Food sustainability requires systemic thinking and action

[Trakar]

Since some have asked about problem resolution, I think it is first necessary to look at our options for action. The first decision we would need to make is whether or not to continue as we have over the last half century or so. I own inclination is to reject the continuation of the present policies and practices as they have led us to the current, untenable situation.

So, if the current situation is unacceptable, what are our options?

Matthew has suggested that we eliminate all of the food assistance and charity work and replace this with birth-control assistance and campaigns. I don't think this would prove easy to sell to American politicians of either party, but I'm willing to entertain a more extensive examination of that possible solution if Matthew (and/or others) would care to more fully discuss and explain that proposal.

The OP links to a man who offers a book with an outline for a variety of resolution considerations, the book is for sale, but the author has also made it freely available as a downloadable .pdf so any who are interested can review his considerations. The book is called "World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse" and can be found at - Bookstore - World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse | EPI.

(I have only skimmed through it, and just begun (since the OP) to actually read through the work. While I already see several points of disagreement with the author, it is apparent that a lot of consideration and research has gone into the forming and support of his thesis so I'll save my review until after I complete his offering and have a chance to do a bit of research myself.)

For the purposes of this thread, however, I believe we can look at his central considerations regarding sustainable agriculture changes (many of which form the foundation of modern American small farming practices, and some of which seem logical extensions of these same practices). In his chapter 12 ("Feeding Eight Billion"), he talks about the main advances that led to the Western agricultural revolution namely the development of high-yeild crops, the use of more efficient fertilizers and soil-supplements, and the improvement of irrigation systems which allow the water to be more efficiently delivered and utilized in agricultural systems (I would think that we should add pesticides to that list though it is a tender spot for some environmentalists who don't seem to understand the difference between efficient usage and careless over-use/abuse). One of the other problems he mentions is the lack of supporting infrastructure throughout most of the world. It is horrifically ironic that several of the modern ag efforts in places like Ethiopia suffered not from the lack of resources and understanding in using modern agricultural techniques to turn dust into food (they actually raised bumper crops that were in excess of local need), rather, the lack of even basic roads and medium to heavy transport, meant that local markets were flooded with food causing prices to plummet crashing the market, there was no means of getting the food from the regions where it was being grown, to surrounding area markets or larger regional or cross-border markets. Likewise, areas that had previously not been able to support local needs had no facilities to properly store or convert the excess production into longer shelf-life consumables so much of the food produced ended up spoiling and becoming unusable. ---- this just outlines more depth to the problem rather than offering solutions, but it exemplifies that any potential solution needs to do much more than just provide food, or even books about how to grow food.

There are huge layers of basic infrastructure that we tend to overlook and take for granted in the US, that are the underpinnings of our success both as a nation and as individual entrepeneurs. These are often the most important distinction between 1rst world and 3rd world conditions, problems and solution options.

But these are just my early considerations as drawn, so far, from the OP material. Personally, I'm interested in other perspectives primarily because full consideration requires looking at issues from a lot of different angles and you never know what insight might be drawn from even a mistaken perception.

 

[Trakar]

Problem: (Fill in the blank)

Solution: Mo n' Bigga Government!

So where do you think your default consideration that the only viable solution to large societal problems is collective action by all people (AKA "goobermint intervention")? The only people I see pushing that trope in this thread seems to be those who are determined to make public action ineffective and impractical,...or at the least, determined to portray it as such.

 

[skookerasbil]

Since some have asked about problem resolution, I think it is first necessary to look at our options for action. The first decision we would need to make is whether or not to continue as we have over the last half century or so. I own inclination is to reject the continuation of the present policies and practices as they have led us to the current, untenable situation.

So, if the current situation is unacceptable, what are our options?

Matthew has suggested that we eliminate all of the food assistance and charity work and replace this with birth-control assistance and campaigns. I don't think this would prove easy to sell to American politicians of either party, but I'm willing to entertain a more extensive examination of that possible solution if Matthew (and/or others) would care to more fully discuss and explain that proposal.

