Growing practices that exhibit foresight and long-term good management are the only agricultural methods that we dare use. When large-scale rain forest destruction began, who could have foreseen the effect on global climate? The swaths of comparatively bare farmland that remain after jungle vegetation burns off actually impacts the precipitation pattern. It prevents the formation of contiguous rain clouds, thus reducing the rainfall. Fewer trees converting carbon dioxide into oxygen of course increases the level of heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere.

Petroleum-based fertilizers are a non-renewable resource that change the nitrogen balance in the waterways, clogging them with overgrown algae that loves such an atmosphere. Too much algae lowers water oxygen levels. It's tough for fish and other water wildlife to survive like that and it's icky to swim in.

Monoculture (growing mostly or all one crop, such as corn) is akin to putting all one's eggs in one basket. Before World War II, most farmers diversified their crops so that if the bean beetles were bad that year, at least they had a good result from the peas, and so forth. With monoculture, farmers feel justified in using harsh chemical pesticides and strong "conventional" fertilizers instead of compost to protect their crops, because they only have one shot at it. But the chemicals invariably land in waterways, further stressing wildlife and polluting local water sources. Topsoil suffers from lack of application of organic matter such as compost. It blows away more easily, and we lose the fertile top crust that incubates our food with every lost cubic inch. Less organic matter also translates to drier soil, requiring more irrigation.

The large agribusiness companies can, and do, dictate to farmers the plant variety, fertilizer, pesticide and minimum acreage as well as other variables. This conformity is designed to produce a consistent product for mass processing and manufacture. And it is nearly impossible to deviate and still make money, if you don't fulfill agribusiness contract requirements. A farmer who wants to do things his or her own way must scramble to find and secure a niche in the retail market.

The situation and the grave issues of climate change, world hunger, and clean water demand leadership. If any one of these matters come to crisis point, war will be the result. So there is a political need, but there is also a consumer need. Can we accept locally grown produce? Less than perfect peppers? Can we conform ourselves to the rhythms of local harvest, or will we demand tomatoes in February? Can we hold our politicians accountable for farm policy? Can we spend our food dollars with consciousness? And can we teach our children to do these things?

Learn more about this author, Lisa Bonanno.
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