factors to consider when selecting a good dairy cow

a) Production traits

They mainly refer to milk volume and the contents, that is, percentage of butterfat level, protein and other non-fat solids. Milk volume should be considered relative to amount of feeds consumed since more produce from relatively lesser fodder is proof of a high feed conversion efficiency.

More solids in milk generally increase the quality. It is of no use at all to breed a fantastic looking cow, which produces no milk. Therefore, one must select animals that are positive for milk production.

b) Conformation traits

These traits give a good indication of the performance of the dairy animal and include the udder structure, nature of feet or legs, stature and general dairy character.

• The udder should be pliable, silky in texture, sack-like in nature and non-pendulous but firmly attached with strong suspensory ligaments high up near the vulva region. A huge udder is not necessarily a sign of a high milk yield, in fact, it is recommended that one should choose a cow with a medium-sized (but wide base) udder that should not hang below its hock joint. The teats should be average-sized and evenly placed and oriented (pointing straight down) on the udder.

• Good feet and strong legs lead to longevity of a dairy cow and facilitates it to be able to feed comfortably especially when in-calf (on average, a dairy cow is in-calf for about 80 per cent of its lactation duration). For a bull, strong feet and legs enable it to mount successfully though in dairy animals, more emphasis is on the cows and heifers due to the preference and comparative advantages of artificial insemination over natural mating. Observed from behind, a cow’s hind legs should stand straight and wide apart while the side view should show a slightly set back hock (sickled) ending with slightly angled feet. The front legs should also be straight with a steep strongly attached pastern.
• The ideal cow’s stature should portray a deep, long body with wide, sprung ribs to provide ample space for the rumen and other digestive system organs. A good dairy cow should have a wedge shape, long neck, good width between fore legs, wide pin bones, broad muzzle and strong straight backline.
• The classic dairy character is indicated by sharpness across shoulders and slight general leanness all over the body ending with a thin fine tail. A good dairy cow is not stocky or beefy as this shows poor feed conversion efficiency. Generally, pedigree dairy cows portray flatness of bone usually evident on the inner thigh.
c) Fertility traits
The number of inseminations per conception will always determine the success of a breeding programme. The fewer the inseminations per conception, the better the fertility of a particular animal.
It is important to choose animals with (or from a family renown for) a good conception rate since difficult or repeat breeders are expensive to maintain and cause immense losses.
This will enable a farmer to target a calving interval of one calf annually per cow. For farmers using natural mating, one should choose bulls that do not shy away from mounting receptive cows or those that exhibit excessive libido. A bigger scrotal circumference and fully descended testes are normally indicators of good fertility.
d) Longevity traits
This determines the amount of total lifetime milk production of a cow but it is usually influenced greatly by other traits such as health and fertility. Choose heifers or bull semen from families with a history of cows that can maintain high production ability across many lactations as well as have as many normal calvings as possible in their lifetimes.
e) Health traits
As much as disease-prevention and control measures are important in ensuring sustained productivity, some emphasis should be laid on choosing disease-resistant and hardy animals to remain in production for long.

In harsh climate areas with a higher prevalence of tropical diseases (East Coast Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease), it may be wiser to undertake crossbreeding between exotic dairy breeds and indigenous lines since in such conditions, hybrid animals normally perform better than purebreds
f) Calving ease traits

Physical traits that facilitate easy calving include a wide pelvic diameter (observed from behind) and a gentle slope from pin to hip bone (observed from the side). A cow’s body frame should portray a strong straight back or loin, which is essential during gestation in enabling the animal to comfortably feed as well as carry its foetus to term.

g) Workability

Milking speed is of essence in maximising yield since milk let-down is controlled by oxytocin hormone whose concentration levels in blood diminish with time. It is, therefore, important to choose animals with the right teat size, shape and opening (position and orifice size). Bad temperament interferes with oxytocin flow during milking, thus, one should likewise consider docility when choosing a dairy animal.