The OP links to a man who offers a book with an outline for a variety of resolution considerations, the book is for sale, but the author has also made it freely available as a downloadable .pdf so any who are interested can review his considerations. The book is called "World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse" and can be found at - Bookstore - World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse | EPI.

(I have only skimmed through it, and just begun (since the OP) to actually read through the work. While I already see several points of disagreement with the author, it is apparent that a lot of consideration and research has gone into the forming and support of his thesis so I'll save my review until after I complete his offering and have a chance to do a bit of research myself.)

For the purposes of this thread, however, I believe we can look at his central considerations regarding sustainable agriculture changes (many of which form the foundation of modern American small farming practices, and some of which seem logical extensions of these same practices). In his chapter 12 ("Feeding Eight Billion"), he talks about the main advances that led to the Western agricultural revolution namely the development of high-yeild crops, the use of more efficient fertilizers and soil-supplements, and the improvement of irrigation systems which allow the water to be more efficiently delivered and utilized in agricultural systems (I would think that we should add pesticides to that list though it is a tender spot for some environmentalists who don't seem to understand the difference between efficient usage and careless over-use/abuse). One of the other problems he mentions is the lack of supporting infrastructure throughout most of the world. It is horrifically ironic that several of the modern ag efforts in places like Ethiopia suffered not from the lack of resources and understanding in using modern agricultural techniques to turn dust into food (they actually raised bumper crops that were in excess of local need), rather, the lack of even basic roads and medium to heavy transport, meant that local markets were flooded with food causing prices to plummet crashing the market, there was no means of getting the food from the regions where it was being grown, to surrounding area markets or larger regional or cross-border markets. Likewise, areas that had previously not been able to support local needs had no facilities to properly store or convert the excess production into longer shelf-life consumables so much of the food produced ended up spoiling and becoming unusable. ---- this just outlines more depth to the problem rather than offering solutions, but it exemplifies that any potential solution needs to do much more than just provide food, or even books about how to grow food.

There are huge layers of basic infrastructure that we tend to overlook and take for granted in the US, that are the underpinnings of our success both as a nation and as individual entrepeneurs. These are often the most important distinction between 1rst world and 3rd world conditions, problems and solution options.

But these are just my early considerations as drawn, so far, from the OP material. Personally, I'm interested in other perspectives primarily because full consideration requires looking at issues from a lot of different angles and you never know what insight might be drawn from even a mistaken perception.

Hate to burst your bubble s0n, but both you and me will be in our boxes for many, many decades before renewable energy is anything more than a fringe energy source........10% maybe by 2030 ( best projections).

We're on the precipice of another recession s0n........2013 is going to be a fucking disaster thanks to your guy........ US Economy Going from Bad to Worse: Roubini


Think nobody gives a flying fuck now about "global warming"??? Next year, might be 359 people who give a rats ass. Maybe...........



In 3 more months, all this intellectual shit gets mothballed for a few generations. Im throwing my own personal bash with my pals on election night. Watching MSNBC all night with wings and beers. Wouldnt miss it for the world..............cant miss TV.,

 

[Oddball]

Problem: (Fill in the blank)

Solution: Mo n' Bigga Government!

 

[Trakar]

...Hate to burst your bubble s0n, but both you and me will be in our boxes for many, many decades before renewable energy is anything more than a fringe energy source........10% maybe by 2030 ( best projections).

