Question

Our modern food industry has an EROEI of 0.1:1. In pre-industrial settings, when energy investment for food production was in the form of muscle power (animal and human), why would a 0.1:1 EROEI for food have been untenable? Next, describe the conditions for an exact break-even food EROEI of 1:1. What would this mean in terms of where effort/energy goes? What would this leave for building shelters, cathedrals, or esthetic pursuits?

Short answer

Answer: A 0.1:1 EROEI would be untenable in a pre-industrial setting because it would mean that for every unit of energy invested in food production, only 0.1 unit of energy would be gained in the form of food. This would lead to malnutrition, starvation, and the inability to continue food production. An exact 1:1 EROEI implies that the energy input required to produce food is equal to the energy output gained from the food itself, leaving no surplus energy for other activities such as building shelters, creating artwork, or engaging in other pursuits. This would hinder societal growth, wealth-building, and cultural development.

Step-by-step solution

1. Understanding EROEI

EROEI is the ratio of the energy output to the energy input required to produce that output. In the context of food production, it is the amount of energy contained in the produced food versus the amount of energy consumed to produce that food. A higher EROEI means that less energy is required to produce the same amount of food, making the production process more efficient.

2. Reasons for untenability of 0.1:1 EROEI in pre-industrial settings

In a pre-industrial setting, the primary energy input for food production was muscle power from humans and animals. If the EROEI was 0.1:1, this would mean that for every unit of energy invested in food production, the output would only be 0.1 unit of energy in the form of food. Since humans and animals need more energy than they expend in order to survive and maintain their health, this EROEI ratio would be unsustainable in the long run, leading to malnutrition, starvation and ultimately, inability to continue food production.

3. Describing the conditions for a 1:1 EROEI

An EROEI of 1:1 implies that the energy input required to produce food is equal to the energy output gained from the food itself. In this scenario, both humans and animals involved in food production would be barely able to sustain themselves only on the energy gained from the food they produce, without any energy left for other activities.

4. Implications of 1:1 EROEI on other aspects of life

An EROEI of 1:1 would mean that all the effort and energy invested in food production would be utilized only to produce the amount of food required to maintain the same energy levels. This would leave no surplus energy for other activities such as building shelters, creating artwork, or engaging in other aesthetic pursuits. The society would not be able to grow, build wealth or develop culture under these circumstances.

Key concepts

Pre-industrial Food Production

Before the industrial revolution, food production relied heavily on human and animal muscle power. This form of production had its limits because it depended on those involved consuming enough calories to sustain their work and day-to-day life. Imagine farming under those conditions. The energy--fueled by the food humans and animals consumed--was barely enough to complete daily tasks, let alone yield a surplus. This is where the concept of Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI) becomes crucial. For pre-industrial food production, a high EROEI was necessary.

An EROEI of 0.1:1 would have been completely unsustainable back then. If every unit of energy put into growing and harvesting crops returned just a tenth in food energy, the effort would quickly become futile. The producers--whether human or livestock--could not sustain themselves, let alone their families or communities. Without modern conveniences or supplemental technologies, a low EROEI translates to poor yields, exertion without reward, and eventual depletion of vital resources like labor and overall community health.

Hence, pre-industrial societies often focused on techniques that maximized the use of available resources, balancing energy inputs and outputs to ensure survival. This might include crop rotations and sharing resources among farming communities.

Sustainability in Agriculture

Sustainability in agriculture is not a modern fad; it has roots in ancient practices. The core idea is to maintain a balance where resources used do not exceed what can be naturally replenished. In the context of food production, achieving a sustainable EROEI means producing enough food energy to cover the energy expended in its production, ideally with some surplus for other societal needs.

A 1:1 EROEI represents a break-even scenario where the energy input matches the output. While it sounds fair, this leaves no room for error or growth. With a 1:1 EROEI, a farm or society would only run in place--all energy would be employed to produce just enough food to meet current needs but does not assure long-term food security or enable any further development.

Sustainable agriculture goes beyond balancing mere energy equations. It takes into account soil health, water use, biodiversity, and even labor conditions. Many traditional farming communities inherently grasped this balance by adhering to practices that minimized waste, used biodiversity to their advantage, and maintained soil fertility through natural means, ensuring they could feed both the present and future generations.

Energy Efficiency in Food Systems

In modern food systems, energy efficiency has become increasingly significant, particularly as we strive for a more sustainable future. Today, the challenge is to maintain a high EROEI despite relying on fossil fuels, machinery, and logistics. These industrial methods make food production faster and more extensive, but they also gulp down substantial amounts of energy.

Energy-efficient food systems aim to reduce the energy input without compromising output. Ways to enhance this include adopting renewable energy sources, improving crop yields per unit area, and cutting down energy use in transportation, storage, and packaging. These advances must consider all stages of the food supply chain, from land preparation to reaching consumers.

Innovations such as precision farming, which uses GPS technology to optimize field-level management regarding crop farming, and vertical farming, where crops are grown in stacked layers using controlled environments, aim to boost output while keeping energy use in check. These techniques not only improve EROEI but also help address the growing demands of a burgeoning global population, thus marrying efficiency with sustainability in our modern-day agricultural practices.

• Reduce transport distances for local sourcing.
• Implement renewable energy solutions like solar and wind.
• Adopt energy-efficient irrigation practices.