Can we create the "perfect" farm? - Brent Loken

Transcriber: TED Translators Admin Reviewer: Mirjana Čutura

譯者: Peggy Chan 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

About 10,000 years ago, humans began to farm.

大約一萬年前，人類開始耕種。

This agricultural revolution was a turning point in our history

農業革命是我們人類 歷史上的一個轉折點，

that enabled people to settle, build and create.

它讓人類定居下來、 進行建設與創作。

In short, agriculture enabled the existence of civilization.

簡單地說，農業孕育了文明。

Today, approximately 40 percent of our planet is farmland.

今天，農地占了地球約 40% 的面積。

Spread all over the world,

這些遍佈全球各地的農地

these agricultural lands are the pieces to a global puzzle

構成了我們現在所面臨的全球難題：

we are all facing:

in the future, how can we feed every member of a growing population

人類如何在未來為日益增長的人口

a healthy diet?

提供健康的飲食？

Meeting this goal will require

要實現這一目標，

nothing short of a second agricultural revolution.

第二次農業革命無可避免。

The first agricultural revolution

第一次農業革命的特徵

was characterized by expansion and exploitation,

是擴張和剝削，

feeding people at the expense of forests, wildlife and water

以犧牲森林、野生動物、水資源 為代價來養活人類，

and destabilizing the climate in the process.

繼而破換了氣候的穩定。

That's not an option the next time around.

第二次農業革命不可再重蹈覆輒。

Agriculture depends on a stable climate

農業發展需要依賴穩定的氣候，

with predictable seasons and weather patterns.

包括可預測的季節和天氣模式。

This means we can't keep expanding our agricultural lands,

這意味著，我們不可以 一直擴大我們的農業用地，

because doing so will undermine the environmental conditions

因為這樣會破壞環境條件，

that make agriculture possible in the first place.

反而影響農業的存續。

Instead, the next agricultural revolution

所以，為了長遠的未來， 下一次的農業革命

will have to increase the output of our existing farmland for the long term

必須要提高我們現有農地的產量，

while protecting biodiversity, conserving water

同時保護生物多樣性、水資源

and reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

並減少污染和溫室氣體的排放。

So what will the future farms look like?

那麼未來的農場會是什麼樣子？

This drone is part of a fleet that monitors the crops below.

這架空拍機屬於一組機隊， 負責監測農作物。

The farm may look haphazard

農場看似雜亂無章，

but is a delicately engineered use of the land

但卻是一種設計精緻的土地利用模式，

that intertwines crops and livestock with wild habitats.

讓農作物和牲畜與野生棲息地共存。

Conventional farming methods cleared large swathes of land

傳統的耕作方式是 在開墾的大片土地上

and planted them with a single crop,

種植單一的作物，

eradicating wildlife

使野生動物消失，

and emitting huge amounts of greenhouse gases in the process.

並排放大量溫室氣體。

This approach aims to correct that damage.

這個方法旨在挽救這種損害。

Meanwhile, moving among the crops,

同時，在作物間來回移動的 各個機器人隊伍

teams of field robots apply fertilizer in targeted doses.

以預設的劑量施肥。

Inside the soil,

土壤裡有數百個感應器，

hundreds of sensors gather data on nutrients and water levels.

收集養分和含水量的數據。

This information reduces unnecessary water use

這些數據能減少不必要的用水，

and tells farmers where they should apply more and less fertilizer

還能讓農民知道 哪裡要多施肥料、哪裡要減少，

instead of causing pollution by showering it across the whole farm.

而不是大量傾注肥料，造成污染。

But the farms of the future won't be all sensors and robots.

但是未來的農場不會 全都是感應器和機器人。

These technologies are designed to help us produce food

設計這些技術是為了幫助我們，

以順應環境的方式，

in a way that works with the environment

而不是以破壞環境的方式來生產食物，

rather than against it,

taking into account the nuances of local ecosystems.

同時考慮到當地生態系統的細微變化。

Lower-cost agricultural practices can also serve those same goals

低成本的農業活動也能實現上述目標，

and are much more accessible to many farmers.

對於更多農民而言也更容易執行。

In fact, many such practices are already in use today

事實上，這些方法 在今天已經被大量使用，

and stand to have an increasingly large impact

並且影響越來越大，

as more farmers adopt them.

因為越來越多農民採用這些方法。

In Costa Rica,

在哥斯大黎加，

farmers have intertwined farmland with tropical habitat so successfully

農民十分成功地把農田和 熱帶棲息地結合在一起，

that they have significantly contributed to doubling the country's forest cover.

