• Continuing our #worldfoodday coverage with a short preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . 82 percent of all almonds in the world are produced in California’s Central Valley. Almonds need a lot of water to grow, about 5 liters for a single fruit. Nevertheless almond plantations are constantly expanded in the Central Valley, as they are highly profitable. Despite high irrigation costs due to the prolonged drought, annual profits of almonds run at 3000-5000 dollars per acre. They are fully mechanically harvested and require little labor input, which keeps the cost low compared to fruit orchards.
    Continuing our #worldfoodday coverage with a short preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . 82 percent of all almonds in the world are produced in California’s Central Valley. Almonds need a lot of water to grow, about 5 liters for a single fruit. Nevertheless almond plantations are constantly expanded in the Central Valley, as they are highly profitable. Despite high irrigation costs due to the prolonged drought, annual profits of almonds run at 3000-5000 dollars per acre. They are fully mechanically harvested and require little labor input, which keeps the cost low compared to fruit orchards.
  • Continuing our #worldfoodday coverage with a short preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Despite the multi-year drought new almond orchards are continually planted in California. Almond trees and other permanent crops can’t be fallowed during a drought year and need year round irrigation. This leads to demand hardening and reduced flexibility in the system. But due to the high value of farmland in the Central Valley – around 30,000 Dollars per acre – farmers are required to plant highly profitable crops.
    Continuing our #worldfoodday coverage with a short preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Despite the multi-year drought new almond orchards are continually planted in California. Almond trees and other permanent crops can’t be fallowed during a drought year and need year round irrigation. This leads to demand hardening and reduced flexibility in the system. But due to the high value of farmland in the Central Valley – around 30,000 Dollars per acre – farmers are required to plant highly profitable crops.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. During the winter migrant workers on H2a visas harvest broccoli on a farm in California's Imperial Valley. Every morning thousands of Mexicans cross the border from Mexicali to work on the farms on the US side of the border, where they earn more per hour than they would earn in Mexico per day. Winter is the busiest season as the Imperial Valley and nearby Yuma Valley grow a majority of all the fresh winter greens in the USA. The farms in the middle of the Mojave Desert are irrigated with Colorado River water which is delivered to the Imperial Valley through the All American Canal.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. During the winter migrant workers on H2a visas harvest broccoli on a farm in California's Imperial Valley. Every morning thousands of Mexicans cross the border from Mexicali to work on the farms on the US side of the border, where they earn more per hour than they would earn in Mexico per day. Winter is the busiest season as the Imperial Valley and nearby Yuma Valley grow a majority of all the fresh winter greens in the USA. The farms in the middle of the Mojave Desert are irrigated with Colorado River water which is delivered to the Imperial Valley through the All American Canal.
  • Continuing our #worldfoodday coverage with a short preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. Dry West, California, since 2014 Cattle graze on dried land next to the California Aqueduct, which is still running full despite the multiyear drought in California. The California Aqueduct delivers water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California. Farmers along the aqueduct have been cut out of water delivery during the drought and relay on water pumped from underground aquifers. The water now mined is 2000-13000 years old and the usage twice as high as the amount that is replenished by rain and melt water. Due to the massive groundwater extraction, groundwater levels have dropped significantly in many parts of the Central Valley. This leads to widespread and rapid land-subsidence. On an area of 3,100 square kilometers the land in the San Joachim Valley subsides by up to one foot per year. This results in damaged houses, bridges and roads. Above all, the sensitive infrastructure of irrigation canals and aqueducts suffers, leading to additional water losses.
