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Final research proposal on industrial farming versus organic agriculture...

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Research Proposal for Master of Science Environmental Policy and Management

Rachel Tammone University of Denver University College June 5, 2020 Faculty: Charles P. Holmes, Ph.D. Director: Dean:

Tammone-ii Abstract Technological advances in farming practices over the past several years have made it possible for the growing human population to be fed. Crop production in the United States is twice what it was in 1970 (Anderson et al. 2018, 1074). Progress in the agriculture business has shifted farming to a more industrial operation. Industrial farms make up only 8% of farm operations in the United States but produce 80% of food sales (Anderson et al.2018, 1074). The use of chemical fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and concentrated animal feeding operations has greatly increased yields (Anderson et al. 2018, 1087). However, these new industrialized farming methods have had greater negative impacts on the environment than traditional farming methods. Previously conducted studies support that industrial farming methods have harmed the environment by releasing more greenhouse gas emissions and contaminating soil and water supplies. Surveys will be passed out to people directly linked to farms, and to consumers, to see if people are aware of the damage industrial farms can do. The scientific data collected from previous studies and the surveys support that the current way we farm is harming the environment. Farming methods need to be changed to safeguard the planet.

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Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..ii Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iv-v Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….vi-ix Industrialized Farming………………………………………………………………………………………………vi-vii Alternative Farming Methods…………………………………………………………………………………...viii-x Methods…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………xi-xii Results…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……..……..xiii References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………xiv

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Introduction Farming operations started out on a very small scale. Traditionally, famers only grew what they needed to support themselves and their families. Even if farmers tried to increase their yields, yields stayed low due to diseases and pests, and a lack of knowledge of how to destroy or prevent them (Fussell 1958, 537). The need for larger yields started when the human population started growing exponentially. The 19th century saw a growth in population, a rise in the standard of living, and an increased demand for fruits and vegetables (Fussell 1958, 537). By the mid 1900s, a little more than half of all Americans either lived in rural communities or were farmers. During this time, animals raised on farms were able to roam around outdoors and most of the labor was done by humans. That all changed when the 20th century brought about a technological change in agriculture (Mózner et al. 2011, 58). Technological changes in the 20th century gave us the modern farming we know and use today. Farmers can produce higher yields than before, but it comes at a cost. Public and environmental health start to be at risk with industrial farming practices. Industrial farmers use new technologies, like herbicides and fertilizers, to produce larger yields (Mózner et al. 2011, 58). These chemicals can have negative impacts on the environment and people. Industrial farms often breed their animals in confined feeding operations and may even inject them with antibiotics and growth hormones (Thorne 2009, 1). Modern farmers also typically specialize, meaning they only focus on growing one or two crops. Practicing monoculture, growing only one crop, can cause soil to lose nutrients and eventually lead not only to soil degradation, but to soil erosion as well (Ingram 2007, 299).

Tammone-v Advances in farming not only focused on the plants and animals themselves, but on the technology used to plant and harvest crops. Machines were able to replace human workers for routine repetitive tasks like feeding animals, sowing seeds, harvesting crops, and slaughtering animals. From 1900 to 2000, the percentage of workers in the United States workforce involved in agriculture dropped to only 2%; prior to industrialization nearly 41% of the workforce was made up of agricultural workers (USDA 2020). Industrial farms are large scale, intensive operations that require a great deal of resources. On average, 150 gallons of water is needed per day per cow on a typical industrial dairy farm (Thorne 2009, 3). Industrial farm operations also produce a large amount of animal byproduct and waste. The waste produced adds to the operations impact on the environment. Nitrogen runoff from manure lagoons can contaminate water and make people sick (Thorne 2009, 2). Manure lagoons have caused a 14.4% increase in methane emissions (Thorne 2009, 3). Methane is a harmful greenhouse gas that is traps heat in the atmosphere an contributes to climate change. Farming practiced adapted to industrial methods as a way to feed the growing human population. New technology allowed for bigger, faster growing, more durable crops. It also allowed farms to produce larger yields season after season. Eventually, the cons of industrial farming started to potentially outweigh the pros. Due to climate change, the future and health of the Earth is at risk. Industrial farming adds to the poor health of the environment by polluting water, destroying soil, and releasing harmful greenhouse gases. In order to safeguard the planet, farming practices need to once again adapt to a more eco-friendly sustainable method. Literature Review Industrial Farms