How to breed heifers of higher quality than parental stock

Many ambitious dairy farmers already have one or two cattle in their backyards and for them, it may not always be feasible to buy superior animals but they would rather want to upgrade from what they have.

Genetic improvement of dairy cattle starts from the establishment of selection or breeding goals, which are dictated by farmers through market requirements. When coming up with breeding goals, we ask ourselves what type of animal do we want and which traits are involved? Realisation of the goals is achieved by;

• Recording of genealogic and performance data, including characteristics of economic importance of each individual. Given the fact that most traits of economic interest are expressed only in females and have moderate to low heritability, a reasonably large number of progeny records is necessary to estimate the genetic merit of a bull with an acceptable accuracy.

• Use the data to perform genetic evaluation of the animals to determine the best performing in line with the breeding goals. Records needed to evaluate dams include those on milk production history, type traits assessments and fertility. For sires, production records of its female relatives and including the overall performance records of its daughters’ are mainly used.

With artificial insemination (AI) though, one can ask for a sire catalogue (a booklet containing evaluated performance and expected transmitting ability of important traits in a bull) from AI service providers to identify the best semen to upgrade the cow. Note that the right semen to upgrade the future offspring of one cow may not be right for another cow.

• Actual selection of the best performing animals to be parents of the next generation.
• Dissemination of selected animals’ germ-plasm (genetic material) using reproductive technologies that include artificial insemination and embryo transfer.

Sourcing quality cows for breeding

One must understand the structure of the national dairy cattle population to be able to source the best animals. Most populations can be thought of as having a pyramidal structure: a relatively small number of breeders at the top selling breeding stock to a larger number of multipliers who in turn sell animals to a great number of end users.

The pyramid suggests a flow of germ-plasm – genetic material in the form of live animals, semen or embryos – from the top down, the elite breeders producing the most advanced animals, breeders at the multiplier level replicating these animals and end users benefiting from the genetic improvement occurring at the higher levels.

Ideally, breeders at each level try to produce animals that will be in the greatest demand by their customers at lower level, with the ultimate result being that the best animal is the most useful or profitable to the end user. End users can, thus, be defined as the individual whose particular needs should form the basis for determining breeding objectives.

One should, therefore, identify where they fall within the three tiers and ensure that at least they try to limit their sources from the tier above them. At the same time, the farm from which they source their animals should be reputable and have registered their stock with recording stations such as the Kenya Livestock Breeders Organisation.

ADVANTAGES OF REARING KUROILER AS OPPOSED TO OTHER BREEDS

(1)They mature faster than ordinary chicken. The Kuroiler chickens begin laying eggs at five months. Once they start, they will lay continuously for a period of 2 years.
(2)They are scavengers
Kuroiler chicken perform quite well under what experts call “scavenging conditions”. You can feed them on animal or plant remains. Unlike other breeds, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to feed them. The Kuroiler eggs also contain more nutrients thanks to their scavenging lifestyle which exposes them to more nutrients during their feeding.

(3)They are as good as indigenous chicken
As we all know, indigenous chicken produce tastier meat than modern breeds. Also, indigenous breeds are known for laying yellow york eggs which are extremely nutritious. Kuroiler chicken are just like indigenous chicken, their meat is tasty and they lay yellow York eggs.

(4)High production
One thing about this chicken is that despite being a hardy breed, it is not encumbered by low productivity. While indigenous chicken produce about 40 eggs per year, Kuroiler does about 150 eggs in the same period. (5). Kuroiler chicken grow faster

Perhaps this is the biggest advantage of the Kuroiler chickens. They grow very fast. The best thing is that they grow fast without any special commercial feeding. They can put on weight very quickly in scavenging environment while feeding on leftovers of food, grass, termites and many other kinds of food. (6)Get More Meat with Kuroiler
The Kuroiler chickens will mature in 10 weeks compared to other ordinary birds which can take as many as months before they mature. At maturity, the Kuroiler chickens will weigh up to 3.5Kgs which makes them better than broilers which generally weigh 2.0 to 2.5Kgs at maturity. (7). Hatchability
the only disadvantage with this breed is that Kuroiler will not brood or sit on their eggs. However, when their eggs are put in the incubators or hatchery, they produce good hatchability results. You can get hatchability of 80% and above.