    Continuing our #worldfoodday coverage with a short preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. Dry West, California, since 2014 Cattle graze on dried land next to the California Aqueduct, which is still running full despite the multiyear drought in California. The California Aqueduct delivers water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California. Farmers along the aqueduct have been cut out of water delivery during the drought and relay on water pumped from underground aquifers. The water now mined is 2000-13000 years old and the usage twice as high as the amount that is replenished by rain and melt water. Due to the massive groundwater extraction, groundwater levels have dropped significantly in many parts of the Central Valley. This leads to widespread and rapid land-subsidence. On an area of 3,100 square kilometers the land in the San Joachim Valley subsides by up to one foot per year. This results in damaged houses, bridges and roads. Above all, the sensitive infrastructure of irrigation canals and aqueducts suffers, leading to additional water losses.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. Dry West, California, since 2014 Ward Burroughs maintains a fence on a dry field of the organic farmers family farm. The Burroughs Family Farm combine Management Intensive Grazing (MIG), where one piece of land is grazed intensively over a short period of time, with mobile chicken coops. This creates a cycle of organic dairy farming pasture and free-range chickens. This cycle builds up soil and fertilizes the ground. Like most farms in the Central Valley the Burroghs dependent on irrigation. Due to the drought about a third of the Burroughs’ fields can not be irrigated. This forces the otherwise independent farm to buy additional organic feed. With prices of conventional corn skyrocketing due to Ethanol production conventional feed lots compete for organic grains, pushing smaller farmers to the edge. While large enterprises may reflect the increased feed costs, especially organic dairy farms are suffering from California’s multiyear drought.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. Dry West, California, since 2014 Ward Burroughs maintains a fence on a dry field of the organic farmers family farm. The Burroughs Family Farm combine Management Intensive Grazing (MIG), where one piece of land is grazed intensively over a short period of time, with mobile chicken coops. This creates a cycle of organic dairy farming pasture and free-range chickens. This cycle builds up soil and fertilizes the ground. Like most farms in the Central Valley the Burroghs dependent on irrigation. Due to the drought about a third of the Burroughs’ fields can not be irrigated. This forces the otherwise independent farm to buy additional organic feed. With prices of conventional corn skyrocketing due to Ethanol production conventional feed lots compete for organic grains, pushing smaller farmers to the edge. While large enterprises may reflect the increased feed costs, especially organic dairy farms are suffering from California’s multiyear drought.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Deltaland, Bangladesh, 2000-2008 Dhal Char is one of the best areas for fishing in Bangladesh. Hundreds of fisherman come here every day to clean their nets and sell their fish to traders from the main land. This area, which inhabits about 10 Million people, is among the most threatened regions in the world when sea level rises due to global warming.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Deltaland, Bangladesh, 2000-2008 Dhal Char is one of the best areas for fishing in Bangladesh. Hundreds of fisherman come here every day to clean their nets and sell their fish to traders from the main land. This area, which inhabits about 10 Million people, is among the most threatened regions in the world when sea level rises due to global warming.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Deltaland, Bangladesh, 2000-2008 When I met Ahmad in 2008 he was bent down plowing his field on Boyer Char. The 85 year old men was tired of moving away from the floods of the Meghna that had forced him to find a new home six times already. The river had changed its course again and again, eroding its shores and washing away whole villages. With rising sea levels due to climate change the threat became increasingly worse in recent years. Now the people of Boyer Char, supported by a grant from a Dutch NGO, were building a dam about a kilometer inland from the mighty river. Ahmad’s land though was just outside the land protected by the dam. But he wasn’t ready to move and loose the little fertile land he had again.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject – LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Deltaland, Bangladesh, 2000-2008 When I met Ahmad in 2008 he was bent down plowing his field on Boyer Char. The 85 year old men was tired of moving away from the floods of the Meghna that had forced him to find a new home six times already. The river had changed its course again and again, eroding its shores and washing away whole villages. With rising sea levels due to climate change the threat became increasingly worse in recent years. Now the people of Boyer Char, supported by a grant from a Dutch NGO, were building a dam about a kilometer inland from the mighty river. Ahmad’s land though was just outside the land protected by the dam. But he wasn’t ready to move and loose the little fertile land he had again.