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Abstracts of New Papers on Web Site (4-5 pages)



New Papers on the Web:

I have just placed eleven new papers on my web site - all are papers
presented at various conferences over the past year. Some are essentially
updates of previous papers, others are largely new combinations of elements
used in previous papers, and others are pretty much new material - at least
for me. I am a firm believer that nothing is ever completely original. The
only concept of "new" that we know is simply "new arrangements" of the same
old stuff - new wholes, if you will, made up of old parts.

Check them out at my University web site:
<http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/jikerd>
http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/jikerd

or at my new personal homepage:  <http://hometown.aol.com/jeikerd>
http://hometown.aol.com/jeikerd

I am officially retired from the University of Missouri, as of February 1,
but will be able to keep my University web site for at least another five
months.

A brief description of each paper so you can decide which, if any, are worth
your attention. The abstracts are ordered so that each may draw on concepts
covered in previous abstracts, not by date or order found on the web site.

New Hope for the Future of Farming (This one may not be on for a couple of
days)

There is hope for the future of farming. Having hope does not mean believing
that things are going well for farmers or that they are obviously headed for
quick success. But rather it means believing that farmers have the ability
to continue to work for success is spite of growing difficulties. Hope does
not imply optimism concerning the future. Obviously, there is no certainty
that everything is going to turn out well for farmers. Instead, hope stems
from the possibility of rediscovering ways to farm that make sense,
regardless of how it all turns out. Hope arises from the conviction that
something is the right thing to do and from the commitment to do it. A new
post-industrial philosophy or paradigm for farming is arising under the
conceptual umbrella of sustainable agriculture. These new American farmers
are the hope for the future of agriculture. Hope gives them the strength to
continually try new things, even though they are working against seemingly
insurmountable odds. They are the explorers, the pioneers, on the new
frontier of farming in America. They suffer frustrations, hardships, and
even failures - but, such is the nature of being pioneers. Hope is found in
fact that more and more are finding ways to succeed. Quoting Vaclav Havel,
writer, reformer, and president of the Czech Republic: "Life is too precious
to permit its devaluation by living pointlessly, emptily, without meaning,
without love, and finally, without hope." 

Rethinking the Economics of Self-Interests

Adam Smith wrote a book in 1776, The Wealth of Nations, which still provides
the theoretical underpinning of contemporary economic thinking. In the world
of 200+ years ago, Smith observed that as people pursued their individual
self-interests, they were guided, as if by an invisible hand, to serve the
greater societal interests as well. Smith's observations were probably
accurate for the economy of his day. Economist have turned his observations
into economic theories, or dogma, that are assumed to be relevant to all
societies for all times. But, the world has changed over the past 200 years.
In fact, none of the critical assumptions needed for the invisible hand to
function are present in today's economy. There is no logical reason to
believe that pursuit of individual short-run self-interests results in the
greatest long run societal good. In addition contemporary economics, even if
it were relevant to today's world, is fundamentally incapable of addressing
the most important issues confronting modern society - interpersonal
relationships, including issues of equity and justice, and ecological
issues, which are fundamentally about the interconnectedness of things. 

The New American Farm

American Agriculture as we have know it is coming to an end. In fact, there
will be no future in farming unless we have the courage to challenge
conventional wisdom based on the economics of short-run, self-interests.
However, once we realize that economics is nothing more than a belief
system, that it is not based on fundamental truths, we can begin to change
the conceptual foundation for the future of agriculture and for society as a
whole. We have no obligation to accept the market as God. A new
post-industrial model for American Agriculture is arising under the
conceptual umbrella of sustainability that is based on a higher concept of
self interests - a concept that recognizes personal, interpersonal, and
spiritual values as but different levels of self-interests, and thus, as
equally important dimensions of quality of life. The New American Farm is
being developed under many names and takes on many forms, but some
fundamental principles of this new paradigm for farming are beginning to
emerge.