Speaking of bursting bubbles,...:

IEA - Renewable energy

...In 2009, the world relied on renewable sources for around 13.1% of its primary energy supply, according to IEA statistics. Renewables accounted for 19.5% of global electricity generation and 3% of global energy consumption for road transport in the same year
(...)
In the IEA scenarios, what is the outlook for renewables?
Renewables increase their penetration significantly in all long-term scenarios. For example, in the central scenario of the World Energy Outlook, the New Policies Scenario – which takes account of broad policy commitments and plans that have been announced by countries – renewable electricity generation grows threefold from 2009 to 2035. In the 450 Scenario – which is in line with limiting global warming to about 2°C – renewables grow even more; by a factor of almost four. As a carbon dioxide emissions reduction option, renewables and biofuels come in second only to energy efficiency improvements in IEA scenarios...

We're on the precipice of another recession s0n........2013 is going to be a fucking disaster thanks to your guy........ US Economy Going from Bad to Worse: Roubini


Think nobody gives a flying fuck now about "global warming"??? Next year, might be 359 people who give a rats ass. Maybe...........

Just because you hate the world and prefer to liplock a shotgun barrel doesn't mean the rest of the world shares your psychopathic derangement.

In 3 more months, all this intellectual shit gets mothballed for a few generations. Im throwing my own personal bash with my pals on election night. Watching MSNBC all night with wings and beers. Wouldnt miss it for the world..............cant miss TV.,

The biggest delusion of all is thinking that election night 2012 is gong to make any difference at all to this issue regardless of who wins. Either choice is a loser for the Nation.

 

[skookerasbil]

...Hate to burst your bubble s0n, but both you and me will be in our boxes for many, many decades before renewable energy is anything more than a fringe energy source........10% maybe by 2030 ( best projections).

Speaking of bursting bubbles,...:

IEA - Renewable energy

...In 2009, the world relied on renewable sources for around 13.1% of its primary energy supply, according to IEA statistics. Renewables accounted for 19.5% of global electricity generation and 3% of global energy consumption for road transport in the same year
(...)
In the IEA scenarios, what is the outlook for renewables?
Renewables increase their penetration significantly in all long-term scenarios. For example, in the central scenario of the World Energy Outlook, the New Policies Scenario – which takes account of broad policy commitments and plans that have been announced by countries – renewable electricity generation grows threefold from 2009 to 2035. In the 450 Scenario – which is in line with limiting global warming to about 2°C – renewables grow even more; by a factor of almost four. As a carbon dioxide emissions reduction option, renewables and biofuels come in second only to energy efficiency improvements in IEA scenarios...

We're on the precipice of another recession s0n........2013 is going to be a fucking disaster thanks to your guy........ US Economy Going from Bad to Worse: Roubini


Think nobody gives a flying fuck now about "global warming"??? Next year, might be 359 people who give a rats ass. Maybe...........

Just because you hate the world and prefer to liplock a shotgun barrel doesn't mean the rest of the world shares your psychopathic derangement.

In 3 more months, all this intellectual shit gets mothballed for a few generations. Im throwing my own personal bash with my pals on election night. Watching MSNBC all night with wings and beers. Wouldnt miss it for the world..............cant miss TV.,

The biggest delusion of all is thinking that election night 2012 is gong to make any difference at all to this issue regardless of who wins. Either choice is a loser for the Nation.

meh......but a winner for me. Watching those "we're smarter than everybody else" assholes on MSNBC twistiing in misery on electioin night on MSNBC........it doesnt get better than that. Too........knowing Crap and Trade is dead as a doornail makes it that much more of a hoot.

Hey........all I care about is that zero significant climate legislation is happenng for a long, long time............eight years at a minimum since the House will stay red to 2020 ( redistricting by GOP governors is a beautiful thing). Wind and solar will creep along as tiny lttle bones are thrown to the k00k environmentalists.........maybe 7% be the end of this decade. The k00ks will still be throwing their bombs in here and I will still be doing lots and lots of laughing!!!

 

[skookerasbil]

The radicals can hoot and hoolar all they want about "the science".........as they have been doing for years now. Their efforts sink further and further into the toilet and the smartasses are too stupid to change the game plan. Its not even debatable at this point.