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Deltaland, Bangladesh, 2000-2008 Shrimp fishers nets are hang between the mangrove trees on Char Manika near Kosovia south of Bhola. The Ganges- Brahmaputra-Meghna delta has the biggest mangrove forest in the world. The mangroves are the best protection against tidal waves that can be triggered through regular storms. But because of population pressure the trees are increasingly cut for firewood and so the population is left without a barrier to the sea. This coastal region, part of the Sundarbarn that stretch from Bangladesh to India is particularly endangered by rising sea levels due to climate change. It is predicted that 25 percent of the human habitats in the Sundarban will be drowned by 2020.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Deltaland, Bangladesh, 2000-2008 Shrimp fishers nets are hang between the mangrove trees on Char Manika near Kosovia south of Bhola. The Ganges- Brahmaputra-Meghna delta has the biggest mangrove forest in the world. The mangroves are the best protection against tidal waves that can be triggered through regular storms. But because of population pressure the trees are increasingly cut for firewood and so the population is left without a barrier to the sea. This coastal region, part of the Sundarbarn that stretch from Bangladesh to India is particularly endangered by rising sea levels due to climate change. It is predicted that 25 percent of the human habitats in the Sundarban will be drowned by 2020.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Full Circle, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, since 2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject Anke and Michael Spies raise about ninety dairy cows to species-appropriate principles without ever using antibiotics. antibiotics. They have their own breeding program, five to six employees from the village, apprenticeship training, and more than 25 years’ experience in organic farming. For them organic farming is a sustainable and globally viable model to feed humanity on a long-term basis while preserving the living environment.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Full Circle, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, since 2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject Anke and Michael Spies raise about ninety dairy cows to species-appropriate principles without ever using antibiotics. antibiotics. They have their own breeding program, five to six employees from the village, apprenticeship training, and more than 25 years’ experience in organic farming. For them organic farming is a sustainable and globally viable model to feed humanity on a long-term basis while preserving the living environment.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Full Circle, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, since 2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject Michael Spies in Germany is sweating over his leasing bid for fifty hectares of farmland. He will have to offer at least twice as much as before if he wants to stand a chance of farming this land owned by the Protestant Church. As someone running an operation on 275 hectares, he can hardly afford to loose fifty. If he did, he would have to reorganize his carefully scheduled crop rotation and risk jeopardizing his self-sufficient feed cycle. Over the last decades farm land has become prohibitively expensive for many farmers. One the the main drivers of the increasing land prices are high subsidies and guaranteed profits for energy production with biogas.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Full Circle, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, since 2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject Michael Spies in Germany is sweating over his leasing bid for fifty hectares of farmland. He will have to offer at least twice as much as before if he wants to stand a chance of farming this land owned by the Protestant Church. As someone running an operation on 275 hectares, he can hardly afford to loose fifty. If he did, he would have to reorganize his carefully scheduled crop rotation and risk jeopardizing his self-sufficient feed cycle. Over the last decades farm land has become prohibitively expensive for many farmers. One the the main drivers of the increasing land prices are high subsidies and guaranteed profits for energy production with biogas.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . The Farm, Ethiopia 2011/12 Armed guards protect a storage in the middle of the developing corn farm of Indian investor Karuturi LTD in the western Ethiopian region of Gambella. Gambella, a forlorn plot of land tucked away between the Ethiopian highlands and the vast expanse of South Sudan. Gambella—hot, humid, flat. Unchanged for centuries: Tribes leading their herds. Anuak, Nuer, Murle fighting for cattle, women, pastures. First with spears, now with kalashnikovs. Gambella—suddenly a hotspot of international developments. In 2008 global food prices exploded. Riots broke out in more than 60 countries as people simply could no longer afford to buy food, making many governments painfully aware of their reliance on food imports. Africa is seized by land-rush fever. In recent years, farmland the size of France has changed owners—often grossly undervalued, through secret agreements, and without any consideration for the interests of the local population. Ramakrishna Karuturi, a rose producer from India, has secured 100,000 hectares of land in Gambella. If it is developed successfully, the Ethiopian government has promised him a further 200,000 hectares—a farm roughly the size of Luxembourg. The focus on foreign investments and large scale commercial agriculture turns the attention away from small farmers, which are often seen as the key for a long term sustainable agriculture and food security.