Traditional Farming versus Corporate Farming

This essay compares and contrasts traditional farming and corporate farming methods in the context of New Zealand. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method and explores the sustainability issues associated with corporate farming. The essay also suggests measures for achieving sustainable development in the farming sector.

Running head: TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
Traditional Farming versus Corporate Farming
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1TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
As opined by Baldwin (2018), farming is considered to be one of the oldest
professions of the world and its origin can be traced back to thousands of years ago when the
human beings first leaned to civilize. Denham, Iriarte and Vrydaghs (2016) are of the
viewpoint that farming is one of the most important professions of the world because of the
fact that the farmers are responsible for cultivating the crops or rearing the cattle which is
being consumed by the human beings for sustenance. However, in the recent times with the
development of new innovative technologies and also in the light of the issues of
sustainability, the cannon of framing had undergone a significant amount of change (Minot,
2018). For example, it is seen that unlike the traditional methods of farming which were used
extensively in the earlier times, the modern day farmer are increasingly resorting to the usage
of the method of corporate farming for the cultivation of crops and also for rearing of
livestock (Ronald & Adamchak, 2018). This change in the method of farming can be
attributed to the ever increasing demand for food products on the part of human civilization,
the population of which is growing at an exponential rate. This essay will compare and
contrast the traditional and the corporate farming methods in the particular context of the
nation of New Zealand.
Howley et al. (2015) have articulated the viewpoint that the agricultural or the
farming sector is the largest tradable sector in the nation of New Zealand and directly
contributes towards the more than thirds of the products which are being exported out of the
nation under discussion here. More importantly, as of 2016, it was seen that the sector under
discussion here contributed more than $34.78 billion towards the GDP of the concerned
nation which accounted for more than 17.1% of its entire GDP (Stuff.co.nz, 2019). As opined
by Olson (2017), the farming of NZ is not only known for the high quality of crops or food
products that it offers to the people but at the same time for the high quality livestock and
related products or services as well. For example, it is seen that the nation under discussion

2TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
here earns more than $6.77 billion from meat, $12.1 billion from dairy, other animal products
$812 million and livestock exports $242 million (Environmentguide.org.nz, 2019). Needless
to say, this not enables the concerned nation to meet the food demands of its citizens but at
the same time had contributed in a significant manner towards the growth of its national
economy as well. However, in the recent times it is seen that the landscape of the farming
sector in NZ had undergone a significant amount of change and the farmers are increasingly
switching from the traditional farming methods to the corporate method of farming.
The people of NZ as well as the Maoris over the centuries had been taking the help of
the traditional methods of farming for the cultivation of crops and the rearing of livestock and
its related products was only a side-business or a source of extra income for them (Mellor,
2017). However, it was seen that this used to take a significant amount of labor on the part of
the cultivators and also the returns from the land were not significant enough to maintain the
farms and also the families which dependent on the farm for their livelihood (Glover &
Kusterer, 2016). The real change came with the introduction of the Industrial Revolution in
the nation under discussion here and the net result of this was the farmers soon realized the
opportunities presented by the usage of these machineries for the purpose of cultivating crops
(Olson, 2017). For example, it was seen that the usage of these machineries can not only
reduce the human labor that it need for farming but at the same time increased the production
of crops as well and compared to earlier method was much cost effective (Graeub et al.,
2016). In addition to this, the increasing demand for meat, livestock products and others soon
made the farmers realize the prospective economic opportunities presented by the same.
Thus, they began to embrace the systematic method of farming through which they not only
focused on the systematic cultivation of crops but at the same time focused on the livestock
business as well. More importantly, the collaboration with different farming units, agencies,
unions and others also significantly enhanced the prospects of these farmers and presently it

3TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
is seen that different corporations are procuring the lands of the concerned nation to
scientifically grow organic and other kinds of crops in the nation and also rear livestock
(Thompson, 2017).
Wolfert et al. (2017) have articulated the viewpoint that the evolution of farming
methods and also the extensive usage of the corporate method of farming had raised various
sustainability issues in the concerned nation. For example, Altieri and Nicholls (2017) have
opined that the extensive usage of the concerned method of farming is putting a pressure on
the land which is being over-exploited for producing a larger volume of crops and thereby to
attain a higher amount of profitability. This in turn had raised questions regarding the notion
of ecological footprinting and also the fact that whether adequate amount of natural resources
would be available to the future generations or not (Howley et al., 2015). In addition to this,
another sustainability issue which is being raised by extensive usage of corporate farming is
the fact that because of high amount of systematic farming, the lands of the concerned nation
are increasingly losing their fertility. More importantly, the farmers are increasingly relying
on different kinds of machineries for the cultivation of crops and it is seen that these
machines cause a significant amount of air pollution (Denham, Iriarte & Vrydaghs, 2016).
Another important factor is that the farmers are using different kinds of pesticides and
fertilizers for enhancing the cultivation from the land and because of the non-biodegradable
nature of these fertilizers or pesticides they cause land as well as water pollution which is
significantly affecting the natural ecosystem of the concerned nation (Minot, 2018).
Furthermore, because of the extreme focus on quantity, the quality of the crops and also their
breeds are deteriorating and this in turn can affect the farming sector of NZ in the longer-run
in an adverse manner.
Ronald and Adamchak (2018) have articulated the viewpoint that the family farms are
the ones which are being operated by families and also the estates are being passed on from

4TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
one generation to another. In addition to this, it is seen that the family farms in the present
times in NZ had styled themselves as corporations and especially in the cultivation of crops
or the rearing of livestock whose breed have been preserved as well as improved over the
years through selective breeding (Stuff.co.nz, 2019). This is perhaps one of the major reasons
for the unprecedented success gained by these family farms over the years. However, despite
the high quality of crops and livestock offered by these farms it is seen that they fail to make
adequate amount of profit on par with the other farms which follow the method of corporate
farming (Environmentguide.org.nz, 2019). This is in turn had propelled many family farms in
the recent times to switch over to the corporate method of farming. Glover and Kusterer
(2016) are of the viewpoint that one of the most important lucrative facts about the corporate
farming method is that it affords the opportunity to the farms to maximize the cultivation
from the land through the usage of different kinds machineries, chemical growth enhancers
and others. In addition to this, there is the opportunity to reduce the production cost through
the reduction in the amount of human labor that is needed because of the usage of machines
and thereby to maximize their profitability. More importantly, as opined by Olson (2017),
one of the most important trends, which is being seen within the framework of NZ is the fact
that the individuals in the present times have shown a higher propensity towards different
kinds of organic food products. The net result of this is that many corporate farms in NZ in
the present times are resorting to the production of organic crops to meet this demand of the
customers which once again offers them the opportunity to earn a higher amount of
profitability. These in short are some of the major factors which have motivated the farms in
NZ to switch over to the corporate method of farming.
According to Thompson (2017), sustainability is the process through which the
business firms or the industries are being able to maintain a certain minimum level of growth
without causing any significant over-exploitation of the resources which had enabled them to

5TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
attain that growth. The notion of sustainability becomes especially important from the
perspective of the farming sector of NZ because of the increasing pressure which is being
placed on the land through the usage of the method of corporate farming and also the
different stakeholders associated with it like NZ government, farming sub-sectors,
corporations like Fonterra and Alliance group. This can be explained on the basis of the fact
that the prospects of the farming sector are directly related to them and if the concerned
sector fails to attain a bare minimum level of growth then this could significantly affect their
prospects (Wolfert et al., 2017). An analysis of the advantages as well as disadvantages of the
traditional method of farming on the basis of the notion of sustainability would yield
insightful details regarding the method itself. For example, the traditional method of farming
is an advantageous one from the perspective of sustainability because of the lesser pressure
that it creates on the land and also the lesser amount of pollution that it entails and thereby
ensures that the fertility of the land is preserved and available for future generations as well
(Graeub et al., 2016). However, the major disadvantage of the concerned method can be said
that be the fact that this method had failed to yield adequate amount of crops and livestock to
support the ever increasing population of the nation of NZ.
Altieri and Nicholls (2017) have articulated the viewpoint that the major advantage of
the corporate method of farming on the basis of sustainability can be said to be the fact that
because of the larger volume of crops and livestock that this method produces it can actually
support the food requirements of the increasing population of NZ. Another important
advantage offered by this method of farming is the fact that if offers the opportunity to the
farms to cultivate organic crops through the usage of innovative technologies which are not
only better in taste but from the perspective of the health quotient as well (Minot, 2018). On
the other hand, the major disadvantage of the same can be said to be fact that because of its
extreme focus on quantity and profitability it is seen that the lands are being over-exploited

6TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
and thereby losing their fertility at a faster rate. More importantly, it is seen that many of the
original breeds of crops and livestock have been lost because of ineffective measures which
were followed by the farmers (Baldwin, 2018). These pose a significant amount of threat to
the farming sector because of the fact that it is likely if the same pattern is being followed
then future generations are likely to suffer in an adverse manner.
The agricultural industry of NZ in the recent times had showed signs of decline
because of different kinds of sustainability issues and thereby it becomes important for the
authorities to use the kind of measures which will enable the concerned sector to attain
sustainable development (Stuff.co.nz, 2019). For example, the farmers can begin by using a
combined approach which will take into account the positive aspects of both the traditional
method of farming and corporate method of farming while neglecting their negative aspects.
More importantly, taking the help of the combined approach, the farmers should look to re-
grow the original breeds that they have lost and also to improve them in a significant manner.
Furthermore, in order to reduce the pressure on land for the cultivation of crops, the farmers
can also take the help of the method of greenhouses and other innovative methods (Minot,
2018). In addition to this, rather than taking the help of non-biodegradable pesticides and
fertilizers, the farmers should look to use pesticides and fertilizers which are biodegradable in
nature and thereby reduce the environmental pollution caused by them. These in short are
some of the measures which can be used for the attainment of a sustainable development in
the farming sector of NZ.
To conclude, the farming sector over the years had not fulfilled the basic food
demands of the human beings but at the same time contributed in a significant manner
towards the national economies of different nations. However, it is seen that with the increase
in the human population and also with the emergence of different kinds of new technologies,
the farming method used by the farmers had undergone a significant amount of change. The

7TRADITIONAL FARMING VERSUS CORPORATE FARMING
net result of this is that rather than using the traditional method of farming, the farmers are
increasingly resorting to the usage of the corporate method of farming because of the
advantages that it offer over the traditional method. However, it is seen that both the methods
of farming have raised various kinds of sustainability issues and thus it becomes important
for the authorities to use the kind of farming method which will take into account the positive
aspects of both the methods.

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References
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