I dont spend half a second debating all the temperature/ice/glacier yada yada drivel, because thats all it is. The k00ks spend hours and hours a day doing this and its like shooting spitballs at the ass of an elephant. My presence here is simply to highlight the fact that these dolts spend all their time highlighting a suppossed problem ( which isnt even able to be proven) when the real issue is, there are zero practical solutions even if the problem were confirmed. Indeed, its an exercise in futilty..........over, and over and over. This forum is nothing more than a hobby area for fubar'd OCD environmentalists..........and Im here to point out that fact every single day.........in rather astute fashion, I might add.

 

[dblack]

Heh... saw this coming. Once the authoritarians get control of our health care, the food supply is the next logical step. And we thought we outlawed slavery.... suckers!

 

[bobgnote]

Heh... saw this coming. Once the authoritarians get control of our health care, the food supply is the next logical step. And we thought we outlawed slavery.... suckers!

The gridlock and boondoggle plan of the two-party, waste, fraud, and abuse conspirators advanced, to a Republican-intensive agenda, by 2010.

Because black Obamney is TRYING TO BE A LOSER, he advocated cap-and-trade, in January 2008, saying his plan would increase energy prices, which could be a source of funding. Black Obamney never really implemented an energy policy, but for hemming and hawing and refusing to lead, while fracking remains unregulated.

Because black Obamney can't lead his wee-wee into a urinal, without the Secret Service or Michelle holding his dork, for him, black Obamney promised in 2008, 2010, and 2012, to prioritize climate change. Of course, black Obamney and Joe Biden had to find out, how white Obamney would get outed, as a basher, for Joe Biden to out black Obamney, to endorse same-sex marriage, without any substantive support, for that or equal rights, of any kind.

Because neither Obamney can LEAD, we are going to move, from a situation, where the CIA has a Center on Climate Change and National Security, but it has to clam up, about anything going on, since the Republicans will attack its funding.

Black Obamney leads, about as well as Al Gore, who has NO MOTIVE, TO LEAD, since he has sold a book and a movie, and he lectures, to masturbators, who like to see a lot of wingpunk nutjobs, running around, since for Al Gore and black Obmaney, RWNJs are GOOD FOR BUSINESS! I don't know why they get into office, but there they are!

Somebody will get hungry, DD, so the government will get into food. Any argument?

 

[flacaltenn]

Clearly AGW is the new home of Eugenicists.

Cult of AGW. Eugenicists Welcome!!

Eugenicists AND Economic Imperialists. Give them filthy hordes a solar powered flashlight, some condoms, a USDA food pyramid and a squiggly bulb.. Show them the PROPER way to sustain the planet..

Excuse me whilst I power up my 60HP riding tractor mower with the bluetooth entertainment console and dual cup holders..

 

[flacaltenn]

Got an idea..

Why don't we stop burning corn for fuel so those food riots down in Mexico stop and they can make Corn and Flour tortillas again?
Al Gore spoketh and sayeth that he screwed up.. So sorry -- bad idea again.. What you green toads gonna demand next?

 

[flacaltenn]

<<Trakar>>

For the purposes of this thread, however, I believe we can look at his central considerations regarding sustainable agriculture changes (many of which form the foundation of modern American small farming practices, and some of which seem logical extensions of these same practices). In his chapter 12 ("Feeding Eight Billion"), he talks about the main advances that led to the Western agricultural revolution namely the development of high-yeild crops, the use of more efficient fertilizers and soil-supplements, and the improvement of irrigation systems which allow the water to be more efficiently delivered and utilized in agricultural systems (I would think that we should add pesticides to that list though it is a tender spot for some environmentalists who don't seem to understand the difference between efficient usage and careless over-use/abuse). One of the other problems he mentions is the lack of supporting infrastructure throughout most of the world. It is horrifically ironic that several of the modern ag efforts in places like Ethiopia suffered not from the lack of resources and understanding in using modern agricultural techniques to turn dust into food (they actually raised bumper crops that were in excess of local need), rather, the lack of even basic roads and medium to heavy transport, meant that local markets were flooded with food causing prices to plummet crashing the market, there was no means of getting the food from the regions where it was being grown, to surrounding area markets or larger regional or cross-border markets.

