Re: Kevorkian Economics- long

[Bob Hoffmann <escape@alt-escape.com>]

At 03:14 PM 12/14/1999 -0800, Ron Force wrote:
>It's hard to argue that highly mechanized monoculture, oriented toward export,
>isn't just another business and therefore should be subject to the laws of the
>marketplace.
>It's hard to argue that highly mechanized monoculture, oriented toward export,
>isn't just another business and therefore should be subject to the laws of the
>marketplace.

[I don't know a lot about this, but that hasn't stopped me from chiming in 
before....]

The laws of the market place include laws governing pollution.  The EPA is 
starting to look harder at nonpoint pollution, such as farming 
run-off.  Such pollution has been covered by laws for decades, but there 
has been very little focus on enforcement, and this seems poised to change.

I prefer small farms to huge farms, but I think it is a mistake to claim 
that small farmers are necessarily good stewards of the land.  Stewardship 
is the sister of Manifest Destiny; it has been an excuse for people to 
exploit the land.

A friend of mine was involved professionally in environmental projects in 
Ohio.  You would think that the Amish would be the best stewards of the 
land within the farming community.  Yet he said that they were often the 
most difficult people to bring into compliance with environmental 
laws.  (The example he sited was the dumping of excess manure into farm 
ravines.  The next downpour would send the manure into the Scenic River 
that he was trying to protect.)

The battle of FarmAgra Corp. vs. Joe Farmer involves many 
issues--environmental, economic, social, etc.  These issues don't overlap 
100%.  What if Big Ag was better able to finance environmental 
practices?  They might then be able to force smaller farmers out of 
business by playing the noncompliance card.  It could result in a cleaner 
environment, and the collapse of many small farming communities.

Tricky world we live in....


Bob Hoffmann
229 East C St., Suite B
Moscow, ID  83843  USA
Phone: (208) 883-0642
Fax: 1-800-683-3799
http://www.alt-escape.com