Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
lesser-scale societies, the reality of the situation is that it will be almost impossible
for lesser-scale societies to address the factors impeding adoption. To adequately
address soil and water conservation issues within lesser-scale societies populated by
subsistence farmers requires massive human and financial resources that these types
of countries simply do not possess. Most lesser-scale societies would have to practi-
cally restructure their total institutional system and empower masses of lower-class
people. These actions would be strongly resisted by those who presently possess the
political, social, and economic power within lesser-scale societies.
It is highly unlikely that lesser-scale societies will ever be able to successfully
address the environmental problems associated with degradation of agricultural land
without extensive support from high-scale societies. Support in the form of technical
assistance, provision of economic resources to purchase requisite inputs, aid in the
development of market and educational infrastructures, access to farm technologies
and biotechnological innovations that are appropriate for subsistence farmers, and
development of information diffusion systems are the most important contributions
that high-scale societies can make available to lesser-scale societies.
Gould (1994) notes that economic and technical assistance will be required from
high-scale societies, or subsistence farmers in lesser-scale societies have no hope of
adopting soil and water conservation production systems at the farm level. Gould
observes that high-scale societies must be prepared to provide these types of support
for extended periods of time because it will take many years for lesser-scale societies
to achieve the level of institutional development to effectively address environmental
problems associated with soil erosion of agricultural lands.
While Gould and others who advance these types of development approaches are
probably correct that such actions are sorely needed by lesser-scale societies, it is
highly unlikely that high-scale societies will be able to provide such aid in the near
term. Given the severe economic difficulties presently being experienced by many
high-scale societies, it is highly unlikely that surplus socioeconomic resources will
be available to aid other countries. The United States is certainly not in any posi-
tion at the present time to offer large sums of money and technical assistance to
lesser-scale societies because the country has experienced severe deficit spending
and rapidly increasing national debt during the last decade. Priority will have to be
given to domestic conservation issues before serious consideration can be given to
international conservation problems at the level required to have an effect. Since
the present economic situation in the United States is problematic and will probably
remain so for years, combined with the fact that domestic conservation problems
are becoming more severe over time, it will probably be decades before domestic
conservation problems will be adequately addressed to the point that resources can
be reallocated to provide significant aid to other countries.
Napier (2009) notes that domestic and world demand for food and fiber has
increased commodity prices to the point that most US farmers are now strongly
motivated to maximize production. Marginal land has been brought back into pro-
duction, and the costs associated with implementing set-aside programs are rapidly
increasing. Practically all domestic soil and water conservation programs in the
United States are no longer being adequately funded owing to declining federal,
state, and local economic resources. The cost of maintaining domestic conservation
