What is the question? Well, that is a great question! But, I'm thinking more specifically about the question driving my interest in alternative agricultural systems.
Are alternative agricultural systems truly more sustainable in terms of reducing GHG, promoting economic viability of farms, and producing affordable, safe food, than more industrialized (modern) farming systems?
There is a lot of rhetoric being published from those arguing for a "perfecting" of modern agricultural processes, strategies and technologies, just as there others arguing for the alternative. But, when we move past the rhetoric we are still just as confused as before regarding the sustainable path to present and future food security.
Rather than proponents of each side of the debate continuing to ignore the other, it is perhaps time to engage in some serious comparative analysis that incorporate economic, environment and social dimensions. Understanding the complexity of interdisciplinary research, "most" of these studies are glaringly absent from the dialogue. It appears that one dimension supersedes all the others in current studies. It is usually economics, with environment coming in second and social coming in a distant third.
I think this needs to be changed if we are going to start identifying appropriate policies for a sustainable future, especially one where we can eat!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Interesting Report...
Emerging Challenges for Farming Systems: Lessons from Australian and Dutch agriculture
This report is an interesting little piece of work as it intersects in many ways with what I'm focusing on. Although the specific questions they are addressing are different, the methods and sentiment regarding complex non-linear systems is right on.
I think this will serve as a good foundation for arguing precedence in my area of work and in the application of systems thinking/computer simulation in the assessment of sustainable agricultural systems.
This report is an interesting little piece of work as it intersects in many ways with what I'm focusing on. Although the specific questions they are addressing are different, the methods and sentiment regarding complex non-linear systems is right on.
I think this will serve as a good foundation for arguing precedence in my area of work and in the application of systems thinking/computer simulation in the assessment of sustainable agricultural systems.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Great Site on Climate Change and Farming
This site provides a whole range of case studies that have been conducted in the Northeastern part of the US. The cases touch on wind-power, biodiesel production and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from farm related processes.
Climateandfarming.org: Energy, Greenhouse Gases, and Farming
Climateandfarming.org: Energy, Greenhouse Gases, and Farming
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Revise, Revise, Revise....
Despite the fact that my last research proposal was accepted by my committee it is looking like I may have to change gears in order to secure the necessary funding to conduct the project.
The problem is that there isn't much research funding for work focused on food systems. There is funding available for work looking into health, sustainable ag and labor related to food security, but nothing on the function of food systems in the context of food security.
But the issue is not all that bad. For the past few months I have been involved in a side project with the BIOAg organic farm here at WSU, which is focused on closed-loop farming systems and the role of such production systems in reducing agricultural related greenhouse gases.
It was kind of a simple idea and I really just thought of the research as an exercise for myself and the farm manager here at WSU. However, the interest in the project has just taken off and people are already wanting to use the models for their farm projects outside of WSU. Plus, there appears to be clear funding opportunities for work like this. The strange thing is I never really pictured myself doing this for a PhD, but it seems that the interest and opportunities for research funding have place this research in position to be drafted into an alternate proposal.
It is just strange how far I have come from I first began this journey.
Anyway, I haven't been posting much because my time has been completely consumed with the elections here in the US and this project. But for all of those interested in what is going on I will post a little blurb shortly...
The problem is that there isn't much research funding for work focused on food systems. There is funding available for work looking into health, sustainable ag and labor related to food security, but nothing on the function of food systems in the context of food security.
But the issue is not all that bad. For the past few months I have been involved in a side project with the BIOAg organic farm here at WSU, which is focused on closed-loop farming systems and the role of such production systems in reducing agricultural related greenhouse gases.
It was kind of a simple idea and I really just thought of the research as an exercise for myself and the farm manager here at WSU. However, the interest in the project has just taken off and people are already wanting to use the models for their farm projects outside of WSU. Plus, there appears to be clear funding opportunities for work like this. The strange thing is I never really pictured myself doing this for a PhD, but it seems that the interest and opportunities for research funding have place this research in position to be drafted into an alternate proposal.
It is just strange how far I have come from I first began this journey.
Anyway, I haven't been posting much because my time has been completely consumed with the elections here in the US and this project. But for all of those interested in what is going on I will post a little blurb shortly...
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