Corn's transition from Environmental exploitation to Conservation

The history of corn is dominated by a rollercoaster of global political interests, production booms through technological advancements, and a legacy of environmental destruction.  In the early years of this nation corn was directed by a cycle of subsistence farming, with excess corn exported as flour, vegetable, or meat products from animals that corn was fed to.  This became the chief product of the US, and with foreign demand growing the US government decided to create incentives to expand the farming industry.  These programs were extremely successful, resulting in a migration to the great plains.

The result was dramatic.  The number of people, and the invention of devices that made sod busting easier, transformed the landscape.  Within one generation the Tallgrass prairie was virtually extinct and the Mixed grass prairie was reduced to remnants.  All victim of a mass landscape conversion who's speed of conversion and full extent was completely unprecedented in Human history.  It was an environmental disaster, but foreign demand was met and the industry prevailed.        

Corn technology continued to improve, and soon processed corn products created an increased demand for corn.  Land was no longer abundantly available, so an expansion of corn farm extent to meet that new demand was not possible.  Fortunately for the corn industry, production technology also increased with the introduction of the green revolution.  Industrial fertilizers and pesticides, along with more efficient mechanical devices, increased the yield of corn to meet the ever increasing demand.  Though this was called the green revolution, it had devastating effects on the environment.  Fertilizer and pesticide run off from farms poisoned streams and lakes and even created a massive dead zone in the ocean, crippling fisheries in the area.  

It was in the late 20th century that there was a sudden shift in attitude.  The exploitation of the environment was now getting attention and the entire countries philosophy was transitioning from one of exploitation to one of conservation and preservation.  Suddenly the price of meeting global demand at the expense of the environment was deemed too high.  Domestic demands started mingling with foreign demands when it came to corn production.  Eventually ushering in laws that banned more toxic pesticides, put regulation on chemical applications, and put a value on environmental consciousness.  

It was a new age in corn production, and technology stepped up to meet the new American consciousness.  Soil sensors were used to measure soil moisture and nutrient availability to determine the exact need of corn.  This allowed the farmer to carefully gauge the amount of water and fertilizers to his plant's specific need, which saved money, conserved water, and reduced fertilizer runoff.  New genetic modification technology created plants resistant to pesticides and herbicides, reducing the amount of chemicals needed which saved money and reduced chemical runoff.  Even soil erosion was reduced by leaving a certain height of stubble on the land after corn harvest.  The government also stepped in with initiatives like the Conservation Reserve Program, which paid farmers to let their farms go fallow and restore the portions of the prairies that were plowed over a century before. 

Today the global demand for corn is higher than ever.  The American agriculture industry is able to meet that demand while minimizing waste and being conservation minded.  Pollution from farm runoff is lower, soil erosion is lower, corn yields are higher despite less land being farmed, and there's more Mixed and Tallgrass prairie now than at the height of corn expansion.  The rollercoaster of the history of corn has demonstrated the worst and best sides of the industry.  With continued innovation the corn industry can continue meeting global demands while satisfying the conservation minded social conscience of the American people.

Thoughts on Capitalism

Capitalism is often portrayed as a system of exploitation, where plundered raw resources and slave wages are combined to create cheap goods for ridiculously high profits. Of course exploitation is rampant within the system of capitalism, but this is due to human greed and the desire to maximize profits at all costs. In the equation of capitalism, as written by Richard Robbins, money is used to buy goods which, when combined with labor, produces a product that can be sold for more money. Each component of that equation has a fair price. There is a fair value for raw resources, a fair value for labor, and a fair value for the finished product. What is "fair" may be subjective, but it typically revolves around sustainable resources, standards of living for the laborer, and enough profit to keep the company financially solvent and growing. Thus capitalism can be compatible with equality and social justice.

Unfortunately equality within capitalism is a theoretical optimum as opposed to the rule. Much larger profits and faster growth can be easily had through exploitation. Since maximizing profits is often a priority at the expense of all else, the majority of capitalism does ebb and flow on the ideals of exploitation. This can be in the form of plundering resources, underpaying labor, or exorbitant price increases of the final product. Federal regulations often don't help as they tend to hinder smaller businesses while those large corporations most at fault simply move to areas where the people or officials are willing to turn a blind eye to exploitation. Exploitation may seem unsustainable, and it should be considering the finite natural resources on the planet and the limits laborers are willing to endure, but corporations are resourceful in finding new innovative ways to exploit others to maximize profits. Perfect examples would be the US using the prison population for labor, or how Wal-Mart maintains its low prices by keeping wages so low that their employees rely on government aid to federally subsidize that low price. It doesn't have to be this way, again, capitalism can be compatible with equality and social justice. But it does seem that human nature and fair capitalism are not compatible.

About Me

Hi, I'm Christopher Bernau, a Rangeland Research Specialist at the Universtiy of Arizona's V bar V Experimental Ranch. My specialty is as a Rangeland ecologist with a particular interest in fire and arid system ecology. I have a variety of experience, with 15 years working jobs related to education, research, and land management. Much of that work was done in the Intermountain West on fuel loads in the Sagebrush Steppe, but I've also worked on post fire vegetation response across the western United States and I've spent time measuring habitat quality for the Sonoran pronghorn. In addition, I've had the opportunity to record and relocate sea turtle nests, take boyscouts on 21 day backpacking treks at Philmont scout ranch, and study exploding ants in a pristine tropical rainforest. My education includes a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Utah and a M.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Management from the University of Idaho.