Which Came First; The Chicken or the Egg?Sustainable Agriculture? or A

Sustainable World?

Goals:

Websites: These may be helpful…http://www.sare.org/ http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/Concept.htm http://www.farmsanctuary.org/ http://www.factoryfarming.com/index.htm

1. What is sustainable thinking?

4. Understand your personal contribution to global equality and environmental health

Read: Chapters 40, 42, 43, 44 & 45 (Alt. Bk. – 27 to 32 not 28)

3. Sustainable agriculture and its goals.

2. Define a sustainable World.

Dr. Mark WhalonDepartment of Entomology

Center for Integrated Plant Systems

Michigan State University

Dr. Mark WhalonDepartment of Entomology

Center for Integrated Plant Systems

Michigan State University

whalon@msu.eduwhalon@msu.edu

When you think of a sustainableUSA; what does that mean to you?When you think of a sustainableUSA; what does that mean to you?

Context-Context-In the cold cruel world of life on planet earth:• Why would we (you, me, your parents, your friends, your state, your country

all of Society) want to “conserve” natural resources – if it’s not to sustain “useful” lands and natural systems for the future

(generations)?• If Sustainability is what we are aiming at, will our current

measures (way we live) “hit” the target? Given: – 1) Your (mine and our) attitudes, – 2) What you (me and us) have bought into, – 3) The way you do life, and/or – 4) The way we ALL DO LIFE.

• Since current definitions of sustainability segregate into four general, but related sectors; – 1) economics, – 2) social systems, – 3) agroecosystems (landscapes) and the – 4) environment,

• What do you know about sustainability?

In the cold cruel world of life on planet earth:• Why would we (you, me, your parents, your friends, your state, your country

all of Society) want to “conserve” natural resources – if it’s not to sustain “useful” lands and natural systems for the future

(generations)?• If Sustainability is what we are aiming at, will our current

measures (way we live) “hit” the target? Given: – 1) Your (mine and our) attitudes, – 2) What you (me and us) have bought into, – 3) The way you do life, and/or – 4) The way we ALL DO LIFE.

• Since current definitions of sustainability segregate into four general, but related sectors; – 1) economics, – 2) social systems, – 3) agroecosystems (landscapes) and the – 4) environment,

• What do you know about sustainability?

What gets measured gets managed…What gets measured gets managed…

Sustainability

• Definition: “the ability of a system to

continue in time”– It’s at the least a

presumption or presupposition about the future:

– involves at least:

• How well are you, me, WE measuring our own life outcomes relative to sustainability?

1- The Environment

2- The Ecosystem2- The Ecosystem

3- Society

4- Economics

5. Can the natural environment be degraded

irrevocably?

4. The longer the long-term

consequences, the less likely

detected

3. Standard of living depends on production

2. Closed world system

1. Future

B. Observations about sustainable thinking

What is an ecosystem?May be easier to understand an agroecosystem…

• A unit of management.= a spatial unit of habitat that a

producer identifies as a field, a block, a planting, a woods or a paddock; which he manages as a contiguous whole.

– Applies inputs to…as a unit.– Harvests from…as a unit.

“Hey, John! Spray ‘Dad’s back-ten’ before the wind gets up today! OK?”

“Yep, I’ll get ‘er done right now, Boss…”

Jay Bruner Picture

Meso-area Biotic Exchange:• landscape interactions• recruitment & biotic flow

Meso-area Biotic Exchange:• landscape interactions• recruitment & biotic flow

Everybody on the farm knows that this unit of landis ‘Dad’s back-ten’…it’s an agroecosytem.

What is an ecosystem?You can understand any unit of earth that you have

impact on as an ecosystem, your ecosystem…

• A unit of management.= a spatial unit of habitat that a

person identifies as a yard, a house, a block, a township a county or state or continent or earth; which he (you, me or we) manage or influence as a contiguous whole.

– Applies inputs to…as a unit.– Harvests from…as a unit.

“Hey, John! Mow the lawn! OK?”

