[carapace]

Well, mechanization is powered by oil, yes? And genetic engineering could be applied in any case.

In any event, you haven't made an argument that "traditional agriculture" is more efficient than applied ecology (Permaculture is an (the?) exemplar.)

Yield per acre is greater in a Permaculture farm than in a traditional farm, often by as much as an order of magnitude or more. Inputs are fewer too.

More importantly, under Permaculture the soil improves over time, while in traditional agriculture it is degraded and eventually becomes desert or wasteland.