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . The Farm, Ethiopia 2011/12 Armed guards protect a storage in the middle of the developing corn farm of Indian investor Karuturi LTD in the western Ethiopian region of Gambella. Gambella, a forlorn plot of land tucked away between the Ethiopian highlands and the vast expanse of South Sudan. Gambella—hot, humid, flat. Unchanged for centuries: Tribes leading their herds. Anuak, Nuer, Murle fighting for cattle, women, pastures. First with spears, now with kalashnikovs. Gambella—suddenly a hotspot of international developments. In 2008 global food prices exploded. Riots broke out in more than 60 countries as people simply could no longer afford to buy food, making many governments painfully aware of their reliance on food imports. Africa is seized by land-rush fever. In recent years, farmland the size of France has changed owners—often grossly undervalued, through secret agreements, and without any consideration for the interests of the local population. Ramakrishna Karuturi, a rose producer from India, has secured 100,000 hectares of land in Gambella. If it is developed successfully, the Ethiopian government has promised him a further 200,000 hectares—a farm roughly the size of Luxembourg. The focus on foreign investments and large scale commercial agriculture turns the attention away from small farmers, which are often seen as the key for a long term sustainable agriculture and food security.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . The Farm, Ethiopia 2011/12 Armed guards protect the bulldozers of Indian investor Karuturi LTD in the western Ethiopian region of Gambella at night. The worlds largest rose grower leased 100,000 hectares to grow food and energy crops in the remote region Gambella. On a hundred-kilometer stretch of land, an almost untouched ecosystem is being reshaped. To make way for the investors, parts of the Gambella National Park, known as the site of Africa’s biggest animal migration outside the Serengeti, were unceremoniously moved. The marshes are drained. Instead of crocodiles, leopards, and white-eared kobs, this area was designed to be covered in sugar cane, oil palms, rice, corn, and cotton. The massive investments and extensive surfaces affect life in the entire region. Critics have already suggested Gambella should be renamed Karuturistan. By the end of 2015 Ethiopia’s Agriculture Ministry’s land investment agency finally canceled Karuturi’s lease saying “development” occurred on only 1,200 hectares. Karuturi now challenges the termination claiming that the clearing of 65,000 hectares and building of 100 kilometers of dykes to manage floodwaters constituted development. When entering into the contract he was unaware that 80 percent of the land was located in flood plains.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . The Farm, Ethiopia 2011/12 Armed guards protect the bulldozers of Indian investor Karuturi LTD in the western Ethiopian region of Gambella at night. The worlds largest rose grower leased 100,000 hectares to grow food and energy crops in the remote region Gambella. On a hundred-kilometer stretch of land, an almost untouched ecosystem is being reshaped. To make way for the investors, parts of the Gambella National Park, known as the site of Africa’s biggest animal migration outside the Serengeti, were unceremoniously moved. The marshes are drained. Instead of crocodiles, leopards, and white-eared kobs, this area was designed to be covered in sugar cane, oil palms, rice, corn, and cotton. The massive investments and extensive surfaces affect life in the entire region. Critics have already suggested Gambella should be renamed Karuturistan. By the end of 2015 Ethiopia’s Agriculture Ministry’s land investment agency finally canceled Karuturi’s lease saying “development” occurred on only 1,200 hectares. Karuturi now challenges the termination claiming that the clearing of 65,000 hectares and building of 100 kilometers of dykes to manage floodwaters constituted development. When entering into the contract he was unaware that 80 percent of the land was located in flood plains.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Family Affairs, Iowa, 2013-2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject At dawn Cindy Wiegand cleans the combine harvester and change from soy head to corn head. Her husband Brian leaves for his day job in the nearby town, which allows them to hold on to their 500 acre farm even in bad times. After decades of hardship that saw many farms dying, family farms in Iowa are hopeful again that they can maintain their rural tradition. Thanks to ethanol production, they access a new lucrative market for their corn. On the other hand the switch to ethanol production lead to higher grain prices on commodity markets and was one of the main drivers of the 2008 and 2011 global food crisis that led to riots in more than three dozen countries.