations by the government: -Commodity subsidies: $198B (56%) [scale neutral] -Crop insurance premium subsidies: $78B (22%) - government is shady about this money; no cap -Disaster-type payments: $31B (9%) - floods, fire, drought protection -Environmental programs: $46B (13%) - protect streams, wetlands, prevent manure seepage US Ag Policies (from recitation) -Food aide (at a reduced rate or donated) -Food markets abroad -Exporting the industrial model -Import tariffs -Export subsidies -quotas
Describe how government farmland policies and their implementation have increased racial inequality among US farmers
Agricultural policies disproportionately benefit white farmers. 95% of farm owners in the United States are white. The federal government removed Native Americans from land, whites used slavery on large plantations, the homestead act gave land away to mostly whites, and policies have been in place to not allow immigrants to own land. The USDA has been sued for discrimination in making and distributing loans. Largest civil rights payout in U.S. history (1999).
Explain why agriculture can be unattractive to investors
Agriculture is extremely risky for investors due to the environment, the difficulty to speed up the production process, and the fact that when one farmer does well, others do too.
Identify components of the green revolution, who promoted it and why
Agriculture research projects started in the 1940's to boost food production in the global south. Basic components included, technology, high yielding seed varieties, chemical pesticides, herbicides, and mechanization. Funded by charitable organizations, governments, and multilateral organizations like the world bank. The idea that food security in these countries would help ward off communism.
Define Agroecology as an alternative to the industrial research paradigm and describe its principles
Agroecology- science of sustainable agriculture & the application of ecological principles and traditional knowledge to the design and management of agroecology systems. Receives less than 1% of all funding. Ex. Clover nitrogen fixation instead of artificial fertilizers. Includes ideas that are mechanical for pest control like bug vacuums.
Identify what kind of farming and which actors they support (US current farm policies)
Although these are "scale neutral" subsidies (money allocated by acreage or number of animals) it mostly helps larger farms that are already succeeding or well off- the government doesn't care about marginalized, smaller farms.. (from recitation) Food corporations (Coca Cola, Kellogg etc.), synthetic fuel manufacturers, input suppliers (Monsanto, Dupont), meat processors, largest farmers, consumers, developed countries
Borlaug 2000: Norman Borlaug has been named "the father of the Green Revolution" and won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. What are his primary arguments in defense of the Green Revolution and Gene Revolution?
Believed if these were fully implemented, there would be sufficient food for everyone
Identify who promoted agricultural industrialization and explain why.
Consumers who want cheap food, lenders, researchers, government actors, and off-farm corporate actors (input suppliers). Ideally, industrialization is the balance of producing affordable (cheap) food and selling it at a price where farmers can survive.
Define "appropriationism" and give examples of it
Corporate development of technologies that transform farm activities into commodities (process by which corporate agribusiness replaces natural processes with industrial products) For example: tractors, herbicides, pesticides, irrigation, tilling etc.
Define and explain "cost-price squeeze."
Cost price squeeze is when farmers are paid less for goods as it costs more to produce them (refers to a period of increasing costs and simultaneous decreasing prices. Within agriculture, a typical scenario involves commodity crop farmers facing increasing costs of inputs (fertilizer, seeds, etc.) and decreasing crop prices) Large companies (Walmart) have buying power in which they can choose to pay less for their inputs due to the company decreasing the price of its own product. Can run corporations out of business
Johnson 2013: This link takes you to a recent series of articles in which the author synthesizes research on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). According to these articles, what are the primary environmental and social problems associated with GMOs?
Debate over less health value of the product Super pests and Super weeds → grow resistant to GMOs, leading to use of more herbicides Food transparency??? Where is this food coming from Still not hitting root cause/problem
Hickel and Kirk 2017: The authors ask us to identify capitalism as the problem underlying many different problems. What solutions do they recommend?
Free health care and education Universal basic income adopt regenerative agricultural solutions and recognize in law, at the level of the nation's constitution, that nature has "the right to exist, persist, maintain, and regenerate its vital cycles."
