Chris

Agriculture is one of the most important human technologies. It sets us apart from other animals, allowed us to develop the first civilizations, and supports almost every person alive on the planet today. Agriculture is perhaps our most crucial industry, and yet it is also one of the most toxic, destructive, and self-defeating. Industrial farming – the type practiced on almost all of America’s farmland – leaches pollutants into our water, poisons farmers with pesticides, and strips the soil of nutrients. At its best, farming is an act of symbiosis with the planet, a millenia-old relationship of mutual care in which both parties benefit. At its worst, it can be so destructive that it risks permanently ruining the land we all rely on.

In the face of this overwhelming threat to our future, how are we supposed to feed all 8 billion people on Earth? Can humanity strike a balance between our agricultural needs and the planet’s ecological needs, and where should that balance lie? 

The short answer: it’s complicated. If we change the way we farm by reducing chemical inputs, carefully mimicking natural processes, and changing the varieties of crops we favor, it may be possible to let both humanity and the Earth flourish, but there’s still a long way to go. 

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