Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #fafdlstorm
Most recents (18)
It's hard to believe how thirsty my tomatillos and chiles are. I started a kitchen garden in 2018 which helped me understand farming a bit better in little ways. #fafdlstorm 1/8 
But nothing compares to the way I've completely internalized the revolutionary nature of the invention of irrigation 600 years or so. 2/8
When it's hot and sunny and hasn't rained in weeks, the trees and shrubs and plants in my neighborhood stay green and plumped with turgor pressure, while my crops require watering every day and sometimes twice a day or they wilt in a matter of hours and die within days. 3/8
I highly recommend this discussion between @timhammerich and @waiterich of @WRIFood on measuring and building sustainability into agriculture.
bit.ly/3qDpAwA
bit.ly/3qDpAwA
One comment by Richard at the end really got me thinking about a pet peeve of mine. 1/25
#fafdlstorm
#fafdlstorm
After mentioning seafood as a feed additive could cut the methane emissions in cows by as much as 80% and a commercial feed additive (3-NOP) that could cut methane by 30%, a nitrification inhibitor that could help with managing emissions in crop fertilization ... 2/25
Looking for examples of sustainable agricultural systems at scale. That is, they were able to feed a civilization in a steady-state for centuries.
I can think of two. Can you point me to others?
I can think of two. Can you point me to others?
The two I'm thinking of were highly context-dependent ecologically and required very tight governance.
These were not ancient systems that stayed in ecological balance by feeding a small number of people on enormous amounts of land. This allowing them to farm plots of land into exhaustion and then move to a new plot while the previous plot rebounded over decades.
Overselling leads to debunking which leads to defensive defending which leads to unnecessarily rancorous debates.
2/14
2/14
This puts the whole thing into the framework of a culture war instead of a collegial search for truth and tools & solutions, all the while alienating potential allies.
3/14
3/14
I did a little thread yesterday in response to this question. It's a question I think a lot of has a lot of center-left non-farmers and probably some farmers scratching their heads on, so I'll rerun it as a thread here.
#fafdlstorm
#fafdlstorm
In terms of bargaining power, a co-op makes more sense than a union in terms of structure for bargaining with producers of inputs or purchasers of commodities.
In the US, the National Farmer's Union is a trade organization like the Farm Bureau but is more oriented to viewing farmers as workers need to unite to increase bargaining power.
THREAD
@bittman I thought the goal of 'real food' used to be because, as a rough heuristic (see also: Rule of Thumb), it was more healthful and better for the environment (among other things - which we'll get to).
wired.com/story/foodies-…
#fafdlstorm
@bittman I thought the goal of 'real food' used to be because, as a rough heuristic (see also: Rule of Thumb), it was more healthful and better for the environment (among other things - which we'll get to).
wired.com/story/foodies-…
#fafdlstorm
Now that there might be replacements for the most environmentally impactful foods with potential nutritional improvements, 'real food' becomes the ultimate goal, and concrete goals like improving the environment and nutrition go out the window.
This is the same thing that happened with locavorism. It was about the environment until, under scrutiny, that didn't pan out and then other rationalizations came to the fore. And when those were called into the question, the reasons became more intangible.
Ag's ability to fend off regulation is a problem for the community but ultimately a problem for ag as well.
1/10
1/10
A quick follow up to yesterday's thread on farm labor and immigration. Two points I glossed over for the sake of simplicity.
1. Another strategy in ag for dealing with labor shortages is automation. Historically that has been driven by the rural to urban migration. More recently in specialty crops, it has been driven by immigrant labor shortages.
So a carrot harvest looks like this.
This NYT piece on the dawning realization that farmworkers do essential work regardless of their citizenship status touches on — without mentioning — two related economic phenomena that are necessary to understand immigrant labor in the food system which are rarely made explicit
People often scratch their heads, thinking, "Why can't native-born Americans do that work? "
Here's why.
Here's why.
These are global markets, so the price that consumers pay for a US-produced product is bounded first by what it is worth them and second by the price of imports. If imported produce can be brought in at a lower price, then that limits what the domestic market can charge.
THREAD
This is a heartening story of real progress in building support among farmers for conservation ag and dealing with climate change. But ...
politico.com/news/2019/12/0…
#fafdlstorm
This is a heartening story of real progress in building support among farmers for conservation ag and dealing with climate change. But ...
politico.com/news/2019/12/0…
#fafdlstorm
... it quietly highlights what I see as a major hurdle in the communication and psychological dynamics of stewardship issues in ag circles. At least in my experience.
1. All too often the pointing out or highlighting of a general environmental issue related to agriculture – maybe by researchers, maybe journalists, maybe by environmental groups –– is taken by farmers as "blaming farmers" when it is not meant that way at all.
Following up on last week's discussion of the virtues and limitations of local food, I want to talk about supply, demand, policy, and the role of social democracy.
