>1) In the United States, most farmers have a large amount of debt
>against the land and the equipment. And they borrow money to pay for
>the inputs for the farm operation. One might suggest that some are
>essentially indentured to the bankers. Growing food becomes a non
>issue when the note comes due at the end of the year and more money is
>needed for the following year regardless whether or not one had a
>garden and a pig or cow for food or hunted deer for supplemental meat.
Many Philippine farmers are unfortunately already caught in the same
trap as American farmers. However, we still do have enough subsistence
farmers (who grow their own food and sell the surplus for cash) to
know that subsistence farming works, especially if you stay away from
the chemical, high-input ag trap. I know farmers who can grow in
around 1 hectare (2+ acres?) all the food their family needs. Very
roughly a fifth to a fourth of the land for vegetables and the rest
for rice. With chicken and pigs in the backyard and perhaps some fruit
trees, they have more than enough food for themselves, and much
healthier than what urban dwellers eat. Subsistence farming is a good
starting point for sustainable living.
Farmers are drawn away from this setup when this subsistence base in
undermined by cash crops, chemical agriculture, and the intrusion of
market-oriented urban culture (produce for the market, buy your food
and drinks from the market).
>2) A survey of farmers in the eastern part of the US showed that they
>wanted to have the same food that city mouse was able to get- this
>included frozen foods, fast food and fresh strawberries in winter. In
>essence, the wired world has created a demand across cultures whether
>it is city mouse/country mouse in the US or folks in Manila eating at
>McDonalds.
The move towards organics, fortunately, is a desirable counter-trend.
>3) Because of current pricing, food in the US supermarket is often
>cheaper than the cost/hour for a person to plant the same food and
>preserve it. The purchased food can even be imported- So the market
>distorts food prices- cheap food is needed for the urban areas and
>filters to the rural areas in the US, particularly in regional centers
I don't understand this. Somebody just posted an earlier message which
said that you need so many pounds of corn to buy a few corn chips,
which clearly means that urban processed food is more expensive than
fresh, whole food straight from the farm. Assuming we can get over the
cultural barrier (corn chips are cool, boiled corn is not), isn't it
simpler to grow your own food, instead of selling corn to buy corn
chips?
Perhaps farmers should stop making distorted cost comparisons for the
food they grow for family consumption. Set aside part of the land,
then grow the family food there, period.
A sustainable approach to farming would probably include the following
rules:
1. grow your own food
2. stay away from chemicals
3. save and share your seeds
4. diversify your crops
5. preserve/process your surplus
Most of Philippine subsistence farmers are still doing #1-3, which
reduce their reliance on cash. #4 should protect them better from
market fluctuations; #5 improves their bargaining position (you can
bargain better if your product will not rot in 3 days). I am helping a
farmers' group convince other farmers not to abandon #1-3, and to move
on to #4 and #5. It is hard work, especially if your own government is
dead-set against it.
Roberto Verzola
Roberto Verzola
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