Switch to organic farming causes chaos in Sri Lanka

[N.Yorks.]

how are they doing it ?

Consuming far more than they need - creating waste and consuming more resources than are sustainably available. (Sustainable = consumption at a level that doesn't reduce future generations ability to also benefit eg. hunting something until it's extinct or polluting drinking water to such a level that it isn't fit for consumption in the future)

At a country level - the Uk isn't self sufficient in it's food as demand exceeds supply - not sustainable. Within that country there will be individuals who maybe are, but there are probably far more that aren't, mainly because they just haven't a clue.

If we're smart we start solving the problems sooner rather than later, if we're not then we progress to a very uncertain future where nature will eventually rebalance and humans come off second best.

I know it's very easy to make this type of statement and much harder to propose sensible solutions........

 

[Sid]

Drought puts 2.1 million Kenyans at risk of starvation | Global development | The Guardian

National disaster declared as crops fail after poor rains and locusts, while ethnic conflicts add to crisis

amp.theguardian.com

Seem conventional struggles to feed the world as well!

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Drought puts 2.1 million Kenyans at risk of starvation | Global development | The Guardian

National disaster declared as crops fail after poor rains and locusts, while ethnic conflicts add to crisis

amp.theguardian.com

Seem conventional struggles to feed the world as well

Hardly, food's so cheap, the consumer wastes about a third of what they buy

 

[Sid]

Hardly, food's so cheap, the consumer wastes about a third of what they buy

Send it over to them then.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Send it over to them then.

Just making the point that there is more than enough food for the world population at the moment.

 

[Sid]

Just making the point that there is more than enough food for the world population at the moment.

There is, some argue that organic food production won't feed the world, it can given over eating and wasted food.

It would also work towards repairing the damage done.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

The problem with organic farming is its reliance on excessive cultivations and the resulting soil damage which that causes. If you can do without the cultivations though, you don't have the same problem.

 

[Sid]

The problem with organic farming is its reliance on excessive cultivations and the resulting soil damage which that causes. If you can do without the cultivations though, you don't have the same problem.

So what qualifies as excessive cultivations under regenerative standards?

 

[Lowland1]

Drought puts 2.1 million Kenyans at risk of starvation | Global development | The Guardian

National disaster declared as crops fail after poor rains and locusts, while ethnic conflicts add to crisis

amp.theguardian.com

Seem conventional struggles to feed the world as well!

There are far more factors involved. Like Sri Lanka tourism is a very important part of the economy. No tourists means no jobs and no jobs means no money and without money you can’t buy food. Like the UK Kenya isn’t self sufficient in food but unlike the UK Kenya can’t afford to import food. The main cause of the problems in Sri Lanka and Kenya as well as many other third world countries is the western worlds reaction to Covid. The affects of the disease here are minimal very few people will die because of it many more will die due to Covid enforced poverty. Which really something developed nations should be ashamed of.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

There are far more factors involved. Like Sri Lanka tourism is a very important part of the economy. No tourists means no jobs and no jobs means no money and without money you can’t buy food. Like the UK Kenya isn’t self sufficient in food but unlike the UK Kenya can’t afford to import food. The main cause of the problems in Sri Lanka and Kenya as well as many other third world countries is the western worlds reaction to Covid. The affects of the disease here are minimal very few people will die because of it many more will die due to Covid enforced poverty. Which really something developed nations should be ashamed of.

I thought your business was exporting food from Kenya?

 

[Lowland1]

I thought your business was exporting food from Kenya?

We grow wheat, maize , cabbages and potatoes for the local market all of which require little labour however growing beans, peas, baby corn, courgettes and broccoli for export means we have to employ over 400 people who earn a wage which enables them to buy things including food. The people at risk are those in dry areas who live a subsistence existence they generally don’t have jobs and so if there crops fail or livestock die they don’t have money to buy food so are in trouble. We aren’t running a charity and there are no subsidies but i could grow just maize and wheat probably around 3000 acres and i could do it with myself and a couple of others but it would mean 398 people would be looking for some non existant jobs. If people here are hungry it’s because they don’t have money not because there’s no food to buy.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

We grow wheat, maize , cabbages and potatoes for the local market all of which require little labour however growing beans, peas, baby corn, courgettes and broccoli for export means we have to employ over 400 people who earn a wage which enables them to buy things including food. The people at risk are those in dry areas who live a subsistence existence they generally don’t have jobs and so if there crops fail or livestock die they don’t have money to buy food so are in trouble. We aren’t running a charity and there are no subsidies but i could grow just maize and wheat probably around 3000 acres and i could do it with myself and a couple of others but it would mean 398 people would be looking for some non existant jobs. If people here are hungry it’s because they don’t have money not because there’s no food to buy.

You did day earlier that Kenya wasn't self sufficient in food though.

 

[Lowland1]

You did day earlier that Kenya wasn't self sufficient in food though.

Doesn’t matter neither is the UK but it also exports food. Kenya has plenty of green vegetables basically what we export. These are short term crops that grow rapidly what it lacks is grain. Forex generated by the export of agricultural commodities such as tea, coffee, vegetables and flowers allows Kenya to purchase grain.However as you can see in Sri Lanka when a high revenue generating industry such as tourism fails they run out of money to buy things that they can’t produce. As i’ve said before people go hungry because they are poor. Poor countries can’t pay farmers to produce more or not to produce because there is too much obviously it is usually because they are corrupt or incompetent ( Boris doesn’t have that monopoly) but also because they have a lot less money than developed countries and that’s what all boils down to money.

 

[Henarar]

So what qualifies as excessive cultivations under regenerative standards?

Are there or should there be regenerative standards.

 

[Sid]

Are there or should there be regenerative standards.

There are no standards, no legal definition no rules apart from spraying with glyphosate

Just do what you like and call yourself a regenerative farmer!

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I think the problem with quantifying regenerative standards, are they are so individualistic to each farm, it is hard to write a set of prescriptive rules to follow.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

There are no standards, no legal definition no rules apart from spraying with glyphosate

Just do what you like and call yourself a regenerative farmer!

Without increasing soil organic matter or at least not depleting it, you wouldn't really be regenerative.

 

[Sid]

I think the problem with quantifying regenerative standards, are they are so individualistic to each farm, it is hard to write a set of prescriptive rules to follow.

So vague you mean.

 

[Sid]

Without increasing soil organic matter or at least not depleting it, you wouldn't really be regenerative.

Is that on an individual parcel basis or whole farm?
Plenty of livestock farmers would be and have been for ever and a day regenerative farmers on that basis.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

What's vague about the word regenerative?