Agro and Food Union

As is nearing the end of 20 century, Americans comprehend the successes and shortcomings of their agriculture. Much can be proud of, but much also causes painful questions.

The successes are obvious – and many farmers averse to boast about them. Placards along the highway in some parts of the Midwest reminds travelers: “A farmer feeds 75 people. Thanks to the generosity of nature and the skillful use of machinery, fertilizers and chemicals, the American farmer is practically unparalleled in the production of abundant and cheap products. America alone accounts for half of world production of soybeans and corn and from 10 to 25 percent of cotton, wheat, tobacco and vegetable oils.

By all measures, agriculture, the United States is a big business. There was even a special term – “agribusiness” – reflecting the enormous weight of agricultural production in the U.S. economy. This term means the whole agro-industrial complex from individual farmers to multinational corporations producing chemicals. Agribusiness includes farmers’ cooperatives, rural banks, transporters of agricultural products, dealers in consumer goods, manufacturers of agricultural equipment, food processing, network of grocery stores and many other enterprises.

Low cost of production of the American farmer wins and domestic and foreign customers. Americans food costs much less than in many other developed countries. Moreover, one third of the acreage of the United States lay down specifically for export – in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America. In 1981, the level of agricultural exports reached 43.3 million dollars. Imports of agricultural products is much lower, which creates in the field of trade related advantage.

The standard of living of American farmers in general is very high. Income of farm families on average three-quarters of income urban families, but because the living expenses of farmers lower their standard of living close to the national average. Once upon a life on the farm meant isolation from the modern conveniences, but now it is not.

One of the strengths of American agriculture has always been a farmer receptivity to new technology. Computers – only the latest link in a long chain of innovations that gave the farmer help in increasing productivity and lowering production costs. However, farmers as traditionalists, however innovative. They are peculiar to the deep conservatism and respect for tradition, so that rural communities remain stable in times of rapid change.

However, the American agriculture but there is light and dark sides. American farmers must endure periods of recession, alternating with periods of prosperity, and some agricultural practices have created environmental concerns and other issues.

Surplus agricultural products and low prices made it difficult for many farmers to extract revenue. Cost is they purchase goods – machinery, fertilizers, pesticides – is growing faster than revenues from production. Add them to the concerns and high rates of bank interest on loans.

At the turn of the 80-ies a period of economic difficulty. Declining agricultural exports – partly due to the high cost of the dollar (thereby inflated the cost of American goods to foreign buyers). Declining home prices, grain, and growing interest on the loans. Many farmers turned out to be not equal pay for mortgages and loans made earlier, when prices (and profits) were higher. As in the 30-ies, a significant number of farms and equipment went under the hammer to pay the debts of their former owners. In dozens of farming communities, the crisis led to the closure of banks, farm cooperatives, small businesses. To help farmers have a number of government and private programs, but many wonder: Do not come to an end the good times.

Some observers expressed the opinion that the small family farm is no longer viable in the United States. Farms are increasingly larger, but the number of people working for them is decreasing. The outflow of population from rural areas contributed to the growth of unemployment and social problems in cities. Today, farmers only the number of 2,4 million people (of a total population of 230 million U.S.).

In fact, one third of them, and even more, farmers are only partially, because combining farming with other, not in agricultural occupations, seeking to extract additional revenues. Meanwhile, more and more farms passed into the hands of corporations – from small, controlled by a single family, to giant conglomerates. About one-fifth of all revenues generated from farms accounted for by corporations.

Advocates of family farm condemn the tendency to consolidation of farms, to the absorption of their corporations. In their view, corporations are thinking only of “final profits” (ie net income) and more likely than the family farm, resort to methods, dangerous to the environment. Same owners of family farms, they believe, more typical of a sense of respect for the land and the responsibility for its preservation, rather than corporations. But with corporations have their defenders, indicating that corporations tend to have large capital than family farms, and therefore able to carry out measures to protect the environment, yielding benefits in the distant future.

And family farms, and corporations have been criticized for damage to the environment. From 40-ies in American agriculture multiplied use of artificial fertilizers and chemicals to control weeds, pests and plant diseases. Being an indispensable tool in increasing crop yields, these funds have generated quite a few problems. Precipitation, spreading and seeping through the upper layers of soil were put fertilizer into groundwater, rivers and lakes, degrade water quality and promoting the growth of undesirable aquatic plants. Toxic chemicals, including carcinogens, and could lead to other diseases, sometimes infiltrated into the air, water and food resources of the country. They have caused direct damage to the health of farmers and their workers, although manufacturers of chemicals and claim that their products are safe if used strictly according to instructions. Over the years, many kinds of pests have developed immunity to the relatively mild chemicals, so farmers have to resort to more powerful and expensive chemicals.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Thinking about the future, the American farmer can be fully confident in only one – in front of him waiting for another big change. Breath-taking research and development programs conducted in the present government, academic and private laboratories, promising development trends emerging in recent years.

We consider many of the innovations. For example – “mold method” in which the seeds of new crops are planted directly into the stubble of the harvested crop, not turning the soil layers plow. Mold method is largely based on the use of chemical means of controlling weeds, and therefore, satisfactory. Nevertheless, it can reduce soil erosion and reduce labor and fuel, which makes him happy, many farmers resort.

Some other innovations are born of biotechnology, that is the practical applications of biological science. Several companies are actively leading in the use of genetic engineering techniques to breed new types of plants and animals with desired characteristics. Will we see in the future, new, more resistant and productive varieties of plants that require less fertilizer and have increased resistance to diseases and pests? Biotechnology hopes for it. Among other things, they predict, the fruits of their labor will enable farmers to reduce dependence on toxic chemicals, thereby maintaining a more healthy environment for all.

More difficult, perhaps, to predict the possible social and demographic changes. Whether the family farm is doomed, as some fear? Or a new migration of city dwellers into the countryside and bring with it a new impetus for the viability of the agricultural sector? A probable clue should be considered that in fact the number of small farms has increased over recent years, whereas the long downward trend in the rural population has gone not only in decline, but in the opposite direction. (The number of small and large farms, while decreasing the number of averages.)

Perceiving innovation and evolving over time, agriculture, however, remains the foundation of the welfare and prosperity of America. This bond that holds the past, present and future, is fundamental to the American way of life.