The Small Farm Revolution

It's time for a revolution in American Agriculture. As farms grow ever
larger and fewer, and corporations gain increasing control of the food
system, farmers are being told that they must either given in to get larger
faster, give in to corporate control or get out. However, there are better
alternatives, better ways to farm and to live. Americans need to be told the
truth about what's happening in American Agriculture. The time for quietness
has passed. A new type of American farm is arising under the conceptual
umbrella of sustainable agriculture. The New American Farm is a management
intensive farm and thus creates opportunities for more farms, not less, on
smaller, rather than larger, farms. Industrial farming systems are
management extensive -- specialization, standardization, and centralization
allow fewer people to manage more resources, including more people, and
thus, require fewer farm decision makers per acre or per dollar invested in
farming. The New American Farm is management intensive - it relies on
diversification, individuality, and decentralization of decision making to
reduce production costs and increase value of products. This new paradigm
for farming creates opportunities for smaller farms to compete economically
with larger farms while protecting the natural environment and helping to
build viable rural communities. However, it will require a revolution in
American agriculture to displace corporate farming and to make room for the
New American Farm.

New Farmers for a New Century

The emergence of a new, post-industrial, paradigm for farming has
significant implications for the beginning farmers. Conventional farming
system have become management "extensive" and thus are heavily dependent on
capital and off-farm inputs - they generally require a lot of land,
machinery and equipment, and operating capital just to earn a decent living
for a family. However New Century Farms, based on the concept of
sustainability, rely on intensive management strategies, substituting
resource management, and to some extent labor, for land, capital, and
off-farm inputs. As a consequence, New Century Farms require less land and
capital for beginning farmers. However, these new farms do require more
understanding of nature, including human nature, and more knowledge
concerning the management of complex systems. Since the knowledge needed for
these new farms most often emerges in the form of insight, intuition, and
judgment, it often must be acquired through personal study, apprenticeships,
and actual work experience. This type of knowledge is more readily available
than is capital, for those who are willing to take the time and effort to
acquire it - although reluctance on the part of lenders to provide any
capital for New Farm investments remains an obstacle for beginning farmers. 

Hallmarks of Sustainable Farming Systems

Farming sustainably is no easy task, but more and more farmers in the U.S.
and around the world are finding ways to succeed. There are no blue prints
or recipes for sustainable farming, but some fundamental principles and
characteristics are beginning to emerge. First sustainable farmers pursue a
higher concept of self-interest - they seek harmony among individual,
interpersonal, and intergenerational rewards as they balance the economic,
social, and ecological dimensions of their farming operations. They pursue
this higher self-interest by producing in harmony with nature - they reduce
costs by relying more on the inherent productivity of natural systems,
harvesting solar energy. They focus on increasing the value of the things
they sell by giving customers the things they value most rather than trying
to sell them things they really don't want. They recognize that we are all
different, that we don't all want the same things, and that mass markets
really don't meet our needs and wants. They focus on doing the things that
they do best. They recognize that we are all different as producers, as well
as consumers, and that when we do the things that we are really good at, or
the things we really like to do, that we are more efficient producers and
happier people. In general they focus on uniqueness, the uniqueness of their
resource base, the uniqueness of their customers, and their uniqueness as
producers, to achieve a higher quality of life.

Healing and Creativity: A Whole Vision for Rural America

The fundamental purpose of rural communities in agricultural areas has been
destroyed by the industrialization of agriculture. The sustainable
agriculture model, with its emphasis on creating more opportunities for
successful smaller farms, protecting the natural environment, and enhancing
overall quality of life has the potential to provide a new foundation upon
which viable rural communities may be rebuilt. To realize this potential,
however, people must have the courage to cast off the contemporary pessimism
regarding the inevitability of continued rural decay. We must be willing to
challenge conventional economics which is largely responsible for, or at
least provides the rational for, the continued destruction of rural
communities. We must also realize that society in general is in the midst of
a great transition from the industrial era to something that is
fundamentally different. Sustainable agriculture is but one small part of a
much larger paradigm shift that permeates the whole of modern society. The
future of rural America belongs to those who can find a realistic vision of
shared hope for the future and who have the courage to claim it. 

