Ding Darling's Editorial Cartoon from 1947

"Tillable Soil vs. World Hunger ." Ding Darling Editorial Cartoon. This cartoon reflects the crux of the problem facing farmers and environmentalists alike. The world needs to be fed, but we can't keep feeding everyone if we deplete our soil and water resources. Conventional wisdom stemming from the "Green Revolution" suggests that intensive row cropping with high levels of synthetic fertilizer and pesticide inputs combined with maximizing the use of biotechnology is the answer. Indeed, such practices have vastly increased the total yield that our soils can produce. However, this increased yield has come at a cost. Erosion, loss of soil fertility, polluted waters, unknown ecological risks, and reduced nutritional content of crops are taking their toll on the fruits of the "Green Revolution". Alternative farming practices focusing on sustainability as well as high yield are needed. Ongoing efforts by local watershed groups, independent producers, and government agencies are slowly changing the way that we manage our land. The ideals of sustainability are being actively heralded by both the organic agriculture movement, and promising new federal legislation like the Conservation Security Program. If CSP is ever fully implemented, it will promote many of the same stewardship practices that help small organic producers maintain profitability without overfarming the land. Although these practices might lead to some increase in food costs here in America, the silver lining is that these higher prices would allow third world producers to sell their crops for a fair price, thereby creating the wealth that they desperately need to lift their families and communities out of poverty. Copyright J.N. "Ding" Darling Foundation, 1999-2003. Used by permission.