Much of modern agricultural technology is designed to serve the interests of those who control the agricultural system -- a few large farmers, providers of credit or agricultural inputs, the marketing organizations -- rather than the needs of farmers, especially small farmers. When I was a graduate student at Berkeley, I tried to organize some of the most progressive agricultural scientists to work with small farmers. I took them to visit one small farmer who worked near a freeway and a drive-in theater. He'd never been to a movie.
When the scientists asked him questions, they had no idea what he was doing, because his techniques, as well as it is technological needs, were so different from the corporate farmers. For example, he was growing some radishes. They looked terrible. Yet he was very proud of them. He pulled one from the ground and it was filled with bugs. No problem. The idea was that the radishes were to lure the bugs from the broccoli. The scientists saw that he seemed to be spreading pesticides. No. He wasn't. It was a chalky calcium mix. What was it for? He didn't know. His father used to do it and it seemed to work.
This man was in desperate need of science to help him compete, but the science that the university was providing was geared to the farmers with thousands and thousands of acres. Has anyone read The King of California. A wonderful book that gives you an idea of how the agricultural system works. Good professors in my department got in trouble merely for suggesting inequities in the way the California was distributing its irrigation water. There was more than 30 years ago, and I assume that nothing was said there in the intervening years.
-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu