End of the industrial era for agriculture too

The end of the industrial era isn’t about the end of industry. It’s about the end of the industrial model.

Here’s a great explanation of a new, knowledge-era approach to agriculture that’s more sustainable and healthy.

Sustainable agriculture actually addresses a lot of the 21st century design constraints:

2 – Leveraging local talent
3 – Creating local jobs
4 – Minimizing energy use
5 – Minimizing/eliminating waste
6 – Maximizing health and wellness

Pretty good scorecard. It will be a huge shift but it makes sense in our new world.

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Can We Re-invent Food Production?

I heard Michael Pollan awhile back on NPR* and have not been able to get it out of my mind.

He explained that the roots of the current U.S. agricultural system go back to the Nixon presidency. Nixon was worried about inflation of food prices and asked an agricultural economist how to keep them under control. According to Pollan, the answers created today’s reliance on corn and soy which are produced (and subsidized by the U.S. government) in mass quantities to ensure low cost. They are used for feed and for processed foods of all kinds. They are also the key ingredient in the processed foods that have come to dominate the U.S. diet and fuel our obesity epidemic. Read more