Zimbabwe was the leading food EXPORTER in Africa before a power hungry, RACIST, Marxist radical nationalized the successful farms and businesses. I suggest that you're solving the wrong problem.

Seriously -- everytime I hear "sustainability" --- I can write the rest of the script.

BIG farming bad -- SMALL farming good. You know -- Mugabe has the same ANTI-MARKET, collectivist views about scale of industry.. And he's wrong.. Producing stuff LOCALLY on small scales is WASTEFUL and inefficient. That's why in the paragraph I quoted above ..... it was FOOLISH to build food factories without the neccessary infrastructure. And LOCAL production at the cute/cuddly "sustainable" scale wouldn't work either.

Why is it that once you're a corporate hating, anti-market leftist -- the solution to everything is devolve technology and move to building tire factories in every small commune? Gotta be a remarkable lack of knowledge about efficiencies of scale and leveraging technology correctly.

You honestly believe that a low tech single family farm in Africa is gonna produce what Africans need to survive? That by putting all those excess Africans into back-breaking "sustainable" methods that you're helping them? That by using 20X the labor and 3X the land that you need -- that you've solved a problem?

Help me appreciate that "sustainability" is anything more than collectivist code for anti-market, anti-tech, communal tribalism.

 

[Trakar]

In reference to my previous issue, helping people to grow more food with modern equipment and advanced agricultural understandings isn't going to help these people to harvest, store, transport and distribute these foods in an effective manner, that is why it is just as important to help these areas build roads, carbon-neutral reliable power production and distribution facilities, railroads, improved ports, and all the other elements that are essential to modern agricultural practices and production. These aren't an issue of political preference or persuasion, just a simple statement of fact, facts recognized and acknowledged by those much more qualified than myself, to make such assessements:

"Sub-Saharan Africa: Effects of

Infrastructure Conditions on Export
Competitiveness, Third Annual Report"​

Investigation No. 332-477

This report describes conditions in the land transport, maritime transport, and electricity infrastructure sectors, and examines their effects on export competitiveness in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly on the following industries: coffee, shea butter, and certain tropical fruit (pineapples and bananas) in the agricultural sector; natural rubber and related downstream products, textiles and apparel, and leather in the manufacturing sector; and tourism services in the services sector.

Infrastructure conditions in SSA have a significant effect on the ability of firms to produce and export goods and services competitively. Relatively poor infrastructure conditions place many SSA producers and exporters of goods and services at a competitive disadvantage in regional and global export markets, increasing costs and compromising product quality, rendering both merchandise and services exports less competitive vis-à-vis exporters that may not be similarly disadvantaged. Roads in SSA are often unpaved and poorly maintained, rail networks are limited, and ports lack sufficient capacity. As a result, SSA producers often incur increased transportation costs and shipment delays. Electricity infrastructure is largely inadequate, unreliable, and poorly developed, particularly in rural areas, requiring producers to rely on more expensive on-site power generators, which further increase production costs.
However, SSA governments and the private sector are implementing various strategies, including government regulatory reform, increased investment, and new applications of technology to improve infrastructure conditions within SSA, often in conjunction with neighboring countries, SSA regional organizations, multilateral institutions, and non-SSA countries...

"Mission 2014: Feeding the World"

...Inadequate Food Distribution Systems

Enough food is produced worldwide to feed all the people in the world (Leathers, p. 133). However, despite this alarming truth, nearly 1 billion people are suffering from chronic hunger today. There are a wide range of factors that contribute to this problem, but perhaps one of the most significant is poor food distribution...

"Market-oriented agricultural infrastructure:
appraisal of public-private partnerships"​

...