note that to get this desirable qualities its good to have F1 GENERATION which is not easily available in kenya most of the so called kuroilers are kari kienyeji orCROSSBREEDS OF . for commercial investment import from the developers KEGG farms india or NAGRIC UGANDA. 

SEE THE PHOTOS OF THE CAESAREAN SECTION OPERATION OF A PREGNANT COW

It's something amazing and highly commendable. Some farmers are really getting their feet wet, innovations are seen daily and they are always fabulous.



Came across this and thought it's something worth sharing to enlighten and add to our exposure.

Below are the photos from the cesarean section operation of a pregnant cow done by the farmer, perhaps the cow has been going through labour pains.

REASONS YOU SHOULD NOT USE EARTHEN POND FOR YOUR FISH FARM.

Aquaculture is the most lucrative agribusiness. People are really making it in manifolds in this venture, it is one of the lucrative businesses one can invest in and make good return.



However, every business has its own Achilles heel. For a business to strive well and stay ahead of the packs, it has to meet certain conditions and adhere to certain precautions.

Aquaculture is a function of so many factors, be it catfish or tilapia, housing is key for its success. Everyone knows the water bodies(river, ocean, lake) is the natural habitat for this creature but it can be modifed to suit water bodies conditions to abode the fishes.

There are many forms of housing or pond for fishes, like concrete pond, earthen pond, plastic pond and tarpaulin pond. All these has peculiar and fascinating features but their degree of efficiency in terms of their advantages and disadvantages varies greatly.

The earthen and concrete pond are widely used for commercial purposes. But I will like to lay emphasis on the earthen pond as its the subject of discussion.

Though spacious and its the natural habitat for fishes, the earthen pond have more disadvantages compare to other forms of pond. It has been the major reasons why most farmers run into loss unknowingly.

Here are points that we can both reason and think along.

• Ammonia Buildup: the rate at which ammonia augments inside this pond is alarming. It can not be easily detected as it would be noticed in concrete ponds. The water itself is not clean with the addition of the waste of the fishes it becomes more concentrated and may leads to loss of reasonable amount of fishes. Though some farmers do pump out the water at a particular period but these it not enough because it cannot be 100% effective.                  
• Inability to sort: sorting of fishes is key to maximizing profits, the fishes have different growth rate. This can only be observed through proper sorting. It is advisable to sort once in every two weeks to attain good yield. In earthen pond, this can never be done. Ones the fishes have been stocked, they are only evacuated during harvesting.                                                              
• Inability to determine the feed intake of the fishes: fishes have this aggressive nature when fed but not all the fishes actually pick up the feeds. That's is why in most earth ponds, the fishes are always of huge size difference because only they bigger fishes eat the larger portion of the feed with the smaller ones being bullied.        
• High rate of cannibalism: cannibalism is a major threat in fish business. The outgrown fishes tend to prey on the smaller ones. This reduces the amount of fishes stocked and relatively leading to huge loss.                           
• Harvesting inconvenience: You will definitely agree with me that, it is not always easy to harvest fishes from earthen pond. More labour is required, adding to the cost of production.                                          
• Flooding/Erosion: This is a big problem, it this occur the farmer can lose all his investment.    

• Predator invasion: Predators like alligator prey greatly on fishes. They can easily enter the pond and eat up considerable number of fishes.

All these are personal experience, a farmer should always do what will maximize his profit. Invest your money properly and avoid unnecessary risk.

Remember, anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well.

