PowerSwitch

Western, and many other, agricultural systems rely on huge fossil fuel inputs for fertilizer, and for the pesticides used. When energy inputs are around ten times the food energy out, claiming this as being efficient is stretching things a bit.

Andre´ Leu’s book exposes various myths, such as “rigorously tested�, “very small amount�, “breakdown�, “reliable regulatory authority�, “pesticides are essential.....�, discusses organic vs current practice yields.

I’ll update this post as I get through it. A book not needed by organic farmers, or permaculture practicioners, but a sobering read for most of us.

woodburner wrote:Western, and many other, agricultural systems rely on huge fossil fuel inputs for fertilizer, and for the pesticides used. When energy inputs are around ten times the food energy out, claiming this as being efficient is stretching things a bit........................

Efficiency can be measured in many ways and the way chemical practitioners choose to define it is by manpower: chemical farming being the most efficient way of using manpower to produce food. Chemical farming is also the most efficient in terms of cost, providing you ignore all the negatives from an environmental point of view, so is most cost efficient. It is also the most efficient way of turning oil into food, none of which definitions are very sustainable.

I'd read such with a large salt shaker handy. They are growing corn for five dollars a bushel at a profit so that means the energy tied up in fertilizers, fuel and pesticides amounts to less then $2.50 per bushel.

That may be the monetary value, but the energy input is much more than the food energy out. But that doesn’t bother capitalists, as they can only think of money. Trouble is, you can’t eat money.

vtsnowedin wrote:I'd read such with a large salt shaker handy. They are growing corn for five dollars a bushel at a profit so that means the energy tied up in fertilizers, fuel and pesticides amounts to less then $2.50 per bushel.

There are probably a lot of subsidies hiding behind those numbers. Even in the supposedly-free-trade USA

RenewableCandy wrote:There are probably a lot of subsidies hiding behind those numbers. Even in the supposedly-free-trade USA

Especially in the supposedly-free-trade USA!!