Talk:Factory farming/WASLIST

Important issues regarding industrial agriculture include:

1. what it is exactly
2. how it fits into modern science/technology
3. how it fits into modern global and national politics
4. its place in the modern corporate world
5. its effect on traditional farming practices and communities
6. its effect on the environment
7. the ethical issue of causing pain to animals
8. the ethical issue of creating "unnatural" ecologies and lifeforms
9. the need for it to keep billions of people from starving
10. specifically, what it is as applied to Animals
11. specifically, what it is as applied to Aquaculture
12. specifically, what it is as applied to Shrimp
13. specifically, what it is as applied to Chickens
14. specifically, what it is as applied to Pigs
15. specifically, what it is as applied to Cattle
16. specifically, what it is as applied to Crops
17. specifically, what it is as applied to Wheat
18. specifically, what it is as applied to Maize
19. specifically, what it is as applied to Soybean
20. specifically, what it is as applied to Tomato
21. specifically, the part modern management techniques plays
22. specifically, the part mechanical harvesting plays
23. specifically, the part genetic modification plays
24. specifically, the part hydroponics plays
25. industrial organic farming
26. innovation in agricultural machinery and farming methods
27. genetic technology development
28. techniques for achieving economies of scale in production
29. the creation of new markets for consumption
30. the application of patent protection to genetic information
31. globalization
32. historical development
33. current efforts to modify it it including "sustainable agriculture" efforts
34. Cheap and plentiful food
35. Convenience for the consumer
36. The contribution to our economy on many levels, from growers to harvesters to processors to sellers
37. Environmental and social costs
38. Damage to fisheries
39. Cleanup of surface and groundwater polluted with animal waste
40. Increased health risks from pesticides
41. Increased ozone pollution and global warming from heavy use of fossil fuels
42. marketing challenges and consumer tastes
43. international trading environment (world market conditions, barriers to trade, quarantine and technical barriers, maintenance of global competitiveness and market image, and management of biosecurity issues affecting imports and the disease status of exports)
44. biosecurity (pests and diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, citrus canker, and sugar smut)
45. infrastructure (such as transport, ports, telecommunications, energy and irrigation facilities)
46. management skills and labor supply (With increasing requirements for business planning, enhanced market awareness, the use of modern technology such as computers and global positioning systems and better agronomic management, modern farm managers will need to become increasingly skilled. Examples: training of skilled workers, the development of labor hire systems that provide continuity of work in industries with strong seasonal peaks, modern communication tools, investigating market opportunities, researching customer requirements, business planning including financial management, researching the latest farming techniques, risk management skills)
47. coordination (a more consistent national strategic agenda for agricultural research and development; more active involvement of research investors in collaboration with research providers developing programs of work; greater coordination of research activities across industries, research organisations and issues; and investment in human capital to ensure a skilled pool of research personnel in the future.)
48. technology (research, adoption, productivity, genetically modified (GM) crops, investments)
49. water (access rights, water trade, providing water for environmental outcomes, assignment of risk in response to reallocation of water from consumptive to environmental use, accounting for the sourcing and allocation of water)
50. resource access issues (management of native vegetation, the protection and enhancement of biodiversity, sustainability of productive agricultural resources, landholder responsibilities)
51. the industrial farm owner issue of integrated farming systems
52. the industrial farm owner issue of crop sequencing
53. the industrial farm owner issue of water use efficiency
54. the industrial farm owner issue of nutrient audits
55. the industrial farm owner issue of herbicide resistance
56. the industrial farm owner issue of financial instruments (such as futures and options)
57. the industrial farm owner issue of collect and understand own farm information;
58. the industrial farm owner issue of knowing your products
59. the industrial farm owner issue of knowing your markets
60. the industrial farm owner issue of knowing your customers
61. the industrial farm owner issue of satisfying customer needs
62. the industrial farm owner issue of securing an acceptable profit margin
63. the industrial farm owner issue of cost of servicing debt;
64. the industrial farm owner issue of ability to earn and access off-farm income;
65. the industrial farm owner issue of management of machinery and stewardship investments