PROBLEMS FARMERS ARE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER THIS RAINY SEASON

Agriculture is good but when the conditions that enhances its success are readily available. Most people believe agriculture is a seasonal venture, because they think crops do well during rainy season.


However, with the new technologies and inventions, agriculture has outgrown that level. It is now a full fledge commercial and day to day business. The rainy season used to be the known agricultural season by the virtue of rainfall during this period.

No doubt, no amount of irrigation facility would be like rainfall, rainfall wakens the soil. It gets it prepared for work, farming. But a times it may be detrimental to crop. This damage was insignificant during the olden days because they used to practice subsistence farming but now a day agriculture is now commercial and any loss is a big one.

The change is climate has greatly affected many farmers and it has brought their business to a point of moribund. The distribution of rainfall can no longer be predicted and guaranteed.

Below are the problems most farmers are likely to face this rainy season and you will all agree with me.

• HIGH DISEASE INFECTION INCIDENCE: Most of all the disease pathogens (bacteria, fungi and virus) are rampant during the rainy season. Moist environment favours disease and pest attack, farmers are likely to lost 70% of the farm produce to a particular disease because it is easily transmitted from one plant to another by the rain water if care is not taken.

• LOSS OF NUTRIENTS FROM THE TOP SOIL: The top soil is the portion of the soil where nutrients are available. During heavy rainfall, the water causes erosion. Erosion is the washing away of the top soil and nutrient, this makes nutrients unavailable for the plants and thereby reduces yield. On the other hand, the nutrient can be leached to the from the top soil to the underground water.

• YELLOWING OF PLANT LEAVES: Plant leaves turn yellow for three reasons,
1. Lack of nitrogen , this is called chlorosis.
2. Inadequate water, this is termed as physiological wilt.
3. Excess water.
When there is excess water present in the soil, it causes the roots of the plant to rotten, turning the leaves of the plant yellow.

• STUNTED GROWTH: For growth to take place in plant, photosynthesis must take place because. It is this process plant manufacture their food. One of the conditions for photosynthesis is sunlight. Considering this present weather, the rate of sunlight is relatively low compare cloudy. The downpour outweighs the sunlight. This makes the plants have slow growth rate.

• HIGH COST OF LABOUR: During rainy season, there is blossom of weeds. Weed are threat to plant survival as they compete with the plant for space, nutrients and water. Weeds must be done fervently during rainy season, this adds additional cost to the cost of production.
These are the problems farmers are likely to encounter during rainy season.

WORMS IN POULTRY BIRDS AND TREAMENTS.

Worms are major threat in poultry keeping. They impair the health of the birds to some degree as it is in humans because they take out the nutrients inside the food of their host which leads to weight lost, reduced growth rate, emaciation in poultry birds and even death in severe cases. Worms can also damage the digestive tract of the birds which can lead to other infections leading to reduction in egg production. There are basically five worms that threaten the welfare of the birds, they are; 1. Ceca worm 2.  Roundworm.   ·     3. Capillaria or threadworm. ·     4. Tape worm ·     5. Gape worm   ROUNDWORM Roundworm Roundworms are the most common; they look like spaghetti and live in the intestine of the bird. They can affect chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. There are several types of roundworm e.g. hairworms, threadworms, but the most common is the Large Roundworm. Most birds can live with some infestation but it can result in drop in egg production and weight loss.    Heavily infected birds may show droopiness, emaciation and diarrhea. The primary damage is reduced efficiency of feed utilization but death in sever e infection. The worm is occasionally found in the egg.   Roundworms normally follow a direct life cycle i.e an infected birds releases worm eggs in its dropping where another bird can pick up the eggs; or, they can be picked up by a carrier like an earthworm. They have a 28 day life cycle and can be found not only in the intestine but also in the crop, gizzard or oesophagus. They can even infect the oviduct and be passed out inside the eggs. At maturity they are 3 inches long and can be seen in the dropping if expelled by the bird.

