Most farms are not the cute red barns you see in movies in the middle of a rural area. Most farms are factories owned by corporations. The protests in France where people drove around in their tractors provide a false image of small business owners protesting the big-bad government, but that's not accurate.
Factory farms provide most of the developed world's food and are one of the world's biggest industries.
Anti-climate rhetoric is driven by right-wing media who use propaganda to sway public opinion, when they themselves are driven by corporate interests.
Even if farms were mostly operated by small-business rural farmers (they're not) what good are they on a ruined planet? Europe constantly sees devasting floods destroying buildings (and farmland), killing hundreds of people each year, only to be followed by searing summer temperatures, killing even more people.
Something has to be done since the science and data is clear; climate change is an existential threat to humanity.
-Removed-Unfortunately, many farming practices from the past have been very destructive to the land. Louis Bromfield wrote a lot about rejuvenating worn-our farmland in the 1950's - I've visited his Malabar Farm in Ohio. A very interesting guy.
Government support (e.g. farm bills) often encourages farmers to do things with their land that don't make economic sense in the the long term - planting maize in areas where you only get a crop 1 year in 4, over-reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, irrigating in dry areas such that rivers and aquifers are depleted.
Farming is a tough business, but many people love it. I agree that as small businesses, farms shouldn't be broken up or penalized just because a new generation takes over.
But I'm not sure I would say to government "we have to protect farming" - I think that just opens the door to regulatory capture from agribusiness.
@vivify saidI think all farmers today are farming much more land than their grandfathers.
Most farms are not the cute red barns you see in movies in the middle of a rural area. Most farms are factories owned by corporations. The protests in France where people drove around in their tractors provide a false image of small business owners protesting the big-bad government, but that's not accurate.
Factory farms provide most of the developed world's food and a ...[text shortened]... to be done since the science and data is clear; climate change is an existential threat to humanity.
My biggest concern with the factory farm is treating land as commercial property - buying it, depreciating the cost over 10 years on their taxes, farming it badly, and then selling the worn-out land and starting over.
There are huge differences in soil that has been farmed responsibly to build up the organic content vs soil that is just fertilized and treated chemically, especially regarding how well the land holds moisture.
A farm should be owned and farmed for generations, always building it up - never stripping it for short-term profit.
@spruce112358 saidThat's a good point.
I think all farmers today are farming much more land than their grandfathers.
My biggest concern with the factory farm is treating land as commercial property - buying it, depreciating the cost over 10 years on their taxes, farming it badly, and then selling the worn-out land and starting over.
There are huge differences in soil that has been farmed responsibly to ...[text shortened]... owned and farmed for generations, always building it up - never stripping it for short-term profit.
Even putting aside climate change, farming industries still harm the very land they use, as well as the local wildlife, lakes, streams, rivers and drain the reserve water supply needed by average citizens.