“###%***##!!!, Ah, well, OK I’ll do it…(under his breath, I just got home and now this! Doesn’t he know that I’m not a kid anymore?” Jay Bruner Picture

Meso-area Biotic Exchange:• landscape interactions• recruitment & biotic flow

Meso-area Biotic Exchange:• landscape interactions• recruitment & biotic flow

Everybody in the house knows that this unit of landis ‘the back yard’…it’s an ecosystem—a unit of managed habitat.

Ecosystems:Abiotic and Biotic Integration

Abiotic Environment– Physical laws and structure:

• earth, soil, water, minerals, atmosphere…

– Cycles: H20, C, N, etc…– Chemical Interactions…

• metabolism & synthesis• degradation & mass action

– Energy flux: light, +/_ charge

• e.g. heat (long wave length light)

• e.g. electrical charges (chemical

bonds & enzymes)

• Biotic Systems– Species– Populations– Communities– Agro-Ecosystem– Ecozones– Hemispheres– Bioshpere– Earth– Solar System– Universe

Integration

Structure + Process = Pattern

Integration

Structure + Process = Pattern

Energy FlowEnergy Flow

Water Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

FungiFungiActinomy-

cetesActinomy-

cetesBacteria

Nematodes

Protozoa

ArthropodsArthropodsEarthworms

“The Soil Ecosystem”“The Soil Ecosystem”

The Soil Food WebThe Soil Food Web

Trophic LevelsTrophic Levels

Producers“Crops”

Producers“Crops”

Herbivores“Pests”

Herbivores“Pests”

Carnivores“Biocontrol Agents”

Carnivores“Biocontrol Agents”

Complexit

yComplexit

y

Spatial scales: Local to Regional to GlobalSpatial scales: Local to Regional to Global

Plants (1 m2)Plants (1 m2)

TripodTripod

BalloonBalloon

Aerial PhotoAerial PhotoTM Landsat SceneTM Landsat Scene

Plant patches (100 m2)

Plant patches (100 m2)

Field patches (1000 m2)

Field patches (1000 m2)

Landscape mosaics

(100,000 m2)

Landscape mosaics

(100,000 m2)

Regions (1,000,000 m2)

Regions (1,000,000 m2)

AVHRR sceneAVHRR scene

Imagine using differentVisual Tools…from a

Microscope (.0001 m2) toCamera tripod, to an aerial baloon,

To an Airplane, to Landsat, to AVHRR

Imagine using differentVisual Tools…from a

Microscope (.0001 m2) toCamera tripod, to an aerial baloon,

To an Airplane, to Landsat, to AVHRR

1. Philosophy: stewardship of both natural and human resources

A. Definition of a sustainable land unit…"sustain," from the Latin sustinere (sus-, from

below and tenere, to hold), to keep in existence or maintain, implies long-term support or

permanence & YOU figure prominently in the equation…

You hold the key

to sustainability of the land,

its ecosystems and environment!

You hold the key

to sustainability of the land,

its ecosystems and environment!

Defining Sustainable AgricultureDefining Sustainable Agriculture

Systems of food, feed and fiber production Systems of food, feed and fiber production that are socially responsible, economically that are socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound.viable and environmentally sound.

Social Economic

Agroecology

Highly productiveHighly productive Serve local needsServe local needs Provide rewarding human vocationsProvide rewarding human vocations Perform restorative ecological functionsPerform restorative ecological functions Viable over long time horizonsViable over long time horizons

1. Philosophy: stewardship of both natural and human resources

A. Definition of sustainable agriculture

"sustain," from the Latin sustinere (sus-, from below and tenere, to hold), to keep in existence or

maintain, implies long-term support or permanence

It’s the same definition

Just a different unit

Of land!

It’s the same definition

Just a different unit

Of land!