Treatment: This worm can be treated only with piperazine. Gapeworms Gapeworm Syngamus trachea is a round red worm that attach to the trachea of birds and causes the disease known as Gape. The term describes the open-mouth breathing of gapeworm in infected birds. Heavily infected birds usually emit a grunting sound because of difficulty in breathing and may die of suffocation. The worms can easily block the trachea, so they are particularly harmful to young birds. Gapeworms are a type of roundworm; they attach themselves to the trachea (throat) of chickens where they impair breathing resulting in the birds gasping (gaping). Young birds are particularly susceptible and can become infected by sharing space with wild birds such as pheasants. Fatal if not treated. Gapeworm is often brought about through an intermediate host i.e. earthworms, snails, slugs can all be carriers of larvae and once ingested by the bird have a life cycle of 14 days. It can also be picked up directly from another bird coughing up the worms on to the ground and then your birds picking it up when scratching the ground. Treatment: Gapeworm is best prevented by administering a dewormer at fifteen to thirty days interval.

Fenbendazole is also effective in preventing gapeworm.

TAPEWORM tapeworm Tapeworms  or cestodes are flattened, ribbon-shaped worms composed of numerous segments or divisions. Tapeworm varies in size from very small to several inches in length. The head or anterior end is much smaller than the rest of the body. This worm causes a lot of damage. In young birds, heavy infections result in reduced efficiency and slower growth. All poultry tapeworms apparently spend part of their lives in intermediate hosts and birds become infected by eating the intermediate host. These hosts include; snail, slugs, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, earthworms, housefly etc. Tapeworms are less common and are segmented, ribbon-like, worms. They attach themselves to the wall of the intestine by burying their heads in the lining of the intestine. Their eggs are carried by slugs and snails so free-ranging birds are more susceptible than indoor birds. Heavy infestation can reduce the bird's ability to fight other infections. Reproduction is from segments of the worm that break off and are passed through the chicken in its droppings where it contaminates the ground for other birds to pick up. Tapeworm larvae can be carried by intermediate hosts, most particularly slugs and snails. They are very hard to see with the naked eye and have a life cycle of 6 weeks.

Treatment: Tapeworms can generally be controlled by preventing the birds from eating the infected intermediate host. It can be controlled by regular treatment of the birds with Fenbendazole or Leviamisole. CECAL WORM This parasite (Heterakis gallinae) is found in the ceca of chickens, turkeys and other birds. It causes blackhead in birds. It produces no observable damage Treatment: The ceca worm can be effectively treated with Fenbendole. CAPILARIA OR THREADWORM There are several species of capillaria that occur in poultry. Capillaria annulata and Capillaria contorta occur in the crop and oesophagus. These may cause thickening and inflammation of the mucosa and hemorrhage. These parasites may become a severe problem in deep litter house. It reduces growth, egg production and fertility. Treatment: it can be controlled Hygromycin and Maldane.

EIGHT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN POULTRY FARMERS SHOULD NEVER IGNORE.

Poultry farming being one of the lucrative businesses in agriculture, has turned average Nigerians to millionaires. A good poultry farmer has to be very cautious and observant, also he or she must do all required to ensure the well being of his or her flock.

Here are the nine management practices a poultry farmer must take very serious

1. Despurring
The spur is an extra digit of the cock, which in light breeds or strains like the Nigerian indigenous fowl is well developed. This sometimes injures the farmers during handling and also the back of the breeding hen during mating. It often reduces fertility as breeding hens avoid mating.

The spur is removed at 10-16 weeks of the age of the fowl when the cap is well formed, that is, during the growing stage. A sharp knife or a pair of scissors is used.

2. Wing-banding
If you operate on a deep litter system, then you need to adopt wing-banding for the purpose of observing individual weight, breeding and performance and other useful records. Wing bands are attached to the wing web joining the muscles of the humerus with those of the ulna and radius.

