Agriculture and farming are the most important industry sectors in today's economy
If you were to ask just about anyone:
— You know what the most important industry in the world is?
odds are that they would say something like medicine or technology. They would be wrong; agriculture is and will always be the most important industry in the world. Without agriculture no other industry could exist; essentially all roads in production lead back to agriculture.
Agriculture literally fuels industry in the world because it fuels people. Without large-scale, industrialized agriculture everyone would have to try to grow their own food which would leave no time for other specialized industries like medicine or technology. In fact, in those countries that have large-scale agriculture food expenditures account for tiny amounts of a household's budget. The average American's food costs are equivalent to just six percent of their income, but in countries that don't have any large, stable farming operations; like Kenya, almost forty-five percent of a family's yearly spending goes towards food.
Even though agriculture has advanced significantly over the past few decades it still employs a large number of people even in technologically advanced countries. Even though technology has jumped ahead in agriculture some of it is just too expensive to utilize and just aren't the same as a live person. Some dairies still refuse to switch to automatic milking machines because they can't see problems with an utter that a human being can. Many farmers continue to drive their own tractors because tractors that are capable of driving themselves are just too expensive to utilize. In some cases, it is just plain cheaper to pay transient workers than to buy the equipment that can do the job.
The thing about agriculture is that it can be overlooked because as an industry it's embedded in other industries. That hamburger you just ordered from your favorite restaurant is a direct result of the agriculture industry and would not exist if there were no farmer to grow the cow or the wheat. Those fries laying beside it on your plant couldn't have been made if there was no potato farmer. Many people don't even think about the fact that agriculture made their food happen.
In many countries agriculture is now feeding new industries. Over the last few decades corn has been used to create ethanol. In the United States every gallon of gasoline sold is diluted with ethanol. The chemical is known to wear car parts out faster, but it is a renewable source of fuel in an economy that is constantly increasing its demand for energy. Farm products are also being used in ways that they haven't been for generations. Milk is used in the making of soap. Beeswax is also used in soap making, but it's also used to make candles.
Culture has a lot to do with how food is grown and the culture is unique in every country. In the United States the Great Depression fueled the boom in agriculture. The goal after such hard times was for farmers to produce more food on less land with less work. With advances in technology farmers succeeded. The goal has stayed the same for American farmers over the last few decades as world populations have increased and the amount of usable farm land has decreased.
A whole industry revolves around the creation of genetically modified seeds that resist weeds, insects, and extreme weather conditions. In addition to these altered seeds the same companies tend to produce a whole line of fertilizers and pesticides to go with them. This sub-sector of agriculture has thrived over the last two decades with large corporation sinking in millions of dollars into research. Monsanto is currently the largest provider of genetically modified seeds to farmers.
On the other side of the coin more local economies are starting to grow around smaller local farms. These farms provide local people with fresh, organic foods. In return the small farmers are paid for their goods. Those farmers will then spend those funds local for supplies and to buy supplies to live off of. This trend of local farming has created an entire sub-sector in agriculture that avoids the use of most modern seeds and chemicals. Whole companies have sprouted up that specialize in organic seeds, such as Johnny's.
Farms, both large and small, pump money into their local economies. The products made on small farms tend to sell for a premium locally and the money tends to stay local. Large farms provide food to more people, sometimes those people are half way around the world. These farms are also responsible for the corn that goes into ethanol production. By producing food for the world farmers allow people throughout the world to pursue their own specialities. If there is ever any doubt of the importance of agriculture then look at a country that has very little industrialized farming; generally those countries are very poor with a poor quality of life for their people.
Pro's and con's of genetically modified food
If the food you're eating has corn in it then there's a good chance that it's a genetically modified food. Many farmers have switched to using genetically modified seeds that produce higher yields than their non-modified counterparts. There are some people who are afraid of what affects these altered foods can do to people and animals and their concerns may not be entirely unfounded.
Many seed companies put millions of dollars into research every year in order to advance the genetics of their seeds. These companies have a vested interest in seeing these seeds succeed. The assurances of these companies that genetically modified plants have no affect on those that eat them need to be taken with a grain of salt. The largest concern with eating these plants is that there have been no test that really shows the effects of eating them on a daily basis for decades; which is what people are doing.
From a farming aspect the dramatic rise in the use of genetically modified seeds is going to eventually effect the genetic diversity of their natural counterparts. As fewer of the organic seeds are bred and used there will be less and less genetic variation within each strain. Seed companies may even stop the breeding of certain strains altogether when there is not enough demand for them.
So, why are farmers making the switch? The climate has been unstable in recent years and that is a big influencer of the change. Seeds that are bred to be drought resistant sell well after a year with no rain and those that are mold resistant are going to sell better in a year following heavy rains. Pests are also stronger and tougher than they were in years past. Some bugs have even become resistant to pesticides, so a seed that is genetically modified not to be appealing to that particular bug can be popular among farmers.
The use of genetically modified seeds for foods really comes down to one simple idea—yield per an acre. The land available for farming has been on a steady decline for years, but the demand for food has only risen. Farmers are expected to get more food out of every acre that they plant in order to keep up with demand; genetically modified seeds are almost required in order to accomplish this task. Time will only tell if the consumption of genetically modified foods is a good thing or a bad thing, but for the time being it's going to be the normal in the United States.
The benefits of organic food - myth or reality?
Walking through the grocery store is a lot more complicated than it was even two decades ago. Do you buy organic or just grab the cheaper apple sitting next to it? Is there really any difference? If you're a savvy shopper you're sure to have asked yourself this question at least once.
If you believe that the idea of eating organically grown foods is much healthier for you is a myth—you're right. If you believe that it is a fact that eating organic foods is healthier for you—you're right. Stanford University completed a study in September of 2012 proving just that.
Organically grown foods are not going to give you significantly better nutrition than their genetically modified counterparts. The study found that the only real variance in nutritional value was based on the ripeness of the fruits when consumed. Organic foods had less pesticide residue, but their cheaper conventional counterparts had pesticide residues within safe levels. One of the most interesting findings of the study was that organically grown and conventionally grown foods had an extremely similar number of occurrences of dangerous bacteria like E. coli.
Why pay more? Studies can be wrong. For decades the pesticide DDT was used on American crops with the idea that it was safe. The pesticide was banned in 1973 when it was linked to developmental delays in children. The organophosphate family of pesticides may be well on their way to sharing the same fate as DDT. When pregnant women are exposed to these pesticides their children are known to have lower IQ's by the time they enter school. They have also been linked to a higher occurrence of attention deficit disorder in children who have been exposed to them. Organically grown produce has significantly less pesticide residue than conventionally grown produce.
Organic vegetables and meats also were found to have less antibiotic resistant bacteria than conventionally grown foods. Antibiotic resistant infections and viruses are a real concern in today's health industry, so it only makes sense that you are better off not being exposed to bacteria that is already resistant to antibiotics.
Whether or not to eat organically is a personal choice for your family. There is no real proof that it is significantly healthier for your family, so it may not be worth the extra expense for you. If you can afford to eat organically grown foods then you may do well to avoid the pesticide residues and bacterias that are found on conventionally grown food.