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Family Affairs, Iowa, 2013-2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject At dawn Cindy Wiegand cleans the combine harvester and change from soy head to corn head. Her husband Brian leaves for his day job in the nearby town, which allows them to hold on to their 500 acre farm even in bad times. After decades of hardship that saw many farms dying, family farms in Iowa are hopeful again that they can maintain their rural tradition. Thanks to ethanol production, they access a new lucrative market for their corn. On the other hand the switch to ethanol production lead to higher grain prices on commodity markets and was one of the main drivers of the 2008 and 2011 global food crisis that led to riots in more than three dozen countries.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Family Affairs, Iowa, 2013-2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject Thanks to ethanol production, agriculture in America’s Corn Belt has become highly profitable for a few years. With over $8 a bushel, prices for corn reached a record high in 2008 and 2012. The young generation of farmers, who for many years had been heading into secure and well-paid jobs in seed-producing and chemical companies, have meanwhile returned to their family farm businesses. As the farmers’ profits rose, so did the costs for seeds, agrochemicals, and modern farming technology, and hence leases. Family operations must make at least $4.50 a bushel to be profitable. 2013 and 2014 saw more record harvests. Corn prices dropped to $3.40 a bushel. It’s simpler and more productive to cultivate corn in crop rotation with soy. Soy supplies the soil with nitrogen, which is subsequently used up by the corn. Crop rotation thus lessens the need for chemical fertilizers. But for many farmers, high prices mean that corn, despite being difficult to sustain over several years, is more profitable. Therefore they are growing corn three years in a row. This means more diseases, pests, and fungal infections, and so more agrochemicals. Cultivating corn on corn on corn is only profitable with genetically modified seeds, which protect themselves by producing various poisons and thus, at least in the short run, diminish the use of pesticides—until the pests become resistant.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Family Affairs, Iowa, 2013-2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject Thanks to ethanol production, agriculture in America’s Corn Belt has become highly profitable for a few years. With over $8 a bushel, prices for corn reached a record high in 2008 and 2012. The young generation of farmers, who for many years had been heading into secure and well-paid jobs in seed-producing and chemical companies, have meanwhile returned to their family farm businesses. As the farmers’ profits rose, so did the costs for seeds, agrochemicals, and modern farming technology, and hence leases. Family operations must make at least $4.50 a bushel to be profitable. 2013 and 2014 saw more record harvests. Corn prices dropped to $3.40 a bushel. It’s simpler and more productive to cultivate corn in crop rotation with soy. Soy supplies the soil with nitrogen, which is subsequently used up by the corn. Crop rotation thus lessens the need for chemical fertilizers. But for many farmers, high prices mean that corn, despite being difficult to sustain over several years, is more profitable. Therefore they are growing corn three years in a row. This means more diseases, pests, and fungal infections, and so more agrochemicals. Cultivating corn on corn on corn is only profitable with genetically modified seeds, which protect themselves by producing various poisons and thus, at least in the short run, diminish the use of pesticides—until the pests become resistant.
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Family Affairs, Iowa, 2013-2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject No matter in which direction we leave Iowa’s capital Des Moines: after a string of small suburbs, a billowing carpet of seasonal green or brown fields unfolds before our eyes. Iowa—the Corn State. Pretty much anything could grow on these gentle hills. Iowa has enough water and boasts among the best and deepest topsoils in the USA. And yet, all we see is corn and soy. Corn in all its manifestations: boundless fields, glistening silvery silos, monumental concrete granaries, feedlots, pig and turkey farms where corn is transformed into protein, and again and again ethanol plants. Until the early 1970s growth was restricted by law. The rules of the New Deal introduced after the economic crisis of the 1930s limited corn production in the USA in order to prop up prices. The year 1971 saw the arrival of Earl Butz. The Secretary of Agriculture subordinated everything to his credo: “Get big or get out!” The consolidation of the agricultural sector quickly gathered pace. Big agrobusinesses sprang up overnight, the country was flooded with corn, and prices went down the hill. As a consequence it was decided to increase demand by feeding corn to cattle who up until then had been eating grass, and breaking down corn into its constituents until it could be found in nearly all processed foods. As a binding agent in instant soups, yoghurt, desserts, and ice cream. In ketchup, bread, meat, frozen food, margarine, and tinned fish. In the shape of high fructose corn syrup, maltose, fructose, ascorbic acid, baking powder, calcium, citric acid, maltodextrin, vanilla extract, thickening agent, and xanthane. All in all around 20,000 products containing corn. But is this really what they mean when Iowa farmers proudly proclaim that they are „feeding the world“?
