Agricultural Science Since 1950
Overview
Agriculture underwent a dramatic transformation after 1950. Farming became industrialized, and governments and corporations, for the most part, dictated what crops would be grown and where they could be sold. The stereotypical independent farmer, providing food for his family and selling surpluses at local markets for extra cash, began to vanish almost as quickly as fertile rural acreage was appropriated for development near expanding urban areas. While the amount of farmland and labor declined, populations worldwide increased rapidly. Production of adequate, nutritional food supplies was essential. Agricultural scientists and engineers focused on research to provide practical solutions for utilizing available resources efficiently. Several of these answers, however, provoked environmentally aware people to criticize scientific and engineered responses and suggest alternative agricultural methods.
Background
Some historians consider agriculture to have been static until the mid-twentieth century, when an agricultural revolution occurred because farmers embraced scientific techniques. During the Second World War an extreme shortage of farm workers resulted when people departed for military service, and mechanization was considered essential as a form of substitute labor. Such large machinery permitted one vehicle operator to perform a task in a few hours in comparison to many laborers requiring days.
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