3. Delousing
This is the control external parasites, these miniature creatures are so dreadful as they can ruin a profitable poultry business. They drastically reduce egg production in layers, also reduce feed efficiency.
For the control of lice and other external parasites, sodium fluoride powder may be applied in reasonable quantities to the head, neck, breast, underside of each wing, thigh, tail, under vent and on the back. This powder may also be sprinkled on the birds and rubbed in through the feathers. Rubber gloves and respirators should be worn when using sodium fluoride. The bird may also be dipped in a solution of malathion, holding the birds by its wings and dipping the body before the head. The treatment should be applied only in dry weather.
Also, a 40% nicotine sulphate and benzene hexachloride solution may be painted on perches just before the bird roost. Body heat vaporizes the nicotinic acid and the vapour kills the ectoparasites. This is repeated for about 10 days.

4. Dubbing
Dubbing is the trimming of the comb on a bird’s head. The comb is a useful part of the body for characterizing the fowl and for detecting poor layers. Blood flowing through the tissues beneath the epidermal surface of the comb helps in heat dissipation and therefore, large combs may be useful in the tropics.
However, the comb is the favorite target of the fungus favus particularly in the heavy Asiatic breeds. From the comb, infection may spread to other parts of the body. In breeds like the leghorn, the comb may be so overgrown that it blocks vision and If housed in cages, may prevent layers from access to the feed trough, thereby causing starvation of the birds.
When birds are dubbed, their combs are removed and they are thereby protected from the risk of favus infection. Moreover, they are reported to lay eggs free from blood spots.

Dubbing is performed on chicks with small pair of manicuring scissors, the comb is removed close to the head  and running the shears from front to back. There is little or no bleeding and stress is minimal.

5. Debeaking
This consists of the partial removal of the beak to prevent vice habits including pecking and feather-pulling, cannibalism and egg-eating, depending on the age when they occur. Debeaking should be the last measure taken to control or solve these problems, especially in adult birds, because these problems are symptoms of various management defects like inadequate feeding and drinking, insufficient floor space, faulty nutrition and stress.
Debeaking should be performed with great care to minimize stress and avoid damage to the back tongue.

6. Caponisation
The capon is a fowl which has been surgically or chemically treated so as to remove the action of the male hormones or increase the action of the female hormones. The testes of the males may be surgically removed while both male and female may be given hormone preparations, usually oestrogenic. Usually only males are caponised

7. Deworming
Deworming is the getting rid of intestinal worms that tend to cause harm to birds. Click here to read more worms and preventions.

8. Vaccination
Vaccination plays an important part in the health management of the poultry flock. There are numerous diseases that are prevented by vaccinating the birds against them. A vaccine helps to prevent a particular disease by triggering or boosting the bird’s immune system to produce antibodies that in turn fight the invading causal organisms.

Example is the marek vaccine given to birds on the first day of arrival through aerosol also Newcastle disease during the first week and many other vaccines.
It is imperative a farmer learns about vaccines and its routes before the administration.

Youth employment

Almost 88 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion youth live in developing countries.Globally, young people account for approximately 24 percent of the working poor and this dynamic is particularly pronounced in Africa, where over 70 percent of youth subsist on US$2 per day or less. Although the world’s youth population is expected to grow, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young women and men remain limited – particularly for those living in economically stagnant rural areas of developing countries.

The majority of rural youth are employed in the informal economy as contributing family workers, subsistence farmers, home-based micro-entrepreneurs or unskilled workers. They typically earn low wages, are employed under casual or seasonal work arrangements and face unsafe, often exploitative working conditions that compel many to migrate to urban areas. Re-engaging youth in agriculture requires addressing the numerous constraints that they face when trying to earn a livelihood. Among others, they include insufficient access to skills development and education; limited access to resources such as land; and low levels of involvement in decision-making processes. Rural youth are also typically excluded from those institutions that provide access to financial services – such as credit, savings and insurance –which further hinders their ability to participate in the sector.