對於國家森林的覆蓋率翻倍 有顯著的貢獻。

This provides food and habitat for wildlife

這不僅為野生動物 提供了食物以及棲息地，

as well as natural pollination and pest control

還為農場吸引來的鳥類和昆蟲，

from the birds and insects these farms attract,

提供天然授粉和害蟲防治，

producing food while restoring the planet.

在復原地球的同時生產食物。

In the United States,

在美國，

ranchers are raising cattle on grasslands composed of native species,

牧場主在原生品種的草地上

generating a valuable protein source

使用能儲存碳和保護 生物多樣性的方法來牧牛，

using production methods that store carbon and protect biodiversity.

提供珍貴的蛋白質來源。

In Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal,

孟加拉、柬埔寨和尼泊爾

new approaches to rice production

有水稻生產的新方法，

may dramatically decrease greenhouse gas emissions in the future.

可能會在未來急劇地 減少溫室氣體的排放量。

Rice is a staple food for three billion people

水稻是 30 億人口的主食，

and the main source of livelihood for millions of households.

也是上百萬家庭生計的主要來源。

More than 90 percent of rice is grown in flooded paddies,

超過 90% 的水稻 生長在注滿水的稻田裡。

which use a lot of water

這些水田用水量大，

and release 11 percent of annual methane emissions,

每年排放的甲烷 占全球溫室氣體的 11%，

which accounts for one to two percent

是全球年溫室氣體

of total annual greenhouse gas emissions globally.

排放總量的 1% 到 2%。

By experimenting with new strains of rice,

透過各品種水稻的試驗、

irrigating less

少量的灌溉

and adopting less labor-intensive ways of planting seeds,

以及採用非勞動密集的方式播種，

farmers in these countries

在這些國家，農民的收入和糧食產量

have already increased their incomes and crop yields

已經提高了，

while cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.

同時也減少了溫室氣體的排放。

In Zambia,

在贊比亞，

numerous organizations are investing in locally specific methods

有不少組織正在投資 當地一種特有的方法，

to improve crop production, reduce forest loss

以提高作物產量、減少森林消失

and improve livelihoods for local farmers.

和改善當地農民的生計。

These efforts are projected to increase crop yield

在未來的幾十年裡，

by almost a quarter over the next few decades.

這些努力預計會將農作物產量 提高近四分之一，

If combined with methods to combat deforestation in the region,

如果再與對抗當地去森林化的方法結合，

they could move the country

就能推動國家

toward a resilient, climate-focused agricultural sector.

建立一個適應力強、重視氣候的農業。

And in India,

在印度，

where up to 40 percent of post-harvest food is lost or wasted

因基礎設施落後，收穫後的糧食

有超過 40% 被丟棄或浪費，

due to poor infrastructure,

farmers have already started to implement solar-powered cold storage capsules

農民因而開始使用太陽能冷藏箱。

that help thousands of rural farmers preserve their produce

這幫助了數千農民儲存農產，

and become a viable part of the supply chain.

使他們在供應鏈上占有一席之地。

It will take all of these methods,

農業的徹底改革

from the most high-tech to the lowest-cost,

需要採用以上所有方法，

to revolutionize farming.

無論是高科技或低成本。

High-tech interventions stand to amplify

高科技的方法可以擴大

climate- and conservation-oriented approaches to farming,

以氣候和保護為導向的農業效益，

and large producers will need to invest in implementing these technologies.

規模大的農場將需要投資 來導入這些技術。

Meanwhile, we'll have to expand access to the lower-cost methods

同時，我們需要推廣低成本方法，

for smaller-scale farmers.

讓小規模農戶採用。

This vision of future farming will also require a global shift

未來農業的願景還需要全球

toward more plant-based diets

轉向以蔬食為主的飲食，

and huge reductions in food loss and waste,

以及大量減少食物損失和浪費。

both of which will reduce pressure on the land

這些都能減少土地的負擔

and allow farmers to do more with what they have available.

並讓農民充分利用他們所有的資源。

If we optimize food production, both on land and sea,

如果我們能讓陸地和海洋的糧食生產 以最有效的方式進行，

we can feed humanity

我們可以在地球環境的 限制下供應人類糧食，

within the environmental limits of the earth,

but there's a very small margin of error,

但能容許的誤差範圍有限。

and it will take unprecedented global cooperation

這需要今天所有農田

and coordination of the agricultural lands we have today.

進行前所未有的全球合作與協調。