Environmental Risks Facing Farmers

Farming has always been a risky business, but environmental risks are
relatively new to farmers. Few had even heard the word environment before
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was published in the early 1960s. However
there is a growing body of evidence that conventional agriculture poses a
significant threat to the health and integrity of the natural environment.
The agricultural establishment argues for science-based risk assessment
before any restrictions are placed on farming inputs or practices. But in
fact, "risk" assessment quite simply is not possible in cases involving
natural ecosystems. "Risk" assessment requires that a probability
distribution of possible outcomes is either known or can be accurately
estimated. But, natural ecosystems are simply too complex to determine
whether the probability of damage is one in a million or one in five. We can
estimate how many rats will die when they are fed a given chemical, but this
if fundamentally different from estimating the probability of damage to the
environment from using that same chemical under actual, real-world
conditions. We know that there are threats to the environment from
agriculture - threats to human health, to water and air quality, to soil
productivity, and to overall ecosystem integrity. But, we don't know and
can't even estimate the magnitude of risks we face. All we can do is
"guess." The stakes are immensely high, and the outcomes are inherently
uncertain. Under these conditions we should apply the precautionary
principle - proceeding if and only when there is a consensus that we can
proceed safely.

Organic Agriculture Faces Specialization of Production Systems; the Economic
Stakes

Recent growth in markets for organic products has sparked the interest of
conventional, industrial agriculture in organic farming. Those who laughed
at organic farmers only a few years ago now want to be organic producers.
However, they have not had a change of heart, they are simply after the
profits. The only way the large corporate firms can compete successfully in
organics is through industrialization of organic production and marketing
systems. Increasing sales through natural food chains, which for the most
part have been consolidated under two or three corporate ownership
structures, provides clear signs of industrialization. The recent debate
about what practices would be allowed in national organic standards provides
a clear example of corporate interests in the future of organics. Industrial
firms need uniform standards, national and international, to neutralize the
advantage of small, local producers in supplying local markets. Once such
standards are established, those who can meet the minimum standards at the
lowest cost will win the competition - and you can count on standards
eventually accommodating large-scale production methods. Systems which
facilitate mass distribution and mass marketing inherently favor large-scale
mass production. Those who are interested in developing a sustainable,
organic food system, need to recognize that an industrial organic system is
no more sustainable than is the conventional agricultural system. 

Foundational Principles; Soils, Stewardship, and Sustainability

All of life arises from the soil. This principle needs to be a part of every
environmental education program in every school and youth program in the
world. Pure air and pure water alone cannot support life. Thus, the
sustainability of life on earth depends on sustaining a productive soil. In
addition soil, at least the mineral fraction of soil, is a nonrenewable
resource - we must conserve and protect what we have because it will require
billions of years to make more. So, stewardship of the soil must be one of
the foundation blocks for sustainability. True stewardship means that we are
willing to take care of something for the benefit of someone else. Soil
conservation has economic rewards, but those rewards are not sufficient to
ensure the long run sustainability of agricultural productivity. True
stewardship is rooted in spirituality - in a felt need to find harmony with
some higher order of things, to fulfill one's purpose on earth.
Sustainability requires a fundamentally different approach to soils
management - a holistic approach, which focuses on building and maintaining
soil health rather than treating deficiencies. In addition, we must be
willing to address the spiritual, along with the economic and social, in
managing soils sustainably.

Real Economics of Factory Livestock

In an earlier paper I addressed my top ten reasons why rural communities
should be concerned about large-scale, confinement animal feeding operations
(CAFOs). This paper addresses some of the same basic issues, but in a more
proactive format. The economic arguments in favor of CAFOs are addressed one
by one, by pointing out the short comings and outright fallacies of each
economic argument. In general, the arguments in favor of CAFOs are all based
on "short-run" economic self-interests - the belief that those with the
money to make things happen should be allowed to do whatever they choose to
do where ever they choose to do it. The arguments against CAFOs are
generally environmental or social in nature, or take a long run sustainable
economic perspective. Rural people who want to maintain a desirable quality
of life in their communities must be willing to confront conventional
economic "dogma" and stand firm in their rights to protect their community
against ecological and social exploitation by outside corporate investors.

 
John E. Ikerd
5121 S. Brock Rodgers Rd
Columbia, MO  65201  USA
Phone: (573) 874-0408
Fax: [520] 569-7659
E-mail: JEIkerd@aol.com <mailto:JEIkerd@aol.com> 
Web: http://hometown.aol.com/jeikerd <http://hometown.aol.com/jeikerd> 
 

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