If Agroecology Is So Great, Why Aren’t All Farmers Doing It?

After a half century of pioneering work by farmers and scientists, agroecology has finally penetrated international policy circles. This is due to agroecology’s widespread success on the ground and the tireless efforts of agroecologists, food activists and policy advocates determined to break corporate agriculture’s chokehold on the politics and the purse strings of our food system.

Last month, Friends of the Earth (FoE) published Farming for the Future: Organic and Agroecological Solutions to Feed the World - which was released on the heels of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems’ (IPES) report, From Uniformity to Diversity: A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems.

The two publications reflect a widespread push by civil society to advanceagroecology as a solution to the rural poverty, hunger, erosion, agricultural pollution and greenhouse gas emissions attributed to industrial agriculture. Extensively referenced, the reports highlight agroecology’s many benefits, including comparable yields to conventional systems, the production of nutrient-dense foods, resilience to climate change, increased farmers’ incomes, and more.

We’re left wondering, if agroecology is so great, why aren’t all farmers doing it? What’s holding it back?

Friends of the Earth claims it is largely due to agricultural subsidies that expend “billions of dollars... for the ecologically destructive industrial production of commodity crops,” suggesting that ending them would act as a disincentive to industrial production and thus usher in agroecological change.

But farmers don’t grow environmentally destructive commodities simply because they receive subsidies. Farmers farm commodities because that is what the market demands. They get hooked on subsidies because capitalist agriculture has an innate tendency to overproduce—thus dropping prices. Because they have high fixed and “up front” costs, when commodity prices drop, farmers increase their production to make ends meet. This only leads to greater consumption of chemical inputs, larger (and fewer) farms, and of course, more overproduction. Subsidies don’t cause overproduction, they support the incomes of farmers who are caught in a system of capitalist overproduction and low prices.

The agrifood industry thrives on these low prices—especially processors and supermarkets that like to buy on the cheap. Seed, chemical and machinery companies like low prices too, because it drives farmers to produce more, and buy newer and bigger technologies. Overall, this system keeps prices low for grain companies, processors, supermarkets, and input companies - which is where money and power disproportionately resides. The wealth of public subsidies eventually accumulates in these sectors—not with the farmers. Cutting off farm subsidies would be like cutting off SNAP benefits for low-income consumers to spite Walmart— ultimately hurting those struggling at the bottom of a capitalist system without changing the market rules that keep the industrial agrifoods corporations in power.

The IPES report recognizes that “Industrial agriculture and the ‘industrial food systems’ that have developed around it are locked in place by a series of vicious cycles [that] allows value to accrue to a limited number of actors, reinforcing their economic and political power, and thus their ability to influence the governance of food systems.”

Both IPEs and FoE call for broad reforms—from shifting public support to agroecological agriculture, developing short supply chains and mainstreamingagroecology in research agendas, to developing new metrics and supporting broad based social movements for agroecology and local food. The IPES report concludes that, “Political incentives must be shifted in order for these alternatives to emerge beyond the margins. A series of modest steps can collectively shift the centre of gravity in food systems.”

So true, but IPES falls short of identifying capitalist agriculture as the system and overproduction as the mechanism locking industrial agriculture in and keepingagroecology out.

Agroecology must indeed advance beyond the margins to become the norm rather than the alternative. The FoE’s and IPES’ recommendations are urgently needed. However, all of these recommendations fly directly in the face of capitalistagriculture, in which the tendency is towards massive and mechanized plantations, global supply chains and the disappearance of the public sector entirely. Further,agroecology requires extensive human labor coupled with place-specific knowledges - both of which are incompatible with the current system’s need for vast, cheap inputs.

When we discuss what’s holding agroecology back, we also need to discuss how we can roll back the accumulation of money and power locking in the conventional industrial agricultural system. The question is not just, “how can we scale upagroecology,” or even “how can we use agroecology to change the food system,” but “how can agroecology help us transform capitalism itself?”