Introduction

The agribusiness corporation producing corn and soya beans using enormous machines in North America, the woman with her hoe and her plot of cassava in Mozambique, the Chinese collective farm worker in the rice fields, and the German family with their part-time dairy farm and their day jobs in Munich are all engaged in agriculture. The Introduction explains that this VSI sets out to identify the common features of their activities and the universally applicable principles that determine what they do, to explain why the differences between them exist, and to explore some of the controversies that arise from their activities. It recognizes the diversity of developed and developing agriculture around the world.

1. Soils and crops

‘Soils and crops’ looks at what soils are, how they differ, how they are classified, and how farmers manage them. Soil anchors and feeds the crops and the type and depth of it is fundamental to the crops that can be grown. Plants get their major constituent elements—carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen—from the air they take in through their leaves and the water taken up by their roots. They also require several other nutrients, the most important being nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. How do plants grow? What prevents them from growing? How can we improve their growth? These questions are considered along with some of the major crops and cultivation systems used.

4. Inputs into agriculture

To feed the present human population, farmers use the land and add to it their labour, their animals, buildings, tools and machinery, a variety of products bought in from other industries—from fertilisers and pesticides to computers and mobile phones—and professional services from vets, advisers, and scientists. ‘Inputs into agriculture’ considers these inputs in turn. Different kinds of farms demand different kinds of inputs. Farmers will also use tradition, experience, and knowledge to help them cultivate the land and care for their animals. Combining information on different farming outputs and inputs shows how a wide range of farming systems can be produced.

3. Agricultural products and trade

‘Agricultural products and trade’ considers what the agricultural industry as a whole produces, and the working of the local and international markets into which its output is sold, including the effects of demand and supply. The two biggest categories of farm product are food and livestock feed for farm and companion animals, but other important products include plant and animal fibres, fuels, and pharmaceuticals. Farmers are also responsible for providing a range of ‘ecosystem services’. Some food products can be grown and processed on site, but the bulk of the world’s agricultural output needs further processing with entire industries having developed to process cereals, milk, and meat.

6. Farming futures

National governments as well as international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization all have an interest in agriculture. So too do numerous non-governmental organizations, pressure groups, and charities. ‘Farming futures’ first considers some of the arguments around agricultural policy. It then goes on to look at some of the most important questions that agricultural policymakers currently have to think about: what will be the impact of climate change? What is the impact of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and are they safe to use? Will we be able to meet the demand for food by the world’s growing population?

5. Modern and traditional farming

There is a frequent identification of farming with tradition, even if what is seen as traditional might change over time. Farming is seen as a way of life, in which doing right by the land, producing healthy crops and livestock, employing local people, and having a thriving farm to hand on to the next generation are more important than expansion, profit maximization, and integration with the food chain. In contrast to big, modern, mechanized, globalized agribusinesses, it is sustainable, produces wildlife habitats and beautiful landscapes, and cares about animal welfare. How accurate is this view? ‘Modern and traditional farming’ considers the issues of sustainability, animal welfare, and wildlife and landscape.

2. Farm animals

It is perfectly possible to live on a vegan diet with no animal products, so why do we bother to keep animals at all? Is it simply that animals produce a convenient collection of nutrients that are not always easily available to vegans? In part at least, it must be a question of tradition. ‘Farm animals’ considers what farmers need to know in order to make their animals grow quickly, and put on the right combination of muscle and fat that butchers prefer, or produce lots of milk or eggs or wool. They require knowledge of: feeding, breeding, housing, health and disease control, and the type of production system to be used.