Most of us are excited about the great progress technology is making to improve crop yields, reduce chemical use in agriculture and making agriculture more sustainable to help feed our growing population. But will the simple act of farmers using this technology feed the world?
Doubtful according to the University of Kansas Law Professor, John Head. In Head’s new book, “International Law and Agroecological Husbandry: Building Legal Foundations for a New Agriculture,” he argues that there must be international legal mechanisms to ensure that the benefits of this technology are distributed equitably.
One of the key aspects to his vision, is long term planning and thinking as espoused by a few of my heroes such as Wendell Berry and the visionaries at the Long Now Foundation. Head talks about the need to move beyond thinking in 5 year cycles and to vision decades into the future such as developing a “50 year farm bill” that Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson wrote about in a NY Times article.
Check out Mike Krings’ feature on John Head and his book for more details of this important, perhaps essential element, of a transition to a sustainable, equitable world. I think creative educators might create a wonderful activity- a thematic unit on sustainable agriculture integrating the science, the marketing, the economics, and the legal. How would you do this in your classroom? Let us know!
Questions for Discussion
- What is the “extractive agriculture” system?
- What are elements of an “agro-ecological” approach?
- Why will simply implementing higher yield crops not simply solve the problem of food insecurity?
- Why is long-term planning and thinking essential to solving issues of food insecurity?
- How do you think professor Head’s background impacted his interest in this topic?
- The article talks about the need for new global treaties to address this topic-what might these treaties consist of? Who would be the involved nations?
- What else does this inspire you to “dream, learn, do?”
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