---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Great Transition Network <[email protected]> Date: Wed, Mar 9, 2016 at 10:55 PM Subject: Farming for a Small Planet: Agroecology Now (GTN Discussion) To: [email protected]

From Sujata Dutta <[email protected]>

------------------------------------------------------- Dear Frances Moore Lappé and GTI colleagues, To begin with, congratulations on producing such a clear and erudite addition to the repertoire of global transition to sustainability. I have been an ardent follower of GTI and am always enthusiastic to know what happens next: how we through small baby steps create and contribute to this rather exciting evolution of human civilization. I would like to share a few anecdotes from the Far Eastern world where indigenous communities managed to preserve some of the unique traditions of sustainable agriculture. This may, however, be short-lived, as they struggle to grapple with the onslaught of conventional agriculture. In Assam, we need to note that conventional industrial agriculture only penetrated through the colonial capitalism of the tea industry. Food crops were fortunately not tampered with, and communities were allowed to carry on with their traditional practices. However, it is not to say that the scourges of industrial agriculture and production of tea did not impact the local ecosystem, biodiversity, and livelihood patterns due to the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers for mass production. Thus, in spite of large-scale degradation of soil quality, water, and human health, what can be still salvaged is probably the invaluable indigenous knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices among the indigenous communities in areas of flood control and management, bio fertilizers, pest control, multi-cropping, seed preservation, food storage, livelihood support, and local food security. It is remarkable that most of the tribal communities inhabiting this region have been self-sustaining in terms of their social structure and economy. Starvation deaths are unheard of, and common property resources are regulated through customary laws that ensure equity, inter-generational stability, and to some extent gender equality. Popular in India, the traditional paradigm of sustainable agriculture is the organic agricultural practices underlined in the greater traditions of Hinduism and its grand narrative in texts such as Vrikshayurveda and in practices of agnihotra yajna, etc. The little traditions of the tribal folk cultures, such as those inhabiting the peripheries of Northeast India, many a times go unnoticed due to the lack of proper documentation and research in these areas. There is a great impetus in this region to go organic, given the potentials for organic farming and a growing market of citizens seeking ‘clean and pure food’ production. Undoubtedly, there is enormous potential for this region, given that it is not even halfway as polluted as the other parts of India that went for intensive agriculture during the Green Revolution, such as Punjab and Bengal. Learning from the price that was paid by the Green Revolution in terms of adverse health impacts and natural resource pollution, the current agenda is to go towards an evergreen revolution with full support of the government. Regions like Northeast India, being the last frontier to the Indian post-development planning, await this attention eagerly. But, are they ready for this? A government commissioned study as was reiterated by Guy Dauncey in Canada should be the first step. A haphazard adoption of organic farming will not only jeopardize the ethical component of going organic, but will also uproot and destabilize prospects of agroecology in one of the most deserving regions of the world. Right now, there are a number of unorganized endeavours towards organic farming by private entrepreneurs and local farmers. However, in the absence of awareness and commitment to organic food; coordination and networking between farmers and consumers; and community and institutional support for farms to be self-sustaining in terms of seeds, storage, marketing and brand building, organic farming in Assam and North East India as a whole may never see the dawn of success. In fact, even when industrial manufacturing backed by large corporations has tried to transition to sustainable practices, it has found itself bitterly overthrown. For example, in Assam in the year 2006-07, in an experiment undertaken by Dhekiajuli Tea Estate owned by Parry Agro Industries Ltd, a corporate conglomerate tried to implement sustainable agricultural practices pertaining to production techniques in tea cultivation. The initiative was taken by the local management primarily to address the hazardous impact of toxicity in the local environment, particularly soil and water quality. The impact on the health of the resident labour population made the management sit up when they found a significant rise in the number of lung diseases, skin infection, and birth deformity among workers. I first visited the tea garden in 2007 to conduct fieldwork with my students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, who had registered for my course “Concepts and Ideologies in Social Life,” where sustainability and sustainable development as a conceptual paradigm from sociological perspective was explored. The experience for us was positive, and the optimism of the management and workers was contagious and motivating for the young technocrats of future India. The management was committed to a market-driven, competitive industrial manufacturing process but steered their motivation with a parallel experiment of vermicompost, agnihotri yajna, Panchgavya or cowpathy, Amrit pani or fermented cowdung which generates about 250 kinds of beneficial bacteria and other localized and organic pest control and fertiliser techniques to promote sustainable industrial growth with low chemical impact. Sources of Indigenous knowledge such as Vrikshayurveda were systematically explored to unearth traditional organic practices in farming and agriculture. The cultural worldview of environmental sustainability embedded in our traditional knowledge about agricultural practices and farming is elabourate in its glorification of trees and tree planting. Every topic connected with the science of plant life such as procuring, preserving, and treating of seeds before planting; preparing pits for planting saplings; selection of soil; method of watering; nourishments and fertilizers; plant diseases and plant protection from internal and external diseases; layout of a garden; agricultural and horticultural wonders; groundwater resources; etc.; finds a place in these texts. The management was forced to abandon the grand project as an unfulfilled legacy, succumbing to the formidable forces driving our unsustainable existence. In spite of significant progress made towards environmental and labour health and the quality of natural capital like land, water, and soil (which started reflecting low toxin and chemical content that is disastrous and highly polluted), the Dhekiajuli Tea Estate abandoned this experiment in 2014. Apparently, the embedded externalized costs of poor health, environmental degradation, and toxic waste generation are seldom reflected into the company balance sheet. As a result, the transition towards the new paradigm of sustainable industrialization of tea manufacture was seen as a failure in terms of production cost and output. The situation will be worse in case of unorganized farmers who live in rural areas and for whom in the first place itself agriculture is economically non-viable due to small landholdings and lack of infrastructural support. Moreover, the rather inferior value attached to manual labour makes farming a very low-prestige profession which the emerging educated middle classes loathe to associate themselves with. The push factors of emerging urbanization have made rural India and all its associated riders of village life and farming as a livelihood option unattractive to the youth. This is a dangerous trend for emerging economies: the centrifugal forces of urbanization are creating havoc with the balancing of local development of rural India and preservation of its 'little and folk traditions.' In fact, what is happening is even dangerous: a booming ICT, satellite TV, mobile, and internet facility is bringing the global society into the threshold of village society, but at the cost of a great loss to the self-esteem of rural India as it finds itself dispossessed of its sustainable heritage, which includes organic farming and sustainable food cultivation. Dr Sujata Dutta Hazarika Co-founder GISDP [email protected] ********************************************************** On Thu, Mar 3, 2016 at 4:00 AM, Great Transition Network wrote:

From Jodi Koberinski

----- I echo Guy's praises, Frankie, the work is accessible and clear of “clutter.” I will write more thoughtfully on your piece later in the week, I have some thoughts that arise from Guy's posting I'd like to share now so others with more expertise in the issues I will raise below might wade in if it is a fruitful tangent. The need to ask "how" arises, Guy suggests, and the examples he gives of progressive states with greater organic production are ample proof that organic/agroecological systems can function within the capitalist system of some progressive, social democratic states. So it isn't an "if," but rather an opportunity to show what is already being demonstrated. Guy's example from his piece of fiction presumes rational actors responding to information we already have about the costs of externalities—clearly Guy and Frankie both point to the need for our movement to better articulate these costs and bring pressure to price industrial food accordingly. What is interesting is to dive a little deeper into these globally progressive states and look at the ratio of "industrial-organic" to "agroecological" approaches and see we have some way to go to move agriculture toward the kind envisioned in Frankie's piece, and then look at the degree of globalization of the food economy in these states. What I observe is a little bit like a rural homeschoolers' science club: from the outside, "organic sector" looks like a range of families with the same agendas ... until it comes time to teach evolution and the presence of distinct agendas becomes obvious. National food sovereignty and successful organic markets can be in sharp conflict with each other. Whether "sovereignty" goals and "market development" goals are compatible depends on one's critique of globalization post-WTO. Those who believe capitalism only needs a tweak will support neoliberal, export-oriented organic agriculture focusing on commodities, processed foods, and cash crops. Those who see flaws in the food system beyond production choices in the field may support post- corporate capitalist, small-scale, localized approaches to food that look at multi-functionality, like work Jose Vivero Pol is doing to make the case for "Food as Commons" policies. In my view, Frankie's analysis is tied deeply to a fundamental critique of privatization generally and the notion of food as a commodity rather than a commons. With Respect- Jodi Koberinski 2015 Oak Fellow for Human Rights ************************************** On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 9:47 AM, Great Transition Network wrote:

From Guy Dauncey

----- Dear GTN Colleagues, Thanks for this. It was easy to read Frances’ work, and my response is as if I have been invaded by a bunch of ticks - tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

From my perspective, Frances, you are 100% on the right track, and I agree with every word you have written. And you even got methane's GWP right, at 34! Some top science journalists are still using the wrong, old numbers. So my congratulations.

