Introduction
Agriculture is one of the most ancient activities that people mastered to make a living. Modern industrial farming techniques contribute to the fact that people tend to produce more food, creating abundance. Even though this state of affairs can be positive because it means that food products are more available for people, actual outcomes are not so promising. This statement denotes that it is necessary to remember that abundance has come at certain costs. They are the increased probability of the Dust Bowl, ethical issues, and biopiracy, meaning that appropriate responses are required. Thus, urgent alterations to the existing farm system include using more environment-friendly practices, promoting ethics, and implementing a specific genome regulatory system and procedures.
Costs
As has been mentioned above, implementing industrial improvements in farming resulted in essential costs. They represent various spheres of human life, addressing a vast swathe of discussion. This information reveals that it is necessary to comment on what outcomes are present in different spheres of life and why they are impactful. Consequently, the following paragraphs will introduce the most significant costs of modern farming techniques.
Firstly, it is not surprising that the new farming techniques have particular impacts on the land and its properties. In particular, one can suggest that industrial farming and widespread irrigation erode and exhaust the soil, depriving it of nutritional elements and minerals. The rationale behind this suggestion is that the sophisticated methods allow farmers to obtain greater yields, which requires additional resources. Consequently, the land experiences the highest burden, which contributes to its devastation.
Literature can offer reputable evidence to support the claim above. Thus, Scharping claims that improved agricultural practices lead to rising temperatures and worsening drought (par. 1). The reasons are evident, and they are the same as those described above. One should also remember that the environment significantly affects farming and its impact. Against the background of global warming, the adverse phenomena above can lead to a Dust Bowl in the Great Plains (Scharping par. 1). This information demonstrates that the given region of the United States is likely to expect significant problems in the future. Thus, it is possible to conclude that endangered fertility of the Great Plains is one cost of industrial farming, and it deserves significant attention.
Secondly, improved agricultural techniques result in the fact that more plants and animals are bred and consumed as food, which can be a problem from a moral point of view. On the one hand, there is nothing extraordinary in this scenario from a consumer’s perspective. People consider plants and animals as food, meaning that they can be appropriately treated. That is why modern farming approaches result in producing increased volumes of food ingredients. On the other hand, current ethical perspectives admit that animals and plants deserve specific attitudes. For example, Nuwer argues that fishes are intelligent and emotional beings, meaning that people should respect them and their feelings (par. 5). Furthermore, Mancuso and Viola admit that plants are advanced, adaptable, and intelligent beings, and people should not feel their absolute superiority over them (124). In this case, it is challenging to claim that producing more food is a justified practice.
The narrative above demonstrates that modern farming techniques lead to an ethical issue. In particular, this situation reveals that people now tend to rely on the egoistic approach because it makes them consider their self-interest a prerequisite to decision-making and relationships with others (“Making Choices: A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions” 2). This statement denotes that people make actions and decisions to meet the most optimal outcome for them. Consequently, another cost of industrial farming implies that modern people frequently face ethical dilemmas while choosing what attitude animals and plants deserve. These issues can result in mental challenges for people, compromising their psychological well-being.
Thirdly, one can add that the increased dependency on bioengineering is another essential cost. The intervention of biotech corporations in developing countries is accompanied by new forms of violence against all nature. The driving force behind this violence is genetic engineering that aims to violate any boundaries between ecosystems and biological species. Traditional, “organic” farming methods consisted of growing the correct type of crop for each region. At the same time, if the peasants needed to develop a new, more productive variety of the same species, then they used the seeds of the same plant for this task (Congressional Research Service 1). Genetic engineering has taken a different path because the new genetically modified seeds are designed to be grown the same way on all continents, ignoring ecosystem differences. When transgenic seeds are bred, not only the construction of new biological objects with desired properties occurs but also the forced crossing of completely different species.
Since they have gained access to the genes of living organisms, modern biopiracy corporations are trying to extract even more profit from this. After these genes have been biochemically processed with the help of technology and “techno-seeds” have been derived from them, they will again be sold to developing countries but under a different name (Robinson and Robinson). Simultaneously, the buyer will not have any right or opportunity to use them in his own way. Such “techno-seeds” turn out to be several orders of magnitude weaker than “native” seeds, and it will be impossible to grow them without poisoning all the surrounding soil with tons of chemicals. Consequently, another cost refers to the fact that genetic engineering significantly impacts farming, and it is challenging or impossible to grow plants and animals without these elements in the future.
Now, it is necessary to summarize the identified costs to ensure that their scope is clearly defined and understood. The first expense is associated with the fact that farmers rely on practices that adversely affect the land and its fertility. The second cost affects the ethical sphere and implies that eating animals and plants can be immoral. Finally, the reliance on bioengineering and other technological advancements can result in the fact that further farming activities will be complicated.