A major, if not the major, component of competitiveness in agricultural value chains is access to affordable physical infrastructure. This includes infrastructure that supports on-farm production (irrigation, energy, transportation, pre- and post-harvest storage), ensures efficient trading and exchange (telecommunications, covered markets), adds value to the domestic economy (agroprocessing and packaging facilities), and enables produce to move rapidly and efficiently from farmgate to processing facilities, and on to wholesalers (transportation and bulk storage). In a recent study on agricultural investment in Africa by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), poor access to infrastructure services was cited as &#8220;the greatest impediment to growth of agribusinesses".

And so on...​

more if any are interested. ​

I would love to find a way to encourage the American Ag industry to find a fair and profittable way to accomplish this as a venture investment spread among many investors to distribute costs and the risk. Lacking this, however, some of this type of foundational infrastructure support goes a long ways towards building stable and productive nationstates who are potential customers for American products and Ideals, and I wouldn't be opposed to having a portion of our collective tax revenues going towards generating such goodwill, and market building. Perhaps there's even a way to blend such operations of joint private and public action that would improve upon the efficacy of such efforts.​

 

[there4eyeM]

5% of the earth's population using at least 25% of the energy doesn't give that group much of a talking point on teaching others.

Over consumption was not started by 'starving masses that make 9 kids per family'. It is a left-over from a past that is inappropriate today. Rolling around in grotesquely over-size autos, for example, could reasonably be ended by rational thinking, but too many are willing to sacrifice too many others in order to maintain an unsustainable lifestyle.

 

[Oddball]

5% of the earth's population using at least 25% of the energy doesn't give that group much of a talking point on teaching others.

It does when those consuming that energy produce 1/3 of the world's material wealth.

Seems to me that the people using the other 75% of the energy and only producing the other 2/3 of the wealth could use some lessons in efficiency.

Over consumption was not started by 'starving masses that make 9 kids per family'. It is a left-over from a past that is inappropriate today. Rolling around in grotesquely over-size autos, for example, could reasonably be ended by rational thinking, but too many are willing to sacrifice too many others in order to maintain an unsustainable lifestyle.

Right...With do-gooder know-it-all technocrat central planners doing the decision making on what constitutes "appropriate", "rational", "reasonable" and "sustainable"...Of course, exempting themselves and the rest of the ruling class from such niggling constraints.

 

[flacaltenn]

5% of the earth's population using at least 25% of the energy doesn't give that group much of a talking point on teaching others.

Over consumption was not started by 'starving masses that make 9 kids per family'. It is a left-over from a past that is inappropriate today. Rolling around in grotesquely over-size autos, for example, could reasonably be ended by rational thinking, but too many are willing to sacrifice too many others in order to maintain an unsustainable lifestyle.

Well well well, the old progressive global redistribution argument rises again.. You need to check those numbers.. They are rapidly changing. You guys won the argument.

In case you haven't noticed -- the redistribution has begun and you should PROUD of the progress in China and Asia and S. and Central America in general. All our jobs, alll our venture capital, ALL PROPERLY redistributed. And soon --- SO WILL BE the energy use.. I take it you won't be happy til it's ALL equitably redistributed.. Keep working at it !!!!

 

[skookerasbil]

All that Club of Rome crap was debunked long, long ago..................c'mon..........

 

[skookerasbil]

5% of the earth's population using at least 25% of the energy doesn't give that group much of a talking point on teaching others.

Over consumption was not started by 'starving masses that make 9 kids per family'. It is a left-over from a past that is inappropriate today. Rolling around in grotesquely over-size autos, for example, could reasonably be ended by rational thinking, but too many are willing to sacrifice too many others in order to maintain an unsustainable lifestyle.

yup.....thats the sentiment of all the hate America types. Fuck them..........thankfully, its a fringe minority of nutters.

