The Foreign Service Journal, October 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2015 41 No, it is not. The post-World War II model of American agriculture is only destined to make other countries increas- ingly dependent on foreign aid, leaving them with a weakened farming and rural infrastructure that cannot support the popu- lation. Nor is it in the interest of U.S. foreign policy to foster urban migration, driving people off the land into teeming cities with no jobs, but plenty of drugs, crime and HIV/AIDS. More “efficient” farming, in fact, often creates increased unemploy- ment, which only leads to other problems that our assistance must then try to manage. Our foreign policy agricultural agenda should not tell farm- ers around the world to “adapt or die.” Rather, we should be helping them to survive and thrive. Good Farming…and Its Opposite Good farming improves the land and keeps people on the land. The Chinese have farmed their land for more than 4,000 years, as have many other cultures around the world, and their soils were fertile until the advent of “modern” farming prac- tices in recent years. Even periodic famines in China, Ethiopia and other countries throughout history were due more to poli- tics and lack of infrastructure than to actual food deficits. Many modern practices “mine” the soil of nutrients and minerals rather than rebuilding and growing topsoil. Good farms are diversified, usually with a mix of crops and livestock, with nutrients added to the soil naturally. Good farms are managed by men and women who love their land and want to pass it on in good shape to their children. Good farming is a challenging, intellectual skill that requires knowl- edge of botany, biology, chemistry, climate, animal husbandry and even business and accounting. Good farming, as it has been done for thousands of years around the world and is done today in the United States on small, diversified, organic farms, makes the land better and better with each passing year. There are Amish farms in Penn- sylvania that have been farmed for more than 200 years by MICHAELMCCLELLAN Millions of cattle could be put to work as draft animals on small farms in South Sudan. Doing so requires low cash inputs and low-level technology. And, typically, according to Tillers International , it will double or triple a small farm’s output over hand labor.