What is industrial farming?

Monoculture, which is the process of growing a single crop on a large scale, is the center of industrial farming. For monoculture farming to be successful, it relies heavily on the use of fertilizers and chemicals such as pesticides. Fertilizers are necessary to replenish the nutrients in the heavily taxed soil of a monoculture, as the use of only a single type of plant depletes the soil of the plants specific nutrient needs. Pesticides are required in this process, due to the fact that a large crop of a single type of plant is susceptible to certain weeds and insect pests. Much of the crop produced in this monoculture process is grain that is used to feed livestock in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO). These CAFO’s are a type of industrial farming in themselves.

Why is industrial farming unsustainable?

When industrial farming was developed after World War II, it was hailed as a technological triumph that would feed the world’s population. Around the same time, the use of pesticides was growing and released to the public, as if it were a miracle cure for everything. Of course, this was before the causes and effects of pesticides were realized. As a result, the broad scale use of these chemicals quickly became a danger to the population. Workers applying insecticides, such as organic phosphorus in fields, orchards, and vineyards, were extremely likely to suffer from poisoning that caused paralysis and death. DDT is a popular insecticide that is applied minimally and periodically to the soil. Although these applications are seemingly moderate, concentrations of DDT build up in the soil overtime. The crop that is grown in this soil holds these trace amounts of DDT, and when eaten, tend to build up in an animal or a human’s system as well and can lead to many unpleasant health problems. In addition, the application of these chemicals also leaves a residue on foods. While this may seem minute, it can actually build up in the system over time and create toxic effects. The insecticides used contaminate water, soil, food, and are indifferent to the creatures it targets, whether they are beneficial or considered a bother by the human hand applying it. Industrial farming erodes the soil by leaching its nutrients, leads to degradation by destruction of grasslands, and harms sensitive wildlife while giving an evolutionary advantage to organisms that are less desirable. Of course, this is just a short list of the harmful impacts of industrial farming. In the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, the use of chemicals and the effects of industrial farming are described in great detail, which is very educational and eye opening.