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Industrialized farming practices have been around since the 1900s. By the 1920s, arguments started to be made that the use of agricultural chemicals destroyed soil and that destroying soil is the same as destroying the basis of agriculture (Ingram 2007, 299). Despite these initial worries, it has not been until recently that people have become concerned about the negative impacts of industrial farming. In order to achieve higher yields, these intensive farming operations apply herbicides, fertilizers, and insecticides and often use mechanized harvesting and cultivation (Mózner et al. 2011, 58). Reay (2002, 15) writes that the United States applies 115 kg ha-1 of nitrogen fertilizer each year. Farmers using modern techniques also maximize yields in the way that they raise livestock. Industrial farms often use CAFOs, concentrated animal feeding operations. These operations are large industrial feedlots where cows, chickens, and pigs are raised for slaughter (Thorne 2009, 1). Concentrated animal feeding operations are a major concern for environmental health because of their greenhouse gas emissions and the likelihood that they may contribute to adverse community impacts, antibiotic resistance, and zoonotic disease outbreaks (Thorne 2009, 1). CAFOs typically are home to 1,000 cattle, 2,500 swine, or 100,000 chickens. Chickens, cattle, and pigs are often pumped full of antibiotics due to the unsanitary conditions of the concentrated animal feeding operations (Thorne 2009, 3). Once scientists realized animals could gain weight faster and with less feed, antibiotics started being used more consistently just to fatten up the livestock. Antibiotics allow higher yields and larger animals, but with higher yields comes even more waste. There is only so much land available to contain this animal byproduct (Ramankutty and Rhemtulla 2012, 455).

Tammone-vii Currently 1/3rd of all ice-free land on the planet it used for agriculture (Ramankutty and Rhemtulla 2012, 455). This land is used for both growing crops and raising livestock. Some livestock are raised in confined animal feeding operations, producing 500 million tons of manure annually (Throne 2009, 1). Unfortunately, this manure is not always disposed of responsibly. It is often held in pits below the floors where the animals are housed, or it is pumped away to areas known as lagoons. These manure lagoons greatly contribute to the 7 million tons of nitrogen released into the atmosphere each year (Reay 2002, 15). The lagoons have also contributed to the 14.4% increase in methane emissions in recent years. Industrial farming operations not only harm the environment by releasing greenhouse gas emissions into the air, but they also negatively impact the soil and land. Reay (2002, 15) argues that intensive farming is going to not only increase methane emissions but may reduce the soil’s natural methane sink. If soil loses its natural methane sink, it will be harder for it to retain nutrients. Without nutrients, the soil will be unable to be used to grow crops and it will erode away. Ramankutty and Rhemtulla (2012, 455) argue that farmers and scientists need to maximize yields while preventing effects like soil erosion. They believe that intensifying farming on existing lands is the key to being able to feed the growing population and preserve biodiversity because it allows us to leave nonagricultural land in its natural state (Ramankutty and Rhemtulla 2012, 455).

