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Essentially what you’re saying is that farmers have convinced wealthy people to pay them to stop growing food. If this catches on in a major way then I can thin

Essentially what you’re saying is that farmers have convinced wealthy people to pay them to stop growing food. If this catches on in a major way then I can think of at least one reason this will turn out badly.

jvanderbot 7y ago
They're giving an opportunity for wealthier patrons to subsidize the pesticide-free production of food. Yes, they can ask for all of it to be bee playground, but markets still exist and food prices still will fluctuate
- coribuci 7y ago
  > They're giving an opportunity for wealthier patrons to subsidize the pesticide-free production of food. No, they are just defending themselves with crappy arguments. The real truth is people are lazy and do not (those who have the possibility ) want to grow vegetables in their back yard. They prefer to buy the cheapest industrially produced food from the supermarket. This leads to increased demand for crap food and indirectly to use of pesticides.
- chongli 7y ago
  My point is that if it becomes popular among wealthy people to sponsor the conversion of productive farmland into what is essentially wildlife preserve then food prices could go way up, threatening food security.
  - stjohnswarts 7y ago
    Highly unlikely, rich people give a significant amount of money to charities but in general it's a drop in the ocean compared to the overall economy and government spending. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
SyneRyder 7y ago
I admit your comment has amused me :) Rather than comment either way and inevitably offend someone on the internet, I'll link to the specific part of the documentary & include a transcript for those who would rather read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKpknKwbKsI&t=17m20s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKpknKwbKsI&t=17m20s FL: "At the bottom here, where you see this older leaf, you can see these very small black pustules there. The disease is called Septoria Tritic, and then you have a poor yield." EC: "That's why you need pesticides?" FL: "Correct. That's why you need pesticides, so you can protect this plant for the next eight weeks." EC" "Is it possible to operate without pesticides or plant protection?" FL: "Yes, it's possible of course. Our forefathers also did agriculture without using pesticides. But it has to be said that we have eight billion people on Earth, and without pesticide, without fertilisation, it is not possible to feed these people." Franz Lehner says if Greenies in the city really want to help to change farming, they have to do more than sign petitions - they need to open their wallets. He's started a program for people to sponsor bee-friendly crops, and get their name on a stick for it. EC: "This is interesting! Farmers like Franz are now leasing their land for people in the city to sponsor growing flowers to help bees and other insects. Rather than, what - Kartoffeln, oder? - rather than potatoes or something, people have to pay, or can pay, farmers to grow flowers. So instead of just signing the petition, they actually give money as well. Ok? Eine gut idee, ja? Gut für Bauern?" FL: "Yes, good for farmers, good for the environment, good for the people in the city." Other businesses are cashing in on the concerns. German and Dutch hardware stores are now featuring Bee-Friendly flowers, and Bee hotels.
pvaldes 7y ago
> to stop growing food More like removing the economic pressure of using poison to growing food, that is a different case
cafard 7y ago
The US government pays farmers not to grow food--certain foods in varying amounts certain years--and I think that the EU surely must also.

jvanderbot 7y ago

They're giving an opportunity for wealthier patrons to subsidize the pesticide-free production of food. Yes, they can ask for all of it to be bee playground, but markets still exist and food prices still will fluctuate

coribuci 7y ago
> They're giving an opportunity for wealthier patrons to subsidize the pesticide-free production of food. No, they are just defending themselves with crappy arguments. The real truth is people are lazy and do not (those who have the possibility ) want to grow vegetables in their back yard. They prefer to buy the cheapest industrially produced food from the supermarket. This leads to increased demand for crap food and indirectly to use of pesticides.
chongli 7y ago
My point is that if it becomes popular among wealthy people to sponsor the conversion of productive farmland into what is essentially wildlife preserve then food prices could go way up, threatening food security.
- stjohnswarts 7y ago
  Highly unlikely, rich people give a significant amount of money to charities but in general it's a drop in the ocean compared to the overall economy and government spending. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

SyneRyder 7y ago

I admit your comment has amused me :) Rather than comment either way and inevitably offend someone on the internet, I'll link to the specific part of the documentary & include a transcript for those who would rather read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKpknKwbKsI&t=17m20s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKpknKwbKsI&t=17m20s FL: "At the bottom here, where you see this older leaf, you can see these very small black pustules there. The disease is called Septoria Tritic, and then you have a poor yield." EC: "That's why you need pesticides?" FL: "Correct. That's why you need pesticides, so you can protect this plant for the next eight weeks." EC" "Is it possible to operate without pesticides or plant protection?" FL: "Yes, it's possible of course. Our forefathers also did agriculture without using pesticides. But it has to be said that we have eight billion people on Earth, and without pesticide, without fertilisation, it is not possible to feed these people." Franz Lehner says if Greenies in the city really want to help to change farming, they have to do more than sign petitions - they need to open their wallets. He's started a program for people to sponsor bee-friendly crops, and get their name on a stick for it. EC: "This is interesting! Farmers like Franz are now leasing their land for people in the city to sponsor growing flowers to help bees and other insects. Rather than, what - Kartoffeln, oder? - rather than potatoes or something, people have to pay, or can pay, farmers to grow flowers. So instead of just signing the petition, they actually give money as well. Ok? Eine gut idee, ja? Gut für Bauern?" FL: "Yes, good for farmers, good for the environment, good for the people in the city." Other businesses are cashing in on the concerns. German and Dutch hardware stores are now featuring Bee-Friendly flowers, and Bee hotels.

pvaldes 7y ago

> to stop growing food More like removing the economic pressure of using poison to growing food, that is a different case

cafard 7y ago

The US government pays farmers not to grow food--certain foods in varying amounts certain years--and I think that the EU surely must also.