Student: Julia Neish
Graduation date: December 2018
Type: Concentration (single major)
Date approved:
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Summary
In addition to its central role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem vitality, there is a strong correlation between soil composition and nutrient density of agricultural crops; depleting soil has adverse effects on our well being (and that of non-humans). Soil can also act as a carbon sink, but its ability to sequester carbon is contingent on its structure. For example, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi produce a protein called glomalin that holds anywhere between 20-70% of carbon in soils (McCoy 2017). When addressing dietary needs in conjunction with adapting to/mitigating further effects of anthropogenic climate change, the role of soils must be considered. According to the UDSA, 30% of US farmland has been abandoned due to lack of fertile soils, and agricultural activities contribute almost 30% to total soil degradation in the United States. On average, soil is being depleted 18 times faster than it is being built back up (USDA). Abundant, healthy soil is imperative for nutrient-dense crops and food security as a whole, maintaining biodiversity, and ecosystem vitality (Oxford 2017). Biologically healthy soil has the following properties: diverse and active macro and microorganisms engaged in the decomposition of organic matter (which releases mineral nutrients and provides the residues that improve soil structure), earthworms and other macrofauna that burrow through the soil and improve infiltration, drainage, and aeration (White 2003). Mycorrhizal fungi form elaborate structures called arbuscules; the fungus can absorb nutrients from the soil and transport them to the plant root systems via the hyphae of the fungus.
Many mainstream and/or industrial agricultural practices are detrimental to soil health. While we cannot understand their full effects, research has shown that chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers kill or change the microbial life or fauna of the soil, changing its properties in important ways. It has been shown that methyl bromide, a component of most pesticides, will kill the spores of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil (White 2003). Tilling, plowing and land leveling all contribute to soil compaction and disturbance and accelerate soil erosion and loss. Tilling also breaks up established mycorrhizal webs between plant species, cutting off many potential nutrient pathways. However, there are many alternative options that are gentler to the surrounding ecosystem. For example, compost and manure can be applied in place of chemical fertilizers and integrated pest management (IPM) can be used in place of chemical pesticides. Cover crops can be planted between rows to cover otherwise bare land to decrease topsoil loss and erosion risk. These practices also foster more beneficial mycorrhizal colonization than direct inoculation, which can also be done in an effort to improve soil tilth (Baumgartner 2006).
While the ecological benefits of regenerative agriculture are clear, implementing these practices is easier said than done. Switching from conventional farming to something more in line with permaculture and biodynamic methods requires the economic security to fund new products/technology and labor, in addition to the risks associated with weaning the land off chemical inputs it has likely become dependent on. “Chemical fertilizers are addictive. Because they destroy the natural nitrogen in the soils that is available to plants, farmers have to use more and more fertilizers every year to sustain yields,” (GRAIN 2015). Many farmers are dependent on inputs from large corporations that have vertically integrated to the point of almost complete control. Small-scale farmers have been marginalized, if not pushed out of the market entirely. Our government currently does not subsidize more costly, ecologically considerate practices, making it too economically burdensome for the majority of farmers to adopt them. Our existing body of law is focused on property rights, and is not up to the task of protecting natural systems. Even laws supporting human rights have been inadequate in addressing severe natural degradation and system disruption, despite the fact that this degradation has a direct impact on human health and wellbeing. “Tinkering with our present legal systems will not change the direction of the world as it advances toward the collapse of countries and the planet’s major ecosystems. Instead, the transition to a just and sustainable future also requires the transformation of the jurisprudence underlying systems of law and governance. Because the relationship between people and land is ‘the template for society and social relations,’ the starting point for jurisprudence should be principles governing the functioning of Earth,” (Koons, 2012). Given the economic and political hurdles to implementing more sustainable agriculture practices, laws or policies need to be created to regulate the way farmers treat their soils.
Sources:
- Baumgartner, K. 2006. The Role of Beneficial Mycorrhizal Fungi in Grapevine Nutrition. ASEV Technical Update 1(1). 3: 1.
- GRAIN. 2015. “The Exxons of Agriculture.” Against the Grain, Climate. https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5270-the-exxons-of-agriculture
- Koons, Judith E. 2012. “At the Tipping Point: Defining an Earth Jurisprudence for Social and Ecological Justice.” https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2743724.
- McCoy, P. 2017. “Mushroom Cultivation Course: Portland.” Lecture.
- Oxford Bibliographies. 2017. “Soils as an Environmental System.” Environmental Science. www.oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/view/document/obo-9780199363445/obo-9780199363445-0041.xml.
- United States Department of Agriculture. “Soil Erosion.” Presentation Slides. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_010152.pdf
- White, R. E.. 2003. “Soils for Fine Wines.” New York: Oxford University Press.
Questions
Descriptive
- What are the current distributions of American agricultural practices in relation to soil quality?
- Who determines these practices (farmers, laws, corporations)?
- What is the history of soil conservation in the US?
Explanatory
- What are the driving motivations for farmers when determining agricultural practices (economic, ecological, ethical)?
- How do industry-wide power relations affect these decisions?
- What influences have previously altered agricultural methods?
Evaluative
- What are the varying definitions of soil health?
- What farming practices are most detrimental to soil health? The most beneficial?
- Who are these costs and benefits impacting most (producers, consumers, non-humans)?
Instrumental
- How can more soil and mycorrhizae-friendly farming practices be incorporated into the American Food system?
- What kinds of policies can regulate or incentivize such methods?
- What are the barriers to implementing this kind of reform?
- Who should be responsible for enforcing such regulations?
Concentration courses
- SOAN 249 (Political Economy of Food), Fall 2017. Investigation of food production and processing industries. Individual research focused on farming issues and environmental externalities of the US agricultural system.
- PHIL 215 (Philosophy and the Environment), Spring 2017. Reading and discussions pertaining to the human - Nature relationship. Exploration of the various meanings of nature, ethical and moral issues, and the construction of the built environment.
- ENVS 460 (Environmental Law and Policy), Fall 2018. Introduction to environmental law and policy issues. Intent to focus independent research on agricultural practice and soil treatment regulations and incentives.
- ENVS 499 (Independent Study, 4 credits), Spring 2018. Concentration-related research centered around mycology. Specifics TBD.
- SOAN 296 (Wines and Vines), Fall 2016. Exploration of viticulture and enology including agricultural practices ranging from industrial to organic and biodynamic. Final paper investigated the ecological impacts of such practices with a focus on limiting vineyard soil degradation.
Arts and humanities courses
- HIST 261 (Global Environmental History, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- SOAN 305 (Environmental Sociology). Spring 2017. Study of modern human – Nature relationships, with an emphasis on sustainability issues. Topics included permaculture, energy sources, environmental justice, grassroots organizing, etc.