Thesis Presentation

1) We can all agree that conventional agriculture is environmentally & morally bankrupt.

Organic is often praised as the 'chemical free' alternative to conventional agriculture. Indicating that there is a solid line that separates organic and conventional systems.

As with most things, There are very rarely absolutes. There are morse shades of gray.

Our society's attitudes are based on bits and pieces of info, and likely formed by subjective, contradictory and opinionated ideas.

2) It is a common belief that Organic food excludes pesticides and chemicals.
Organic practices rely heavily on a range of natural chemicals, many of them quite dangerous.

In this thesis, I am referring to the large-scale organic farms designed to mass produce food, which makes up about 98% of the organic food we eat.

Organic farms use Sodium Nitrate as a fertilizer. There are major environmental costs of shipping and mining from South America and it also contributes to groundwater pollution.

Of course synthetic chemicals in agriculture are dangerous, but we often overlook that 99.9% of the toxic chemical we consume are completely natural.

When we consume an average plant,organic or not, we consume about 50 toxic chemicals.

3) Copper-sulfate used as a fungicide in organic farming.
Sulfur cause more worker injuries in California than any other agricultural input.

Miners who harvest sulfur dust suffer from chronic respiratory problems.
Sulfur is toxic to fish and causes topsoil acidification of pine trees.

Copper sulfate is highly toxic and is very harmful to the tissue of fish.
It counteracts the soil enhancing organic compounds(example: Kills earthworms).

4) The middle and upper class in america are the ones able to make the choice between organic and conventional foods, and it has even become a trendy lifestyle.

Many farmers are switching to organic simply because they can make more money and charge a premium.

Advertizing, packaging, and propaganda make organic seem like the ultimate solution to agriculture.

How does our society's polarized attitude towards organic vs. conventional agriculture affect our progress towards sustainability?

5)  A viable system of global food production MUST always produce increasing amounts of food on he same, or even smaller, amounts of land than is currently under cultivation.

Convention does this well, but organic has generally lower yields and requires more land.

Problem is a mathematical problem as well as an environmental matter.

6) Although organic farmers are more likely to practice various environmentally friendly methods, it doesn't completely deserve the golden halo it gets to wear.

Organic has it's purpose in global agriculture, but it is not the one and only answer to our problems.

These Polarized attitudes are preventing us from developing innovative ways to solve our agricultural problems.

7)  Everyone is aware of our environmental status, but agriculture should not be neglected; nor should it be assumed that One way is the best.

As long as people have misconceptions about agricultural systems, they will continue to Not take action, OR they will take action in vain.

We will not be able to make enough food to be sustainable, will not be able to make enough money, and continue to harm the environment.

8) One possible application might include a type of museum or exhibit that showcases the various agricultural systems used throughout the ages and their effects.

The exhibit would then show an interpretation of what a sustainable agriculture might look like in various contexts.

9)There could also a grocery store/market that emphasizes through signage and advertising, how the agricultural methods being used, are sustainable for that specific location.

Perhaps there is a densely populated area that relies on high yields, but they have developed a way that nitrogen fertilizer would be fully absorbed by crops, rather than leaching into the soil.

10) Perhaps there is a university dedicated to developing innovative methods to achieve agricultural sustainability.

Students and faculty could collaborate with scientists, engineers, and designers to develop solutions.

The university might also work with the community to help pass legislation to promote sustainable agriculture; whether it be environmentally, socially, or economically.

Thesis Question:

Just Food: Where Locavores Get it Wrong and how we can Truly Eat Responsibly by James E. McWilliams
This book has really cleared up some misconceptions I didn't even know I had about organic agriculture. As it turns out, organic agriculture for the most part has lower yields and requires more land than conventional agriculture. If the world's agriculture were to completely convert to organic, only 4Billion people would be fed.

Organic agriculture feeds less than 2% of the world's population. Meaning it is feeding a certain demographic that can afford and choose organic food.

Organic agriculture is just a piece of the puzzle. It os not the only solution to a sustainable agriculture. There are many misconceptions about organic agriculture that are making people pick a side. But neither organic nor conventional are the one true answer.

How does our society's attitude of pick a side: organic vs. conventional agriculture affect our progress towards a sustainable future?