Farming without farmers, this is a topic that many people tend to avoid. I personally do not like the thought of this; however it seems to be coming. “In 1880 it took more than twenty man-hours to harvest and acre of a wheat land. By 1916 the number of man-hours was reduced to 12.7. Just twenty years later only 6.1 man-hours were required.” This is all due to the increased use of technology.
The mechanization of farmland began with the use of the horse drawn steel plow; which was faster and more efficient than the oxen drawn wooden plow. Now, “the horse, mule, and oxen, which were once the primary sources of power on the farm, have been virtually eliminated by the internal combustion engine.” Modern technology is pushing humans away from the production process on farmland. The technology is becoming so advanced that it is projected to take over within twenty years. Sophisticated robots will soon take over, with fertilizing, seeding, picking ripe produce, animal care, and more. These robots have the ability to obtain information about the soil type, weather, animal health and other aspects of farming and create a plan of action for the farm to increase yields. “We no longer raise wheat here, we manufacture it…” This will not only use the land to an extreme point with excluding the need of rest for the soil or rotation of crops to keep up the level of nutrients, they will just add more nitrogen or whatever nutrient they might need; but it will decrease physical labor of humans which in turn will most likely create an even bigger issue with obesity.
Nearly 40 percent of the remaining farmland has been replaced by machinery. A single farm worker in 1850 produced enough food for four people; now a single farmer can produce enough food for 78 people. This is possible via technology; robots that increase production yields and animal health through computer systems that work during all hours including the night. The yields created by the increased technology are too high for average farmers to keep up, this is having a huge impact on family run farms causing many of them to shut down; or creating so much stress that they kill themselves. It is hard work that requires a lot of physical strength; are Americans becoming weaker and relying more on technology. “I pulled a muscle in the middle of my back while pitchforking some bedding out of the barn. It is still in the process of healing and is a great nuisance and very frustrating when I want to be a part of some work that I know I shouldn’t do at the moment. And I worry, what if I can’t physically keep up with the demands of this work? Why am I doing this again?”
SOURCES:
1.) Rifkin, Jeremy. The Decline of the Global Labor Force. No More Farmers (Chapter 8 pages 109-127). 1995
2.) http://blogs.rnw.nl/southasiawired/2010/04/07/drought-and-debt-drives-more-farmers-to-suicide/
3.) http://www.ethicurean.com/2010/03/30/2-more-farmers/
4.) http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/images/robot_farmers.jpg
2.) http://blogs.rnw.nl/southasiawired/2010/04/07/drought-and-debt-drives-more-farmers-to-suicide/
3.) http://www.ethicurean.com/2010/03/30/2-more-farmers/
4.) http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/images/robot_farmers.jpg
So, why is this such a bad thing? You said that you didn't like this concept, but truth be told, we wouldn't have the cities and lives we have today without this natural progression of the industries. Yes, it is sad that the family owned farms are being put out of business, but that simply means that they will be able to get new jobs elsewhere and help out society that way as being anything from scientists to laborers.
ReplyDeleteThese advancements in technology are a good thing, they will hopefully help us stave off our current coming food crises, and what you said about fighting obesity, the only way that would come into this argument would be if you talked about people switching to becoming farmers as an occupation, and with the current mechanization of farming, it won't matter much. Most farmers are as fat as the rest of us.
This is a bad thing because it takes the local aspect completely out of the food industry when the plants are not even being looked at by human eyes. Meaning we are relying completely on machinery for the production of our food and the care of our livestock.
ReplyDeleteThe obesity thing comes from new technology keeping the human population at a desk in front of a computer all day vs. being outside working the fields and maintaining the well being of the land and animals. As well as the fact that Americans eat way more than citizens of other countries; so if we were to cut back on our food consumption to a reasonable amount of nutritious food then we would have less of an issue with obesity in the United States, and our production rates would be more feasible.
This is definitely a personal preference; however I think that it would be very sad to see our farmlands completely dependent on machinery and robotic technologies.
I must agree that this is a very personal preference and also a personal interpretation. I think its hard to say that most farmers are as fat as the rest of us, because, to me, the definition of a farmer is debatable these days. And I agree with the previous comment that obesity can be attributed to the new technologies keeping us at a desk, but it also stems from the insatiable hunger that we're feeling by not consuming nutritionally significant meals. These nutritionally insignificant meals are coming from the ability to produce crops faster and cheaper due to these new technologies. I will never say that technology is not beneficial, I just don't people always think about the consequences when they develop such things.
ReplyDeleteI think that technology in regards to farming is good and bad. Its great because food production is a necessary component in everyones lives and enhancing farms can speed up the process or create more food. I think its bad because it can create social issues. I come from a small town with friends who live on farms and maintain them, they have people who work for them and help them as well. If technology were to take over, the people who used to work on the farms are out of a job and that creates a lot of struggles to a community where agriculture is one of its key components.
ReplyDeleteI too am kind of scared by envisioning a future where farms are without farmers. Farmers are the ones who not only ensure the health of the crops the are planting, but also the land they are using. A machine cannot ensure that a piece of land is as healthy as it could be, and make sure that the type of farming being employed is whats best for the land. What I find most scary is that without farmers in the equation and especially small farmers, farming will essentially be taken over by large corporations whose only care is for further expansion and the most efficient way to produce crops, rather than the sustainability of a farm. Small farmers work to ensure that their land is healthy because it is there only option for income, with machines taking over that connection is lost.
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