Industrial Agriculture and the Problems in our Global Food System

Our current global food system and the majority of American farmland is dominated by industrial agriculture, a system that focuses on “chemically intensive food production,” and relies heavily on enormous single-crop farms subsidized by the government and frighteningly inhumane animal slaughtering practices. The practice of industrialized farming is owned by a select few companies that control not only the farming, but the entire chain of production from seeds to supermarkets.

Between 65 and 70% of the world proprietary seed market is owned by 8 companies globally (4 are US-based).
75% of the worldwide market of pesticide producers are made up of 6 companies
About 65% of the 140 million metric tons of fertilizer purchased worldwide was from 8 companies

You’ll notice in this graphic that of these few companies in each section, there is even less variety (Dupont, Monsanto, Dow, and Syngenta all appear in multiple sections).

Many recognizable companies like Kraft and Coca-Cola own scores of other, strategically names companied that we see everyday at the super market, fostering this illusion of choice in buying practices. A select number of large corporations own most of the easily recognizable brands, a monopoly that allows for little change or movement within the current system. As well as the illusion of choice within brands, there is also the illusion of choice within what we’re actually eating. Almost every processed product contains soy or corn products: according to the USDA, 85% of all corn and 91% of all soy grown in the U.S. is from genetically engineered seed under the control of Monsanto.

Exploitation of farm workers is another large issue surrounding industrialized agriculture. The concentration of market power in the food sector (i.e. the farm’s share of the dollar you spend at the checkout counter) has changed drastically since the beginning of industrial agriculture. In 1998, only 12 cents of every dollar spent on pork in the grocery store went to a hog producer (75% below their share in 1970). Farm workers are also constantly being exposed to pesticides and harmful chemicals that have lead to a surge in cancer and Parkinson’s rates in farm workers.

Industrial agriculture also has drastic repercussions from an environmental perspective. The constant spraying of pesticides cause it to seep into the ground water and be carried into other farms and ecosystems by the wind. According to the EPA, industrialized agriculture uses seventy percent of the world’s water. Industrial agriculture also encourages the creation of the monoculture, the notion that on an entire farm, only one crop and one strain of that crop will be grown. This poses massive problems for biodiversity, and increases our susceptibility to biological terrorism.

Almost the entire world is embroiled in this unsustainable, unjust, and inequitable system Many of the people in the global south are the ones actually producing, packaging, farming, and suffering for the food we (a small, privileged minority) enjoy every day. Breaking away from our current food system would mean moving away from the capitalist, greed-driven culture that governs almost every aspect of our lives. Whether or not we will ever be able to change the way we, as consumers, distance ourselves from those who suffer at our hands is unclear. What is clear however, is that something needs to be done, as this system only serves to benefit the few large corporations in control of it.

4 Responses to "Industrial Agriculture and the Problems in our Global Food System"

Aleah Fedorciw says:

April 11, 2016 at 3:06 pm

After reading Naomi’s post I was interested in looking further into the idea that we are merely presented with the illusion of choice. When exploring this “illusion”, I found this image: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/static/media/files/Behind-the-brands-illusion-of-choice-graphic-2048×1351.jpg . I was shocked to see how many companies that I had believed to be autonomous were actually owned by larger companies.

While I do not think I will be able to remember these groupings all of the time, especially when at the grocery store, it is still surprising to realize how intertwined all of these companies are.
antone says:

April 13, 2016 at 12:00 am

Without more efficient crops, I don’t see any other way for the tropics to prosper agriculturally. Tropical crops produce much lower yields than those in more temperate regions. The more productive crops have allowed for surpluses for centuries which grew into imbalances that have created inequality. Most modern crops are adapted to temperate climates, meaning that countries in the tropic struggle to feed themselves while the north and south overproduce.
I believe that a possible solution could be a concerted effort by countries in the tropics along with NGO’s and the UN, to work to design more efficient crops. These more efficient crops could help end hunger by making farmers in the tropics more productive. As sustenance farmers run surpluses, they could become teachers or entrepreneurs.
Ivana Marshall says:

April 14, 2016 at 2:15 am

Hi!

I always love your posts, also the chart was really helpful. I too think that there is a HUGE problem with industrial farming. Small, often generational, farmers are seeing their lives and livelihoods destroyed. The monopolies that big industries have drive market prices up, thus affecting people’s ability to attain healthy food and portions. Why is a happy meal less expensive than a salad?

From a capitalist perspective, the idea of industrialized farming seems well and good because there are more goods to supply high demands. But from a humanitarian point of view, I cannot help but wonder about the high chemical rates that are put in the ground and end up in food. I cannot help but think about all of the recalls that have happened lately, especially with Blue Bell Ice Cream, because companies are simply not being clean and/or paying attention.

As a southerner, I feel like farmers farm because they love it. It’s what they grew up around, it’s what they pass down to their children. If they are selling produce, they want it to be as wholesome as possible. Big businesses do not have that worry.

I was also thinking about the exploitation of farm workers. Though I do not have data to support this, I would imagine that high levels of immigrants end up working on farms across the U.S. for little to no wages. Farming for free sounds a lot like slavery, which is definitely a human rights offense.

You’re right, it is an unsustainable, unjust, and inequitable system.
Sarah Iversen says:

April 29, 2016 at 8:43 pm

Hey Naomi, Great post! It made me start to think about something that I learned in my globalization class last semester. The human rights issues involved in this topic are undeniable and the selling of private land to large corporations is an unfortunate modern occurrence. The environmental impact of this type of unsustainable farming also has far reaching consequences. That includes erosion and water pollution. As the world continues to modernize and third world countries continue to produce commodities its hard to see a solution. There is an interesting theory that is posited by political scientist and economist Bhagwati that argues as first world consumers grow aware of the conditions of the people making their food and the environmental degradations, they will start to demand better produced products from companies. Thus creating a demand on corporations to produce healthier products to avoid backlash from consumers. Of course, I think this argument is flawed because it rests entirely on consumers’ concerns about the plight of workers and that they are even aware of violations. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see how people can find two sides to anything.

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