Agriculture & Food Committee Proposal
Building on the concept and success of the Beyond Coal Campaign, this is a draft proposal for a new national Sierra Club campaign called Beyond Industrial Agriculture. That’s at least the working title until someone comes up with a catchier name.
Recent years have seen much attention to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rising to dangerous levels. The present global average has risen above 400 ppm. There’s been talk of complex technical “solutions” for reducing CO2 emissions, such as carbon capture & sequestration(CCS) or drawing out what’s already in the atmosphere through cloud seeding. There may be others, all with a high risk (certainty?) of unintended consequences. So far, nothing proposed is either technically or financially feasible, nor is there any bright spot on the horizon.
Except one.
On the monumental scale that’s necessary to make a genuine dent in reducing atmospheric CO2, there’s a single routethat’s presently discernable with the potential to accomplish this involving zero unintended consequences: a return to organic (small “o”) farming. When soil is dechemicalized and allowed to return to its natural state, with all the fungi and microbes and bugs that function interconnectedly to contribute to its normalcy andhealth, vibrant soil in turn grows healthy plants and — crucially — becomes a carbon sink.
Imagine millions of acres of farmland in such a state spread across the globe. This eventuality would mean healthier water, healthier air, healthier food, and healthier humans and animals than what industrial agriculture now inflicts.
ABeyond Industrial Agriculturecampaign is infinitely adaptable since it covers everything from local human and soil health to the health of the planet. SC members in this campaign may pursue what they’re already involved in or whatever interests them in related areas — there’s so much that legitimately falls under this general heading.
There are probably many ways to slice how this could be organized. Here’s a very preliminary laundry list of areas that could be covered.
•Permaculture approaches in different climates
•Soil: various ways to rebuildorganically and the many benefits
•No-till farming
•Combating GMOs
•Water: conservation; anti-drought measures; irrigation
•“New” crops to emphasize, eg, industrial hemp
•Pest control
•The looming fertilizer crisis
•Establishing local/regional marketing, since there will probably be an intensification of localization in the not-too-distant future — out of necessity
•Education: how local efforts relate to global health and survival of human civilization — forums; film nights; connections with high schools and academic institutions; etc etc
•Terra preta
This list is merely a start. Other committee members will undoubtedly have much to add. When we have a more comprehensive list, we’ll be in a position to see how to organize this concept into a coherent and effective campaign.