How Has the Growth in Society Impacted Agriculture?

By Wyatt Antle

Agriculture is the practice of farming and producing the materials and food people need. Society’s growth has changed how farmers work in agriculture in various ways. Their farmland provides the community with some of the most essential necessities for survival, yet their work goes unnoticed. This isn’t something that has been resolved; it's still going on today. This should be brought up because the number of people joining agriculture is shrinking, and farmers are getting little to no credit for their hard work.

“Because it is very hard work to do and the producer that starts gets the least amount of money,” said Abbigail Johnson.

Johnson is the agriculture teacher for Pueblo County High School. She has been teaching agriculture for 3 years, including Introduction to Agriculture and Principles of Agriculture. Johnson is also an involved member of the Future Farmers of America community.

First, let's define what agriculture does for us. It provides people with food, supplies, and water, among other things. Agriculture provides everyone with a lot so that the public can live a good, happy life. The sad part, though, is that farmers barely get any credit back. They break their backs every day to help society, and are given nothing. But the worst part of all this is that farmers get only 7 cents back for every dollar Americans spend on their products. 

“When a consumer spends $1 on food produced in the U.S., just $0.07 of that dollar goes back to the farmers. The rest supports the wrap-around industries that deliver, sell, and market food products to consumers, including food services, food processing, retail, wholesale, energy, transportation, finance/insurance, and other sectors. This ripple effect of the food dollar stems from agricultural activities and directly benefits local restaurants, supermarkets, and other Main Street businesses,” said Makinizi Hoover and Isabella Lucy from the United States Chamber of Commerce.

One of the several factors that discourages people from pursuing agriculture is the environment. For example, soil and water affect resources and agriculture in general, with droughts that can negatively affect how farmers' crops grow. The quality of the environment in which they work can impact farmers. If the soil is dry and unhealthy, the plants won’t grow as well. The plants could get too much sunlight and not enough water, making them dry and bleached. Even the farmers' health can impact the way they work. Farmers go through a lot, so they are at risk of getting hurt or sick and halting the production of their harvest. There are just natural causes, too with wildfires, droughts, and everything in between for farmers and their crops. Farmers go through a ton just to make sure that their crops can survive the harvest season. Another reason that shows how much farmers do to help people's lives.

“Climate change can make conditions better or worse for growing crops in different regions. For example, changes in temperature, rainfall, and frost-free days are leading to longer growing seasons in almost every state. A longer growing season can have both positive and negative impacts on food production. Some farmers may be able to plant longer-maturing crops or more crop cycles altogether. In contrast, others may need to provide more irrigation over a longer, hotter growing season,” according to a post made by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply.

People need to understand what agriculture does for us. Helping end poverty and boost the economy. Agriculture helps get rid of some big environmental problems, like greenhouse gases. Using different affordable ways to drop greenhouse gas levels. But agriculture isn’t used to its full potential. Being underused and just left on the side, unnoticed. Recent problems like the weather discourage the practice of agriculture. Extreme weather and economic-related issues have been slowing farmers' efforts to feed 10 billion people! These new conflicts are putting millions at risk of not having the food they need for a healthy diet. The nation has to be part of agriculture to help it evolve. Helping change and feed the mouths of the people in need.

Agriculture provides people with jobs, supplies that build the economy, and helps keep society together. Without the farmers and agriculture, everyone would be swimming in poverty and starvation. Their community needs to be noticed more in this modern day and age. How much it does for us, and how society can help evolve and improve it. Give agriculture a chance. 

Sources:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/overview

https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply

https://www.uschamber.com/security/agriculture-regulations/how-agriculture-supports-the-american-economy-and-main-street-businesses