Tammone-viii Alternative Farming Methods Intensifying farming to maximize yields on existing farmland may be harder to do than it sounds. During the 20th century the United States saw farm productivity grow due to new technologies like chemical fertilizers and more efficient machinery. Models of recent years productivity show evidence of a slowdown in United States agricultural growth (Anderson et al. 2018, 1072). From 1910 to 2009, the United States was able to increase yields by 1.17% per year. From 1936 to 1990, crop yields increased by 1.81% per year (Anderson et al. 2018, 1072). This slowdown in recent years is likely due to a lack of new technology and farming methods. It seems like the United States may have hit their maximum obtainable yields. With the human population continuing to grow, new methods will have to be developed and integrated into the old methods, or not enough food will be produced to support the ever-growing population. With evidence of productivity slowing down, farmers and scientists need to come up with new ways to maximize yields. However, as farming becomes more and more industrialized, it becomes harder to quantify its impact on the environment. The common way to calculate the environmental impacts of agriculture is by looking at ecological footprint indicators. However, the real tole on the environment generated by agriculture is not reflected properly by ecological footprint indicators because ecological footprint indicators do not factor in chemical fertilizer use (Mózner et al. 2011, 58). By modifying the yield factor and ecological footprint indicators to include chemical fertilizers, Mózner was able to calculate a more accurate impact of industrial farming in the Netherlands and Hungary. The modified calculations show that chemical fertilizer use by intensive farming operations contribute to a higher overall environmental burden.

Tammone-ix A high burden on the environment can be avoided, while maintaining high yields, if farmers shift to or integrate more sustainable approaches. Having scientists pursue research on agricultural techniques can result in a diverse number of agricultural technologies and societynature relationships (Ingram 2007, 298). Quzhan County, China has had success using the Science and Technology Backyard (STB) platform. The Science and Technology Backyard platform “involves agricultural scientists living in villages among farmers, advancing participatory innovation and technology transfer, and garnering public and private support” (Zhang et al. 2016, 671). The scientists teach the farmers new, more sustainable and environmentally friendly, farming methods. The farmers are more likely to listen to and trust the scientists because the scientists are living in the village and helping out in the fields. In 5 years, farmers in Quzhan were able to increase their yield rate from 62.8% capacity to 79.6% (Zhang et al. 2016, 673). STB platforms can be applied to farming operations, both large and small, throughout the world. Scientists could customize the platform for specific farming areas. Integrating this method into existing industrial farming operations could keep yields high and make environmental impacts low. An important environmental impact to keep an eye on is soil degradation and erosion. Three possible ways to keep yields high, that could be integrated into the industrial farming method, include “organic, ecoagriculture, and biodynamic farming” (Ingram 2007). All three practices keep soil healthy. Organic and biodynamic farming are similar because both are ecologically oriented and do not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Biodynamics farmers add eight specific preparations to their crops, soils, and composts which helps mitigate some detrimental effects of chemical dependent agriculture (Reganold et al. 1993, 65).

Tammone-x If these sustainable approaches were combined with the methods used in industrial agriculture, the high yields of industrial farming could be obtained while keeping soil degradation from taking place. As scientists continue to come up with new methods and technologies, the way industrial farming is done can be altered to be better for the environment.

Tammone-xi Methods The study will focus on the environmental impacts of industrialized farming practices, both crop and animal, on the environment. To collect data, I will be looking at previous studies that look into environmental impacts of farming. These previous studies provide data on greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, and human health impacts. I will also be passing out two different surveys to see what people think of industrialized farming practices. The additional data from the surveys will provide insight into what damage is seen first-hand by farm workers. The surveys will also give insight if consumers have any preconceived notions about industrial farming operations.

Open ended survey question: What industrial farming practice do you see having the biggest impact on the environment and why?

Close ended survey question: What preconceived notion do you have about industrial farms that (crop & animal)? A) Produce larger yields B) GMOs C) Use of pesticides/herbicides D) Inhumane Open ended surveys will be given to industrial farm owners, industrial farm workers, and food scientists who help create the technology used on the farms. I will get consent from various farm owners to pass out the surveys at the farms. I will also contact technology