 

[flacaltenn]

In reference to my previous issue, helping people to grow more food with modern equipment and advanced agricultural understandings isn't going to help these people to harvest, store, transport and distribute these foods in an effective manner, that is why it is just as important to help these areas build roads, carbon-neutral reliable power production and distribution facilities, railroads, improved ports, and all the other elements that are essential to modern agricultural practices and production. These aren't an issue of political preference or persuasion, just a simple statement of fact, facts recognized and acknowledged by those much more qualified than myself, to make such assessements:

"Sub-Saharan Africa: Effects of

Infrastructure Conditions on Export
Competitiveness, Third Annual Report"​

Investigation No. 332-477

This report describes conditions in the land transport, maritime transport, and electricity infrastructure sectors, and examines their effects on export competitiveness in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly on the following industries: coffee, shea butter, and certain tropical fruit (pineapples and bananas) in the agricultural sector; natural rubber and related downstream products, textiles and apparel, and leather in the manufacturing sector; and tourism services in the services sector.

Infrastructure conditions in SSA have a significant effect on the ability of firms to produce and export goods and services competitively. Relatively poor infrastructure conditions place many SSA producers and exporters of goods and services at a competitive disadvantage in regional and global export markets, increasing costs and compromising product quality, rendering both merchandise and services exports less competitive vis-à-vis exporters that may not be similarly disadvantaged. Roads in SSA are often unpaved and poorly maintained, rail networks are limited, and ports lack sufficient capacity. As a result, SSA producers often incur increased transportation costs and shipment delays. Electricity infrastructure is largely inadequate, unreliable, and poorly developed, particularly in rural areas, requiring producers to rely on more expensive on-site power generators, which further increase production costs.
However, SSA governments and the private sector are implementing various strategies, including government regulatory reform, increased investment, and new applications of technology to improve infrastructure conditions within SSA, often in conjunction with neighboring countries, SSA regional organizations, multilateral institutions, and non-SSA countries...

"Mission 2014: Feeding the World"

...Inadequate Food Distribution Systems

Enough food is produced worldwide to feed all the people in the world (Leathers, p. 133). However, despite this alarming truth, nearly 1 billion people are suffering from chronic hunger today. There are a wide range of factors that contribute to this problem, but perhaps one of the most significant is poor food distribution...

"Market-oriented agricultural infrastructure:
appraisal of public-private partnerships"​

...

A major, if not the major, component of competitiveness in agricultural value chains is access to affordable physical infrastructure. This includes infrastructure that supports on-farm production (irrigation, energy, transportation, pre- and post-harvest storage), ensures efficient trading and exchange (telecommunications, covered markets), adds value to the domestic economy (agroprocessing and packaging facilities), and enables produce to move rapidly and efficiently from farmgate to processing facilities, and on to wholesalers (transportation and bulk storage). In a recent study on agricultural investment in Africa by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), poor access to infrastructure services was cited as “the greatest impediment to growth of agribusinesses".

And so on...​

more if any are interested. ​

I would love to find a way to encourage the American Ag industry to find a fair and profittable way to accomplish this as a venture investment spread among many investors to distribute costs and the risk. Lacking this, however, some of this type of foundational infrastructure support goes a long ways towards building stable and productive nationstates who are potential customers for American products and Ideals, and I wouldn't be opposed to having a portion of our collective tax revenues going towards generating such goodwill, and market building. Perhaps there's even a way to blend such operations of joint private and public action that would improve upon the efficacy of such efforts.​

Not disagreeing about the requirement for reliable food distribution as well as production.

But as I said before -- the big impediment to this is largely lack of free markets and rule of law --- NOT hard infrastructure. American agriculture never really DEMANDED the pre-existence of infrastructure did it? Not even when cattle were DRIVEN by horseback for a thousand miles.

I'm NOT so concerned about the requirement for "carbon neutral" power sources of course. But you know why THAT is... I'd rather if we're gonna play economic imperialists here --- that we insist on POLLUTION FREE sources of power..