Lies, misconceptions and global agriculture

Colin Tudge

The Ecological Citizen Vol 2 No 1 2018: 77–85

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First published: 1 July 2018 | PERMANENT URL | DOWNLOAD CITATION IN RIS FORMAT

Abstract

Global food strategies, government policies, academic research programmes and popular literature are informed by ideas about food and agriculture that in large part are ill-founded and untrue: that the world needs to produce more and more food to keep pace with rising population and particularly with the increasing 'demand' for meat; that we need crops and livestock that are ever more productive; that the extra food we are supposed to need can be provided only by high-tech means – and particularly by the use of genetically modified organisms; that it is more 'efficient' and therefore necessary to reduce the farm labour force; that organic farming must always be niche. Uncritical acceptance of these ideas is preventing development of strategies that could solve the world's food problems and a great deal more besides.

Keywords

Agriculture, Sustainability