Comments on: Jon Foley argues for resilient integration of industrial and organic agriculture http://rs.resalliance.org/2009/11/07/jon-foley-argues-for-resilient-integration-of-industrial-and-organic-agriculture/ coping with ecological surprise in a human dominated world Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:47:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Marc Tormo http://rs.resalliance.org/2009/11/07/jon-foley-argues-for-resilient-integration-of-industrial-and-organic-agriculture/comment-page-1/#comment-221830 Marc Tormo Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:25:32 +0000 http://rs.resalliance.org/?p=1811#comment-221830 Thanks for this thought provoking article. I fully agree that everybody is on board, and by integrating all, new forms will emerge. The Earth is such a complex system that solutions will be valid in certain " contexts " and in others not. So that means being resilient at the local level by engaging more in self-reliance, but without falling into the trap of selfishness. We are all connected in spite of the apparent distance that keep us away from each other. Today, we see a convergence of different sciences, lines of thought and technologies that were separated before, this is leading us to an emergence of a new ways of becoming rather than a new way of doing. Thanks for this thought provoking article. I fully agree that everybody is on board, and by integrating all, new forms will emerge.
The Earth is such a complex system that solutions will be valid in certain ” contexts ” and in others not. So that means being resilient at the local level by engaging more in self-reliance, but without falling into the trap of selfishness. We are all connected in spite of the apparent distance that keep us away from each other. Today, we see a convergence of different sciences, lines of thought and technologies that were separated before, this is leading us to an emergence of a new ways of becoming rather than a new way of doing.

]]> By: Matt http://rs.resalliance.org/2009/11/07/jon-foley-argues-for-resilient-integration-of-industrial-and-organic-agriculture/comment-page-1/#comment-221775 Matt Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:01:48 +0000 http://rs.resalliance.org/?p=1811#comment-221775 I'm all for education, urban farming and victory gardens but the whole monoculture topic is a little more complex than is commonly assumed. Heritage and landrace varieties hold a lot of diversity in quality and abiotic stress tolerance traits, but generally are more homogenous in pest and disease resistance than modern industrial varieties. http://thescientistgardener.blogspot.com/2009/10/myth-of-monocultures.html I don't agree that manual labor is better than mechanization. Gardening is relaxing and fulfilling, but weeding and picking large-scale operations is seriously grueling. At any rate, this post is absolutely correct - we need to integrate heavily-engineered, modern genotypes in an intensive form of ag that looks holistically at soil health and the impacts on native ecosystems that exist along the margins and downstream. Industrial and organic ag are complementary despite the black and white rhetoric. I’m all for education, urban farming and victory gardens but the whole monoculture topic is a little more complex than is commonly assumed. Heritage and landrace varieties hold a lot of diversity in quality and abiotic stress tolerance traits, but generally are more homogenous in pest and disease resistance than modern industrial varieties.

http://thescientistgardener.blogspot.com/2009/10/myth-of-monocultures.html

I don’t agree that manual labor is better than mechanization. Gardening is relaxing and fulfilling, but weeding and picking large-scale operations is seriously grueling.

At any rate, this post is absolutely correct – we need to integrate heavily-engineered, modern genotypes in an intensive form of ag that looks holistically at soil health and the impacts on native ecosystems that exist along the margins and downstream. Industrial and organic ag are complementary despite the black and white rhetoric.

]]> By: Science Report » Blog Archive » Nibbles: Forest fires, integration http://rs.resalliance.org/2009/11/07/jon-foley-argues-for-resilient-integration-of-industrial-and-organic-agriculture/comment-page-1/#comment-221774 Science Report » Blog Archive » Nibbles: Forest fires, integration Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:03:51 +0000 http://rs.resalliance.org/?p=1811#comment-221774 [...] “Resilient integration of industrial and organic agriculture.” Now there’s a thought. [...] [...] “Resilient integration of industrial and organic agriculture.” Now there’s a thought. [...]

]]> By: Kim http://rs.resalliance.org/2009/11/07/jon-foley-argues-for-resilient-integration-of-industrial-and-organic-agriculture/comment-page-1/#comment-221767 Kim Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:26:27 +0000 http://rs.resalliance.org/?p=1811#comment-221767 Also, considering Peak Oil and Global warming, we must realise that sweat equity is better than mechanisation. Sorry, think small, save big! Also, considering Peak Oil and Global warming, we must realise that sweat equity is better than mechanisation. Sorry, think small, save big!

]]> By: Kim http://rs.resalliance.org/2009/11/07/jon-foley-argues-for-resilient-integration-of-industrial-and-organic-agriculture/comment-page-1/#comment-221766 Kim Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:23:14 +0000 http://rs.resalliance.org/?p=1811#comment-221766 Monoculture has got to go. Biodiversity must be maintained. Heritage varieties may save our lives one day soon. Also, urban gardens need to be supported. Engage the children. Our public school properties are wastelands, while one in four kids in this province don't get adequate nutrition. Dig up enough space on these properties to teach the children how to grow food. They can utilise it at school and be ready to make good choices into adulthood. Urban children are also poorly educated about where food comes from, never mind how to produce it. The major problem there is, to many of us are 2 generations from the farm. "Get back, get back, get back to where you want to go!" Monoculture has got to go. Biodiversity must be maintained. Heritage varieties may save our lives one day soon. Also, urban gardens need to be supported. Engage the children. Our public school properties are wastelands, while one in four kids in this province don’t get adequate nutrition. Dig up enough space on these properties to teach the children how to grow food. They can utilise it at school and be ready to make good choices into adulthood. Urban children are also poorly educated about where food comes from, never mind how to produce it. The major problem there is, to many of us are 2 generations from the farm. “Get back, get back, get back to where you want to go!”

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