Alterations
Since the discussion above has demonstrated that modern industrial farming techniques are associated with high costs, it is reasonable to discuss possible alterations that can address them. Three responses will be presented below since they are likely to improve the situation and minimize the identified costs. This information demonstrates that every cost highlighted will have a suggested response that will help solve the issue. Each alteration will be supported by literature findings to ensure that the suggestions are credible and have some scientific value.
Firstly, it is reasonable to ensure that farmers use environmentally-friendly practices and techniques. It has been mentioned that widespread irrigation contributes to soil issues and Dust Bowl increased probability, meaning that changes are needed. Thus, a suitable option is to make farmers use more rational agricultural techniques. They include “irrigating just half of their fields or using multiple smaller wells to increase water yields from parched groundwater reserves” (Scharping par. 27). These interventions can be effective since they help manage land resources wisely and prevent soil from overuse. It is challenging to mention that these steps will be sufficient to avoid rising temperatures and worsening drought. However, this policy change will significantly minimize the chances that these phenomena will come soon.
Secondly, it is necessary to address the ethical aspect to address the problem and reduce the identified costs. The current suggestion is to promote the principles of utilitarian ethics instead of an egoistic approach in the farming industry. The former stipulates that people should make decisions depending on what good or harmful consequences are likely to arise (“Making Choices: A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions” 2). At this point, it is reasonable to remind that fishes and plants are considered emotional and intelligent beings (Nuwer par. 5; Mancuso and Viola 124). From this point of view, producing abundant food and consuming it would be immoral. The utilitarian approach, in turn, will allow the involved stakeholders to assess the situation and identify that reducing the production volumes will help minimize the cost. Simultaneously, this intervention will ensure that the farmers will become free from an ethical dilemma, which will positively affect their psychological well-being.
Thirdly, since the increased cost is associated with bioengineering and biopiracy, it is reasonable to comment on how to address them. According to the Congressional Research Service, a genome regulatory system and procedures should be available and used (36). This regulatory system should perform a few significant functions. On the one hand, it will deal with certifying the genomes and biotechnological agents. This step will imply determining what active elements of these agents are and how they should be adequately implemented. On the other hand, the system should be used as an overseeing body. This statement demonstrates that specific regulations or recommendations should be developed to determine whether a genome or agent is correctly applied. Thus, it is possible to expect that this alteration will be effective in ensuring that bioengineering and biopiracy do not negatively address the farming industry.
Conclusion
The paper has overviewed how and why the abundance of food can result in some issues. Since modern farming is of vast volumes, it relies on practices that are devastating for the land, which implies harmful consequences. Simultaneously, this scenario results in the fact that an ethical issue becomes evident because many experts admit that, for example, fishes and plants are emotional and intelligent. Another issue is associated with the fact that bioengineering agents and biopiracy can result in the fact that the land will become inadaptable for farming without additional chemicals. Literature review allowed for identifying these conclusions, meaning that the obtained data is credible and justified.
Since the issues and costs were determined, specific alterations were also presented to demonstrate how one could address the problems. Firstly, a suitable option is to ensure that farmers use environmentally-friendly practices. Appropriate examples include incomplete irrigation of the fields and the use of smaller wells to increase water yield. These steps will help protect the Great Plains from the Dust Bowl and other devastating effects of climate change. Secondly, it is also necessary to address an ethical issue because more and more experts admit that animals and plants are intelligible. In this case, it is reasonable to apply some utilitarian ethical principles to make moral decisions and avoid psychological burdens. This step is essential because ethical dilemmas can result in significant challenges for farmers and other stakeholders. Finally, a genome regulatory system is required to ensure that farmers deal with certified agents and use them in accordance with the rules. Once implemented, these three steps will help make the farming industry the least problematic and costly for multiple stakeholders.
Works Cited
Congressional Research Service. “Agricultural Biotechnology: Overview, Regulation, and Selected Policy Issues.” 2021.
“Making Choices: A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions.” Ethical Awareness in International Collaborations: A Contextual Approach.
Mancuso, Stefano, and Alessandra Viola. Brilliant Green: The Surprising History and Science of Plant Intelligence. Island Press, 2015.
Nuwer, Rachel. “Fish Have Feelings, Too.” Nova, 2018, Web.
Robinson, Daniel, and Daniel F. Robinson. Confronting Biopiracy: Challenges, Cases, and International Debates. Taylor & Francis Group, 2010.
Scharping, Nathaniel. “As the Climate Warms, Could the US Face Another Dust Bowl?” Yale Environment 360, 2021, Web.