Other Natural Resources: Food & Agriculture
Food is marginally important to humans, as is the soil whence it comes. Fortunately, Americans get their food from grocery stores, so we don't have to worry much. (/<sarcasm>) [Also see Water.]
Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food (2008): Excellent, short, compelling analysis of western (esp. U.S.) peoples' abandonment of food for processed foods and the grotesque expansion of the food processing and medical industries. Proposes non-prescriptive rules of thumb (discussed at length but summarized as "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants") for happier, healthier, and probably wealthier (because of reduced medical costs) humans.
Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma (2006): The omnivore’s dilemma: In a world where our species can eat almost anything, what DO we eat? or should we eat? Includes ruminations on vegetarianism, hunting, gathering mushrooms, and a potent, infuriating analysis of “industrial food.” Other Pollan sources:
Open Letter to the Next President (Oct 2008)
40-min NPR interview on same subjects as above (Oct 2008)
Food, Inc.
(2009): Most calories consumed in the U.S. come from pseudo-foods manufactured by a small group of huge, powerful multinational corporations—that (surprise) do not have your best interests in mind. Narrated by Eric Schlosser (Fast-Food Nation) with help from Michael Pollan. Worth watching, even if you've read a lot of works by these two.
Controlling Our Food (2008): French documentary (English narration and, where needed, subtitles) about Monsanto's conquest of the world's food production. Likely to infuriate you, make you afraid to eat, and wish for a Monsanto-destroying gene.
The Next Empire (2010): Article in The Atlantic investigates Chinese lobbying, investments, and other actions in Africa—food grown in Africa to feed China, metals mined in Africa to supply Chinese industry, railroads built in Africa to enable all the extraction and exploitation to proceed....a sort of new colonialism.
Betting the Farm: "Farm Bureau" sounds downright neighborly, but the agribusiness lobby is extraordinarily powerful and persistent—and its chutzpah know no bounds (Mother Jones, Oct 2009).
Food-Miles and Food Choices: Technical paper that calculates climate impact of our food choices (how food is produced, where it comes from, how it is transported to market). Conclusion: diet choice matters more than "buying local."
Brief, non-technical discussions of food & fossil fuels:
How Much Fossil Fuel Did You Eat Today? (2006)
Humans' Beef With Livestock: A Warmer Planet (2007)
Laura Stec, w/Eugene Cordero, Cool Cuisine (2008): Readable discussions of climate change, eating fossil fuels, SLOW food, and healthy diets. Plus a bunch of nice recipes.
How Might We Be Fed? Part One: Analysis of the trends and consequences of primary production (Phil Harris, March 2009, The Oil Drum).
How Might We Be Fed? Part Two: Discussion of possible sustainable (or at least nearly sustainable) approaches to food production. (Phil Harris, March 2009, The Oil Drum)
The Global Food Crisis: June 2009 article in National Geographic about the "End of Plenty."
Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization? May 2009 Scientific American article (Lester Brown) emphasizes environmental factors: water shortages, soil losses, rising temperatures.
David Montgomery, Dirt (2007): Should be titled “Soil.” Main thesis is that civilizations last until their “topsoil” runs out, and that modern rates of soil erosion and degradation are way, way beyond sustainable. Recommended.
Concise summary of soil salinity problems, which are increasing globally; article in Geotimes (March 2008) focuses on Australia, but insights are applicable everywhere.
U.S. Cropland by County Since 1850 and Population Since 1790: Rather low-tech viewer, and data set needs updating, but certainly worth seeing (click on animations or manual advance).
King Corn (2007): Short, entertaining documentary following two buddies—recent Yale grads—who grow an acre of corn on a farm in Iowa. Fairly neutral, but not afraid to ask whether agribusiness, U.S. farm policy, and high-fructose corn syrup are good ideas.
David Pimentel & Marcia Pimentel: Food, Energy, and Society, 3rd ed. (2008): Expensive academic book with abundant tables, charts, and raw data. A good choice if you need handy access to the data, but beware: many chapters haven't been updated since the early or mid-1990s. A bit disappointing for a book this influential and expensive.
Wheat Rust and World Farming: Well-written, cogent discussion of a crop-killing fungus that would not go away and now threatens wheat crops (The Economist, July 2010).
The Thermodynamics of Local Foods: Short, trenchant analysis of energy, nutrients, cycles, waste, and a huge problem for urban humanity (Jason Bradford, TOD Sept 2009).
Peak Phosphorus? Though-provoking analysis of one of nature's fundamental nutrients; like petroleum, it helped spur our population spike (TOD from Energy Bulletin, 2007).
Rising CO2 requires careful N management: Peer-reviewed research article (2009, PDF file).
The Nitrogen Bomb: 2001 Discover article about nitrogen, fertilizer, and unintended consequences such as algal blooms.
Alternative soil management can decrease C emissions: Peer-reviewed research article (2009).
Organic and Conventional Farming Systems: Environmental and Economic Issues (PDF file of 2005 article by David Pimentel et al.).
Peak Oil & Global Food Supplies: TOD post (July 2009) and sprawling, interesting discussion.
Is Sustainable Agriculture an Oxymoron? Brief, provocative 2006 article argues that any form of agriculture is unsustainable. "Eden was a garden, not a farm."
The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race: Agriculture (Jared Diamond, 1987).
The Oil We Eat: Somewhat rambling but instructive and entertaining, this Harper's (2004) article by Richard Manning discusses soil, anthropology, wheat, fossil fuels, and the dreary processed food-like substances of modern times. Also see Against the Grain (below).
Richard Manning, Against the Grain (2002): Idiosyncratic revisionist history of agriculture, which has transformed the surface of the planet and the fabric of our interpersonal relations, in unexpected and unsustainable ways.