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . Family Affairs, Iowa, 2013-2015, photo: Frauke Huber @landrushproject No matter in which direction we leave Iowa’s capital Des Moines: after a string of small suburbs, a billowing carpet of seasonal green or brown fields unfolds before our eyes. Iowa—the Corn State. Pretty much anything could grow on these gentle hills. Iowa has enough water and boasts among the best and deepest topsoils in the USA. And yet, all we see is corn and soy. Corn in all its manifestations: boundless fields, glistening silvery silos, monumental concrete granaries, feedlots, pig and turkey farms where corn is transformed into protein, and again and again ethanol plants. Until the early 1970s growth was restricted by law. The rules of the New Deal introduced after the economic crisis of the 1930s limited corn production in the USA in order to prop up prices. The year 1971 saw the arrival of Earl Butz. The Secretary of Agriculture subordinated everything to his credo: “Get big or get out!” The consolidation of the agricultural sector quickly gathered pace. Big agrobusinesses sprang up overnight, the country was flooded with corn, and prices went down the hill. As a consequence it was decided to increase demand by feeding corn to cattle who up until then had been eating grass, and breaking down corn into its constituents until it could be found in nearly all processed foods. As a binding agent in instant soups, yoghurt, desserts, and ice cream. In ketchup, bread, meat, frozen food, margarine, and tinned fish. In the shape of high fructose corn syrup, maltose, fructose, ascorbic acid, baking powder, calcium, citric acid, maltodextrin, vanilla extract, thickening agent, and xanthane. All in all around 20,000 products containing corn. But is this really what they mean when Iowa farmers proudly proclaim that they are „feeding the world“?
  • On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . The Farm, Ethiopia 2011/12 Local workers prepare a canal on Karuturi’s sugar cane plantation. Demand for sugar in Ethiopia is high, and the country has to import huge amounts. Karuturi hoped to complete the development of the plantation and build a sugar mill by 2014. By the end of 2015 Ethiopia’s Agriculture Ministry’s land investment agency canceled Karuturi’s lease saying “development” occurred on only 1,200 hectares. Karuturi now challenges the termination claiming that the clearing of 65,000 hectares and building of 100 kilometers of dykes to manage floodwaters constituted development. When entering into the contract he says he was unaware that 80 percent of the land was located in flood plains. So massive flooding of thousands of hectares in 2011 and 2012 ruined Karuturi’s corn crop and set the development back by years. The Karuturi story is typical for many big scale foreign investments into agricultural land. They look great on a map, spark big dreams and projections of unfathomable profits for the investor and development and labor for locals but instead often leave devastated landscapes and social unrest in their wake.
    On #worldfoodday we pause our #WhiteGoldProject and give a small preview of our @landrushproject LandRush, by Frauke Huber and me, is a longterm exploration of the social and environmental impact of large-scale agro-investments on rural economies and land rights, the boom of renewable fuels, the reallocation of land, and agriculture around the world. . The Farm, Ethiopia 2011/12 Local workers prepare a canal on Karuturi’s sugar cane plantation. Demand for sugar in Ethiopia is high, and the country has to import huge amounts. Karuturi hoped to complete the development of the plantation and build a sugar mill by 2014. By the end of 2015 Ethiopia’s Agriculture Ministry’s land investment agency canceled Karuturi’s lease saying “development” occurred on only 1,200 hectares. Karuturi now challenges the termination claiming that the clearing of 65,000 hectares and building of 100 kilometers of dykes to manage floodwaters constituted development. When entering into the contract he says he was unaware that 80 percent of the land was located in flood plains. So massive flooding of thousands of hectares in 2011 and 2012 ruined Karuturi’s corn crop and set the development back by years. The Karuturi story is typical for many big scale foreign investments into agricultural land. They look great on a map, spark big dreams and projections of unfathomable profits for the investor and development and labor for locals but instead often leave devastated landscapes and social unrest in their wake.