ABSTRACT

Current large-scale “industrial” farming practices constitute threats to human ecological sustainability, both in animal husbandry (meat and dairy production) and in agriculture (crop production). This chapter will examine the threats to sustainability posed by such farming operations and will then present some alternatives. The question of whether large-scale centralized agriculture and animal production is necessary to “feed the masses” will also be considered. Finally, we look at global food systems trends such as competition for cropland and the impact this has on food prices and world hunger.