#fafdlstorm
#fafdlstorm
1. 'Supporting' local food more or less comes in 3 forms:
A. Deliberate and organized consumer preference
B. Public sector support: Subsidy and regulation
C. Not-for-Profit institutional support
A. Deliberate and organized consumer preference
B. Public sector support: Subsidy and regulation
C. Not-for-Profit institutional support
2. A. only works over the long term if local products are superior in value to 'imports'. In that case, it's less about local demand than happening to live somewhere with great local supply, which is probably being 'exported' as well at which point, it's no longer local.
1. When I think of the 'aesthetics' of local food, I think of two things.
2. The aesthetics of the food itself. A move towards authenticity and idiosyncrasy and away from the soulless homogeneity and (often the) vapidity of mass-market food.
THREAD
This essay by @SylvanaquaFarms is dead-on in its analysis of the economics of peri-urban/farm to table agriculture.
medium.com/sylvanaquafarm…
#fafdlstorm
This essay by @SylvanaquaFarms is dead-on in its analysis of the economics of peri-urban/farm to table agriculture.
medium.com/sylvanaquafarm…
#fafdlstorm
1. Any quibbles I have are with issues that are with stuff that lies outside of the theme of the piece –– in regards to what sustainable farming means.
2. And much of that is moot, as I believe that farm to table agriculture makes important contributions to improving the dense, livable cities I see as central to sustainability.
1. Not all consumer choices to nudge the system in a better direction are created equal. There are BS labels and changes in diet that wield real leverage.
Agree that most consumers aren't a position to distinguish.
Agree that most consumers aren't a position to distinguish.
1a. There is a big difference between eating less meat and little to no beef and chasing new corporate marketing labels for ethical or sustainable eating.
There is a big, generally unquestioned assumption in trying to tackle the "healthful eating deficit". It's generally assumed that the cost of healthful foods, fruits and vegetables especially is a major bottleneck.
This is not the case.
#fafdlstorm
This is not the case.
#fafdlstorm
➊ Low income folks can afford fruits and vegetables if that's their preference and priority.
This is $37 worth of fruits and vegetables.
This is $37 worth of fruits and vegetables.
➋
28 lbs of produce.
A little napkin math:
Rounding everything to a 3.5oz serving we get:
128 servings
28¢ a serving
25 days worth of fruits and vegetables (5 servings a day)
$1.48 per day
28 lbs of produce.
A little napkin math:
Rounding everything to a 3.5oz serving we get:
128 servings
28¢ a serving
25 days worth of fruits and vegetables (5 servings a day)
$1.48 per day
Thread.
Today's Suggestion for Clear Food Systems Thinking: HOW TO FEED THE WORLD WITH THE LEAST ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT EDITION
#fafdlstorm
Today's Suggestion for Clear Food Systems Thinking: HOW TO FEED THE WORLD WITH THE LEAST ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT EDITION
#fafdlstorm
1. In trying to answer the question of How to feed 7-11 billion people with the lowest impact on the environment? there are lots of sub-questions that need to be answered, but I think the two biggest are ....
2.
A. What production systems are most environmentally efficient, while being profitable, in meeting CURRENT demand? That is, the mix and profile of food people currently eat.
A. What production systems are most environmentally efficient, while being profitable, in meeting CURRENT demand? That is, the mix and profile of food people currently eat.
THREAD: 3 TOP ZOMBIE TROPES ABOUT FARM SUBSIDIES:A friendly guide for non-ag journos-please forward / tag relevant writers and editors
A guide to avoid saying dumb things "everyone knows" which aren't actually true at all. (disclaimer: not a defense of US ag policy) #fafdlstorm
A guide to avoid saying dumb things "everyone knows" which aren't actually true at all. (disclaimer: not a defense of US ag policy) #fafdlstorm
ZOMBIE AG SUBSIDY TROPE #1:
"Farm subsidies fuel cheap food which contributes to the obesity crisis."
INCORRECT !!!!!
1
"Farm subsidies fuel cheap food which contributes to the obesity crisis."
INCORRECT !!!!!
1
This popped up recently, not once, but TWICE on the @nytimes OP/ED page last month alone. It's a really, really popular bit of zombie conventional wisdom.
2
2
THREAD:
I would call any farm that uses the methods of industrial production a "factory farm". If a farm takes advantage of scale, repetition, and automation to produce uniform commodity products, that's industrial production. 1/n
#fafdlstorm
I would call any farm that uses the methods of industrial production a "factory farm". If a farm takes advantage of scale, repetition, and automation to produce uniform commodity products, that's industrial production. 1/n
#fafdlstorm
2. The reason why it is seen as a derogatory term is because it's counterposed to either a sentimental fantasy or to niche farms that it really isn't in competition with because they serve different markets. 2/n
3. But there is a unrealistic belief that pastoral niche farms could replace industrial agriculture at scale. It can't and shouldn't.
