Industrial agriculture

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Industrialized agriculture of an LPG in the GDR in 1990
Trimmed for efficiency: the “ pig tower ” near Maasdorf
Turkey stable in North Carolina (USA)

As industrial agriculture (including agro-industry , or machine-specific agriculture ) in the narrow sense, a type is agriculture refers to the industry-specific production methods used.

See also: History of Industrial Agriculture

General

Agricultural industrial companies are characterized by a high degree of specialization , the use of technical processes, a high level of capital and energy input, high productivity and the transition to standardized mass production . The development towards industrialized agriculture affects not only a few agro-industrial companies that have emerged, but also companies that z. B. are family owned. In the United States, the process is complete for the majority of establishments.

In a broad sense, all agricultural systems in which machines are used are referred to as industrial systems . In this way, they stand in opposition to traditional forms of agriculture , the work steps of which are carried out exclusively by human and possibly animal labor.

Agricultural companies are basically large companies. According to Helmut Klüter from the Institute for Geography and Geology at the University of Greifswald , the minimum sizes are:

  • Livestock facilities with more than 500 cattle (GV), and / or more than 2000 pigs or more than 380 sows with 3000 piglets and / or more than 9000 poultry animals, whereby the occupancy of a stable does not exceed 600 animals
  • Operated with more than 500 ha of agricultural land.

Industrial agricultural production is associated with influencing and changing the ecosystem . There is a decrease in biodiversity and an artificial, one-sided manipulation of the ecological balance in favor of crops and animals. The causes are the creation of monocultures and the massive use of pesticides . The landscape must also be shaped “machine-friendly” so that natural structures (ponds, marginal strips, orchards) are largely removed. Such agricultural landscapes are often referred to as "agricultural steppes".

As an alternative to industrial agriculture, rural agriculture is often mentioned . The existence of a farm is typical for rural agriculture . A farm is primarily characterized by the fact that the farmer usually lives on the company premises.

Environmental law

In animal husbandry , the German supplies Environmental Law clues. If the (planned) animal population in an animal husbandry company exceeds a certain threshold value specified by the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (UVPG) , there is an obligation to carry out an environmental impact assessment if the animal owner wants to expand his company or build stables at a new location. Establishments that exceed the threshold are considered "large commercial animal husbandry facilities".

Section 3b of the UVPG (EIA obligation based on the type, size and performance of the project) stipulates in paragraph 1: The obligation to carry out an environmental impact assessment exists for a project listed in Annex 1 if the characteristics specified to determine its type are present. If size or performance values ​​are specified, an environmental impact assessment must be carried out if the values ​​are reached or exceeded.

An EIA may not apply. a. if no more than 42,000 hens in intensive rearing, 84,000 pullets, 30,000 pieces of fattening poultry in intensive rearing, 250 cattle, 1000 calves, 1500 pigs, 560 breeding sows including their piglets or 4500 piglets are kept or reared in a farm .

criticism

Extremely species-poor "agricultural steppe" in the Palouse region (USA)

The industrialization of agriculture is often associated with monocultures and intensification . The ecological effects mainly include soil compaction , soil erosion , soil salinisation and the penetration of agrochemicals into the groundwater . The extensive use of pesticides in industrial agriculture damages ecosystems to a large extent and reduces biodiversity. The use of pesticides is partly responsible for the decline in (wild) bees and other insects, the death of birds and the pollution of groundwater and soil. In addition, there are unresolved questions of animal welfare in connection with factory farming .

The 400 scientists of the World Agricultural Report , like UNCTAD , the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina and many other specialist societies, are calling for a change from the currently operated and subsidized industrial, energy-intensive agriculture to small-scale, ecological agriculture.

Other critics see the danger for industrial agriculture that agricultural products are put on the same level as industrial workpieces that are produced in the desired quantity in a factory on an assembly line or with robots at any time. Such a view inevitably leads to getting the most out of raw materials, resources and livestock .

The world market orientation, which is usually associated with industrial agriculture, is also criticized, which endangers food security , since the dependence of the developing countries on unforeseeable price fluctuations of the agricultural products they import and export is increased, while the production of basic foodstuffs in favor of those intended for export Products go back.

An agricultural turnaround is being prevented in particular by the German Farmers' Association . As early as 2002, a study commissioned by NABU found: "Only if we succeed in suppressing the influences of representatives from farmers' associations and the food industry who are inhibiting innovation would the agricultural turnaround have a chance".

See also

Web links

Commons : Industrial Agriculture  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Angelika Hardegger: Is that still agriculture - or is it already industry? In: nzz.ch , September 15, 2018, accessed on September 16, 2018.
  2. ↑ a b c Kurt Baldenhofer: Lexicon of the agricultural area . Gotha 1999, p. 215f. ( Online edition )
  3. ^ Christian Lauk: Socio-ecological characteristics of agricultural systems. A global overview and comparison. In: Social Ecology Working Paper 78. Institute of Social Ecology, Vienna 2005. ISSN  1726-3816 . P. 24.
  4. ↑ Helmut Klüter: From the dominance of the agricultural industry to the garden of the metropolises, materials for the discussion “Sustainable Agriculture: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Future?” Greifswald 2012.
  5. ↑ Thomas A. Friedrich: How does agriculture contribute to the extinction of species? In: topagrar.com . April 30, 2019, accessed May 2, 2019 .
  6. ^ F. Golter, H. Wenk: Agrarian steppe or blooming land? In: DLZ The agricultural technical magazine. 1988 - on the FAO homepage
  7. ↑ Renate Nimtz-Köster: Death in a rotary mower. on: Spiegel-online. April 14, 2001.
  8. ↑ Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection: Federal Minister Aigner: "The privilege of large commercial stables will be abolished" ( Memento of the original dated November 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Press release no.119 from April 25, 2013.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bmelv.de
  9. ↑ § 3b UVPG
  10. ↑ Jochem Unger, Antonio Hurtado: Energy, Ecology and Unreason . Springer, 2013, ISBN 9783658015039 , pp. 202-203
  11. ↑ Advisory Council for Environmental Issues - Biodiversity and Nature Conservation - Environmental Report 2016: Chapter 6: Improved protection of biodiversity against pesticides. Retrieved June 9, 2019 .
  12. ↑ a b Andreas Schäffer, Juliane Filser, Tobias Fresh, Mark Gessner, Wolfgang Köck, Werner Kratz, Matthias Liess, Ernst-August Nuppenau, Martina Roß-Nickoll, Ralf Schäfer, Martin Scheringer .: The silent spring - the need for environmentally friendly plant protection . Leopoldina - National Academy of Sciences, accessed on June 9, 2019 .
  13. ↑ World Agriculture Report. Retrieved June 9, 2019 .
  14. ↑ unctad.org | Trade and Environment Review 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2019 .
  15. ^ Uwe Hoering: Agrarian Colonialism in Africa. Another type of agriculture is possible. VSA, Hamburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-89965-248-2 .
  16. ↑ Study reveals lobby network of the German Farmers' Association. In: nabu.de . April 29, 2019, accessed May 18, 2019 .
  17. ^ The Samsara Food Sequence , Zeit, October 15, 2013