Understand the Major critiques of each- green/gene revolution
Green Revolution: High yield seeds rely heavily on inputs, favored large farms, hurt small farmers, increased chemical pesticide use, promoted high yield rather than high nutrition. Gene Revolution: Increase used of pesticides and herbicides has lead to "superbugs" and "superweeds."
Merritt 2016: In this short article about the U.S. government's allocation of land in the 19th Century, Merritt writes, "The problem was not the radical nature of land reform. The problem was race." What does she mean by that?
Historically benefited white farmers → lead to unequal land ownership among farmers today
Define "industrialization" and "the industrial ideal"
Industrialization is the process of following the model of industry which involves: specialization, rationalization, standardization of product, and increasing productivity and efficiency. The industrial ideal is the belief that the industrial model is the best way to farm.
Clapp 2012: What was "the Green Revolution"? Who promoted it? Why? What were the impacts of the Green Revolution?
Promoted: Norman Borlaug charitable foundations, governments, multilateral organizations (World Bank) Green revolution: Ag. research project to boost production in global south by industrializing agriculture. Improved companies image, less overall hunger, GREEN oppose to red revolution
Explain gene revolution / recent spinoff of Green Revolution
Promotion of genetically modified high yielding seeds, including gene splicing GMO'S. Started in the late 1990's and focuses on the African region. Largely funded by the gates foundation. Recent spinoff? TYPES: -Herbicide tolerant crops → can spray directly on crops and wont be damaged, "Round-Up Ready" -Built in pesticides → "BT crops" . Insects developing resistance to BT, mixed results on if farmers are using less. Insecticides
Fishman 2003: What does this article tell you about the consequences of corporate consolidation in the food retail sector?
Lower quality food → can affect health Negative impact on farmers b/cuz don't have much say in how much products sell for Price-cost squeeze (profit margins shrinking while cost of input are rising)
Bell 2009: In this excerpt, Michael Bell describes a dynamic called "the treadmill of production," which is a narrative about how capitalism functions. According to this narrative, how is economic growth related to the environment and labor/workers?
May cut costs → lower wages and benefits for workers, mechanize (worse for environment) Implications: labor exploitation, environmental harm, fewer jobs
Identify cultural structures and ideas that reinforce the treadmill
Some ideologies that reinforce the treadmill are protestant work ethic, individualism, and nationalism. CAPITALISM Cultural Structures → ideologies that make treadmill seem reasonable *ex. Value working hard, individualism(it's your fault you failed), staying "trendu". Nationalism, industrial ideal
Fitzgerald 2003: What does agricultural 'industrialization' entail? Who has promoted it?
Specialization (doing one specific thing) Rationalization (increasing mechanization and the division of labor) Standardization of product Increasing productivity/efficiency (quantity and speed) Promoted by: consumers, lenders, researchers, gov. Actors, off-farm corporate actors (input suppliers)
Clapp 2012c: What role do transnational corporations play in the food system? What does their concentrated market power enable them to do?
TNCs are created by the treadmill of production in a capitalist system, allowing smaller firms to combine or be bought to gain greater market power with vertical and horizontal integration transnational corporations are able to heavily influence the market by: lobbying in congress, controlling the product, determining price, set standards of supply, shape public regulations/institutions/norms, and influence ideas so TNCs can maintain dominance
Discuss the implications of horizontal/vertical integration for farmers, consumers and others
There's greater concentration of farms (less jobs for farmers), consumers have less choices at retail stores although products may be cheaper in some cases, the environment is totally neglected.
Explain basic arguments about how the treadmill of production explains why economic growth, ecological damage and labor exploitation occur together under capitalism
Under capitalism the need for economic growth and profits causes the treadmill of production. This treadmill leads companies to increase production while decreasing costs. This leads to mechanization, outsourcing, disregard for safety and environmental regulations. Under this system firms are required to vertically and horizontally integrate leading to corporate concentration.
Philpott 2008: Why did Earl Butz advocate ending supply management? What were the consequences of his approach to U.S. farm policy?
Wanted to produce as much product as quick as possible Lead to overproduction He wanted to end world hunger → problem wasn't food amount, but ability to get the food to people
