agriculture definition

I was intrigued by Andrew Torrance's interesting  post, Synagriculture , where he writes that "agriculture stands on the verge of another technological transformation." Synthetic biology is new to me, and I will explore both the article cited and other information about this new technology. Andrew quotes the abstract of the article as to explain that - "Synthetic biology seeks to purge biology of some of its fundamental inefficiencies through the rigorous application of engineering principles. Rather than tinkering around the edges, biological engineering would remake living organisms from first principles, and employ standard parts to make qualitatively new biological devices and systems." My immediate reaction could best be described by the image of a teacher that has just learned that a group of three year olds from the local preschool had figured out to unlock the door to the chemistry lab. This response was in part triggered by news of another article that ...

Agriculture stands on the verge of another technological transformation.  Just as genetically-modified crops and livestock have begun to achieve normality in the eyes of most, an even more radical approach to agriculture has arrived.  Synthetic biology combines de novo design of genes, cells, and organisms with an ethos of user, open, and collaborative innovation.  "Synagriculture" represents as large a departure from GM agriculture as GM agriculture did from traditional agriculture.  "Planted Obsolescence:  Synagriculture and the Law," newly published in the Idaho Law Review, explores the legal implications of synagriculture.  The article can be downloaded for free here.   Here is the abstract: Supporters of GM agriculture have had a long row to hoe in achieving public acceptance for the safety of this important technology. Controversy has surrounded the foundational technology of recombinant DNA methods, the application of genetic engin...

Each morning this week, I have been intrigued to listen to a new feature from National Public Radio's "Meat Week."  These daily reports have covered a variety of topics directly related to the policies that we talk about in the LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law. In case you have missed the series so far, the first three reports are embedded below, with links to additional information on The Salt, the NPR blog on food issues. They are well worth your time. The Making of Meat-Eating America - How and why did the U.S. come to lead the world of meat-eaters?  Nation of Meat-Eaters: How It All Adds Up Consider that it takes 52.8 gallons of water to produce one quarter-pound hamburger. Also discussed: why American consumers are eating less meat now than in the past .   And, today, Unlike Chicken and Pork, Beef Still Begins With Small Family Ranches "The cattle industry is shaped like a bottle � wider at the bottom with lots of ranchers, smaller at t...

I just got back from Minnesota where I once again had the good fortune to time my visit with the strawberry season. A Pick-Your-Own Farm, Afton Apple has the most beautiful, flavorful strawberries, and it's only a couple miles from my family's farm. The strawberries they grow there are a different food altogether than the hard, crisp, tasteless berries that you see in the plastic boxes in the grocery stores. My picking this year was bittersweet, though -  we picked for a couple hours, getting four lovely boxes, and we intended to go back the next day for more. That night a terrible rain ended chances for another visit. Upon my arrival back in Fayetteville, I stopped by our local Harp's store and was delighted to find a big display of locally grown fresh peaches.  Fantastic. Again, nothing better, and SO different from the kind grown for shipping. I am feeling very fortunate for the food that I have. Yet, my good fortune reminds me that ">one out of every six Americ...

On June 20, I will be moderating a webinar organized by Clearinghouse Review and the Shriver Center for Poverty Law, entitled, Does the Local Food Movement Help or Hurt Low-Income Americans?  Here is the program announcement: Americans are debating what food we should be eating. But is the local food movement harmful for Americans who are food insecure? For the 40.3 Americans who received SNAP benefits in 2010, does pushing people to eat sustainable, locally produced food take resources away from getting the most food to the most people possible at the lowest possible price?  Clearinghouse Review's 2012 special issue webinar will tackle the tough questions that lurk in the intersection between food insecurity and the local food movement. A panel of experts from across the country will discuss whether the local food movement helps or hurts low-income Americans and offer suggestions for how advocates can help their clients get the nutritious food they need to thrive. Join us fo...

Amartya Sen  asserted 30 years ago that hunger is not due to scarcity, but rather to poverty, inequality, and poor management of resources.  (Sen,  Poverty and Famines:  An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation  1981). That assertion appears to be borne out by Vikas Bajaj's  recent story  in the  New York Times , "As Grain Piles Up, India's Poor Still Goes Hungry." The hunger problem in India, it seems, is largely attributable to a failed distribution system--a substantial part of the failure attributable to corruption.  (I have written some about these issues in relation to India's rural poor and rural development  here ). Bajaj writes of rotting grain surpluses in the north of India, while slum dwellers in New Delhi go hungry.  He provides this context: Spurred by agricultural innovation and generous farm subsidies, India now grows so much food that it has a bigger grain stockpile than any country except China, and it exports some ...

I published this post last Sunday on Legal Ruralism , but am only now getting it up on Agricultural Law, prompted in part by Susan Schneider's excellent post  on the same topic a few days ago.  Here's my post:  A trough that overflows is the image Robert Semple, Jr., conjures in  his editorial  (by the same name) in [the June 3, 2012 issue of the]  New York Times.   In it, Semple argues that the current version of the next generation farm bill replicates the problems long associated with the farm bill:  it supports fat cat farmers while doing too little to help small-scale farmers.  Semple makes references to "rural" and "small town" in the opening paragraph, but does not return to these concerns expressly later in the piece.  He makes no mention of rural development funds, which have always been a proverbial drop in the farm bill/USDA bucket. [ Some sources I have since read indicate no provision has been made for rural developme...

The New York Times just published a harsh analysis of the environmental impact of our heavily subsidized crop insurance programs, emphasizing the increased cost to taxpayers under the new farm bill proposal,  Crop Insurance Proposal Could Cost U.S. Billions . The unfortunate consequence of our system of subsidized crop insurance, particularly when revenue insurance is added into the mix, is that farmers are given an incentive to farm lands that would otherwise not be profitable or at least present too much of a risk of loss. The Times article is one of many recent articles that have criticized the current farm bill proposal. For some time, farm policy makers have indicated that they were willing to give up on the current direct payment program in exchange for more support delivered through crop insurance. Even aside from the current concern with a budget deficit, that type of horse-trading only makes sense if one ignores the history of the direct payment program. In 1996, Congress ...

A thought-provoking trailer produced in conjunction with a new book that asks the question, "from organic greens to grass fed beef to local cheeses, we care about the food that comes out of the kitchen, but do we know what is going on Behind the Kitchen Doors?" Behind the Kitchen Doors is written by Saru Jayaraman, founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and although it is not scheduled for release until February 2013 (Cornell University Press), it is already producing a lot of buzz on the web. My personal comments are as follows: Many (although certainly not all) of the producers of organic products, local foods, and humanely raised meat advocate for improved working conditions for the agricultural laborers that assist with their production. The wages and working conditions of restaurant workers has long been a matter of concern -  in all aspects of the restaurant industry, from fast food to high end dining. While the video poses a provocative question about...