Tammone-xii companies for their consent. I will make sure participant responses are kept anonymous, so that they will give their honest opinions. Opened ended surveys will be given to 500 people. Participants will be able to mail back the surveys when they are done with them, so they can take their time filling out the survey. Prepaid envelopes with the return address with be provided with the survey. The consent form and confidentiality agreement provided with the survey will let participants know they have two weeks to mail back their surveys. Close ended survey questions will be given to the general public. 500 surveys will be passed out to people as they come and go from grocery stores. I will try to pass out half of the surveys at health food stores, like Whole Foods, and the other half at a common grocery store chain, like Publix or Walmart. It will be interesting to see if consumers who shop at more healthconscious stores have negative preconceived notions about industrial farms. Prepaid envelopes with the return address with be provided so participants can mail back the surveys. The consent form and confidentiality agreement provided with the survey will let participants know they have two weeks to mail back their surveys. Statistical analysis will be done on the survey answers. I will see if there is a correlation between farming and negative impacts on the environment. I also want to see if people share any preconceived notions about farming impacting the environment.

Tammone-xiii Results The scientific studies used in this research project support the hypothesis that industrial farming has negative impacts on the environment. The studies exemplify that spraying chemical fertilizers and pesticides can have negative effects. Chemicals leech into the soil and water, potentially making people sick. Confined animal feeding operations not only produce unsanitary conditions for the animals, but the resulting manure lagoons release an extremely large amount of greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere. Monoculture practices at industrial farms degrade the soil and can cause it to completely erode away. I believe that the survey data will support that industrial farming has negative environmental impacts. Farm workers and owners should be able to provide firsthand examples of environmental damage. I think the consumer survey will show that some people believe farming has consequences, but most surveys will exemplify that the majority of people are not educated on the issue. The results will be shared with farming communities and companies, so they can pursue sustainable farming methods. The results will be both emailed and sent in the mail to all major farming operations and corporations in the United States. The results can also be shared with the EPA and FDA. This will allow scientists and farmers to mix the sustainable methods talked about in this proposal with industrial methods. Newer, eco-friendlier, technologies and chemicals will hopefully be produced for future use. I believe that there will be some push back from chemical and seed companies who do not want to see their profits decrease from implementing sustainable methods.

Tammone-xiv References Andersen, Matthew A, Julian M Alston, Philip G Pardey, and Aaron Smith. 2018. "A Century of U.S. Farm Productivity Growth: A Surge Then a Slowdown." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 100, no. 4: 1072-090.

David S. Reay. 2002. "Intensive Farming, US-style, Is Not Sustainable Worldwide." Nature 417, no. 6884: 15-15. “Farm Labor.” USDA ERS - Farm Labor. United States Department of Agriculture. April 22, 2020. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/. G. E. Fussell. 1958. "Farming History." Nature 181, no. 4608: 536-537. Goldstein, Benjamin P, Michael Z Hauschild, John E Fernández, and Morten Birkved. 2017. "Contributions of Local Farming to Urban Sustainability in the Northeast United States." Environmental Science & Technology 51, no. 13: 7340-349. Ingram, Mrill. 2007. "Biology and Beyond: The Science of "Back to Nature" Farming in the United States." Annals of the Association of American Geographers 97, no. 2: 298-312. Mózner, Zsófia, Andrea Tabi, and Mária Csutora. 2012. "Modifying the Yield Factor Based on More Efficient Use of Fertilizer—The Environmental Impacts of Intensive and Extensive Agricultural Practices." Ecological Indicators 16, no. C: 58-66. Ramankutty, Navin, and Jeanine Rhemtulla. 2012. "Can Intensive Farming save Nature?" Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10, no. 9: 455. Reganold, J. P., Palmer, A. S., Lockhart, J. C., Macgregor, A. N. 1993. “Soil quality and financial performance of biodynamic and conventional farms in New Zealand.” Science 260:344– 349 Zhang, Weifeng, Cao, Guoxin, Li, Xiaolin, Zhang, Hongyan, Wang, Chong, Liu, Quanqing, Chen, Xinping, Cui, Zhenling, Shen, Jianbo, Jiang, Rongfeng, Mi, Guohua, Miao, Yuxin, Zhang, Fusuo, and Dou, Zhengxia. 2016. "Closing Yield Gaps in China by Empowering Smallholder Farmers." Nature 537, no. 7622: 671-674....