The most urgent question in my mind therefore becomes, how? You mention focusing far more than 1% of global agricultural research on organic farming, which is clearly needed. And in your last paragraph, you emphasize the need for democratic governance, which is also clearly needed. But many countries already have good democratic governance, without undue corporate corruption—I sympathize with GTN members living in America, which is a temporarily failed and corrupted democracy. So just as progressive states can be laboratories of change in the US, so can progressive countries, globally. If more key countries such as Sweden, Denmark (aiming at 100% organic “as soon as possible”), Bhutan (aiming to be 100% organic by 2020), Ethiopia, Lichtenstein (31% of farmland is organic), and Austria (19.5% organic) could show the world how effective small-scale organic and agro-ecological farming is, it would establish a beach-head into larger countries. (See www.fibl.org/en/themes/organic-farming-statistics.html for statistics) In my book Journey to the Future: A Better World is Possible ( www.journeytothefuture.ca), set in the year 2032, there's a dialogue between a nurse and my visitor to the future, in which she explains how all farming in Canada came to be organic. There are several chapters devoted to food and farming, but this is a relevant contribution for GTN, since it shows a way to make the switch: **** “How much of it’s organic?” All of it. All food grown in Canada is organic these days. It’s not all five-star, but three or four-star is still pretty good.” I was really surprised. Back in my time, only two percent of Canada’s farms were organic. “What made all the farmers go organic?” I asked. “And what’s the five-star system?” “Five-star means that as well as using no chemicals, the farmers build their soil, treat their farm animals with kindness, pay fair wages and take care of their wildlife. They get a star for each if they meet the requirements.” “That’s impressive.” “As to why the farmers went organic, it all happened quite quickly. Soon after the OMEGA Days the government commissioned a study to investigate the full cost of conventional farming. They looked at everything from farming’s climate impact to the loss of habitat and species, herbicide-resistant super-weeds, nitrogen pollution from fertilizers getting into the water, soil erosion, the impact on bees, the abuse of antibiotics, and negative health impacts caused by the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the loss of essential nutrients from the soil. That includes cancer and dementia, which had been linked to the use of pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers. Maybe autism, too. Pre-natal exposure to pesticides was also contributing to ADHD, and to a fall in children’s IQ. A crop like celery was being sprayed with as many as sixty-seven different pesticides. Can you believe it? When the government saw the full social, environmental and healthcare impact they brought in a tax on pesticides and fertilizers, to recover the costs.” “Just like that? Didn’t the farmers protest?” “Oh, for sure. There was a lot of complaining. But there were many benefits to going organic. It eliminated the cost of fertilizers and pesticides, and when the farmers realized that they could save money and get better yields it became a no-brainer. Conventional yields had been falling anyway due to pesticide resistance and the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds, especially with the genetically modified crops, so the farmers didn’t need much persuading. The government gave the money back to the farmers to subsidize their transition to organic, and the rest is history.” best wishes, Guy Dauncey FRSA Author, Speaker, Futurist www.earthfuture.com Author of Journey to the Future: A Better World is Possible Author of The Climate Challenge: 101 Solutions to Global Warming Founder of the BC Sustainable Energy Association ************************************** Monday, February 29, 2016

From Paul Raskin

----- GTN Colleagues: The MARCH DISCUSSION will focus on a key dimension of transition: the future of agriculture. I am pleased to kick it off by sharing with you Frances Moore Lappé’s GTI essay, “Farming for a Small Planet: Agroecology Now.” Please access it at www.greattransition.org/publication/farming-for-a-small-planet. Frankie’s best-selling “Diet for a Small Planet,” first published in 1971, mapped the way to better eating; her new essay points to a better way of farming. The essay sharply critiques the system design and dire consequences of industrial agriculture, and finds hope in the alternative agroecological model now gaining traction. This debate about farming systems defines a critical field of struggle for the larger Great Transition movement. The essay touches on many key questions: Is the industrial model doomed? Can ecological farming meet the nutrition needs of a large and growing world population? What’s the scope for change within the reigning political economy? What are the implications for development in poor countries? Let’s extend our winning streak of rich, animated discussions! If you work in this neck of the woods, please draw from your experience to comment on the essay and the issues it raises. The rest of us will have questions to ask and connections to make. Remember, both expansive and brief comments are appreciated. Comments are welcome through MARCH 31. Frankie’s essay and selected comments will be published in April, along with an interview with Wes Jackson and a review by Randy Hayes, both long-time leaders of the effort to forge a society in harmony with the land. Looking forward, Paul Raskin GTI Director GTI’S PUBLICATION CYCLE: ODD-NUMBERED months are for discussions of new essays or viewpoints for GTN eyes only. EVEN-NUMBERED months are for publication and distribution of the piece. You will receive discussion comments by email. You can also access them on-line at www.greattransition.org/forum/gti-forum, where you will find, as well, an archive of previous discussions. ----- Hit reply to post a message Or see thread and reply online at www.greattransition.org/forum/gti-discussions/173-farming-for-a-small-planet-agroecology-now/1514 Need help? Email [email protected] ----- Hit reply to post a message Or see thread and reply online at www.greattransition.org/forum/gti-discussions/173-farming-for-a-small-planet-agroecology-now/1516 Need help? Email [email protected] -- Dr Sujata Dutta HazarikaDeputy DirectorIndira Gandhi National Open University.IGNOUGuwahati ------------------------------------------------------- Hit reply to post a message Or see thread and reply online at http://www.greattransition.org/forum/gti-discussions/173-farming-for-a-small... Need help? Email [email protected] -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/