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signmeupnot t1_ir6o4vf wrote

Reply to comment by CharonsLittleHelper in Global Agricultural Land Use v. Agricultural Production [OC] by rosetechnology

They are more efficient in the sense that few people can cultivate and harvest, they are people efficient you could say.

However, the constant plowing is bad for the soil, the energy input you need in the form of massive machinery and fuels is high, energy input for fertilizer is high, fungicides, pesticides, loss of biodiversity, transport of crops and its fuel inputs and on and on. And since it's all annuals, you have to do the same every year.

So the environment is paying the price, just so a few people can do massive acrages themselves. That so called efficiency is not sustainable.

No wonder conventional farming doesn't pay.

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CharonsLittleHelper t1_ir6og5o wrote

Right - so you need a ton of labor. Which makes it basically a horribly paid job/hobby - not economically beneficial. Which was my initial point you tried to dispute.

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signmeupnot t1_ir6ptxz wrote

You didn't read my reply then. As I said, the labor of establishing is only initially, and we are not talking a massive amount of labour. Once the perennials are in the ground, they do the work themselves for years to come.

And its like you don't understand, that what you grow yourself, you don't have to pay for at the Supermarket, those savings are your reward, among the joy of growing yourself and what other benefits that brings like more nutritious food.

Food is a big part of the paycheck for many people.

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CharonsLittleHelper t1_ir6qaap wrote

Yes - all of the world's farmers are dumb and wrong. If only you were in charge of the world...

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signmeupnot t1_ir6r63a wrote

I think I'll end the discussion here, as you are going for my person, instead of giving counterarguments to my points.

Just because millions of people are doing something, doesn't make it smart. I'll leave you with that

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