OverviewOverview

Challenges and opportunities in Challenges and opportunities in sustainable agriculture & worldsustainable agriculture & world

BackgroundBackground

A vision for sustainable agriculture and A vision for sustainable agriculture and the role of each person in this classthe role of each person in this class

ChallengesChallenges World populationWorld population Economic disparitiesEconomic disparities GlobalizationGlobalization Environmental degradationEnvironmental degradation

World populationWorld population Economic disparitiesEconomic disparities GlobalizationGlobalization Environmental degradationEnvironmental degradation

OpportunitiesOpportunities

Awareness of sustainabilityAwareness of sustainability Wellness lifestyles– Apply to you?Wellness lifestyles– Apply to you? Michigan’s/US’s natural resourcesMichigan’s/US’s natural resources Personal Responsibility?Personal Responsibility?

Awareness of sustainabilityAwareness of sustainability Wellness lifestyles– Apply to you?Wellness lifestyles– Apply to you? Michigan’s/US’s natural resourcesMichigan’s/US’s natural resources Personal Responsibility?Personal Responsibility?

19801980

20202020

20402040

Built

Agriculture

Other vegetation

Forest

Lake

Wetland

Built

Agriculture

Other vegetation

Forest

Lake

Wetland

ProjectedLand Use

Trend

ProjectedLand Use

Trend

Michigan Land Resources Michigan Land Resources

Integrated Agricultural LandscapesIntegrated Agricultural Landscapes

Work & Income

Environment

Nature &Landscape

Health & Well-being

Climate

Production

Vereijken, P., 2001

C. What Sustainable thinking seeks not to do

Fail to value all of life; including the soil,

microbes, plants,

animals, people, communities,

populations, cities, regions,

continents, the Earth!

One can not value something without

Some understanding of it!

Fail to value all of life; including the soil,

microbes, plants,

animals, people, communities,

populations, cities, regions,

continents, the Earth!

One can not value something without

Some understanding of it!

Four disciplines: 1) environmental health,

2) functional ecology, 3) social and economic equity, & 4) economic profitability within the system’s

limits

Four disciplines: 1) environmental health,

2) functional ecology, 3) social and economic equity, & 4) economic profitability within the system’s

limits

2. Avoid long-term side effects

3. Use non-renewable resources slowly

The fate of lead in the 1970’s

4. Value the land and the people on it! That means farmers, they are your kids future!

4. Value the land and the people on it! That means farmers, they are your kids future!

5. Value Self-sufficiency… could you survive in a polluted world? A world without clean water? A world where you had to produce your own food and housing?

D. Measures of sustainabilityD. Measures of sustainability

1. Productivity1. Productivity

2. Stability2. Stability

3. Sustainability3. Sustainability

4. Equity4. Equity

5. Functional Ecology5. Functional Ecology

Implementation of sustainable thinking in you…

Implementation of sustainable thinking in you…

1. Ecological Efficiency & Living simply…1. Ecological Efficiency & Living simply…

2. Substitution expensive and energy wasteful for frugal

and effective

2. Substitution expensive and energy wasteful for frugal

and effective

3. Redesign your thinking, expectations & your (our) future!

3. Redesign your thinking, expectations & your (our) future!

Extension has the information Extension has the information you need to survive!you need to survive!

Insect Ecology and Biological controlInsect Ecology and Biological control MSU a resource for your futureMSU a resource for your future Biological Control ProgramsBiological Control Programs Sustainable AgricultureSustainable Agriculture Sustainable USustainable U Sustainable MISustainable MI Sustainable WorldSustainable World

Insect Ecology and Biological controlInsect Ecology and Biological control MSU a resource for your futureMSU a resource for your future Biological Control ProgramsBiological Control Programs Sustainable AgricultureSustainable Agriculture Sustainable USustainable U Sustainable MISustainable MI Sustainable WorldSustainable World

http://www.cips.msu.edu/biocontrol/

Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)US president 1953-1961

I believe that the great Creator has put ores and oil on this earth to give us a breathing spell. As we exhaust them, we must be prepared to fall back on our farms,

which is God’s true storehouse and can never be exhausted. We can learn to synthesize material for

every human need from things that grow.George Washington Carver (1860-1943)

Agricultural chemist, developer of crop-rotation and 325 uses for the peanut

Farmers are the only indispensable people on the face of the earth. Ambassador Li Zhaoxing (1940-present)

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the United States