[GreeniFi]

Small scale farming often doesn’t work as a business. The economics of modern day commercial agriculture support only the big farmer. These technologies, unless they get super cheap, will drive more and more farm consolidation.

[criddell]

I think there's a possible future where small scale farming takes off because it makes small-scale farming profitable and leads to fragmentation of the agriculture market. It would be great to be able to choose from more types of bananas and tomatoes and potatoes and carrots and other fruits and vegetables.

I don't want cheaper food, I want better food.

[sturgill]

> I don’t want cheaper food, I want better food.

Say what you want about Big Ag, but the very fact that this is a reasonable position (and it is reasonable) is a tremendous testament to our progress as a species.

[4043D]

Small scale farming absolutely does work as a business and the vast majority of farms (world wide) are in the sub 1000 hectare range. If you are talking sub 100 acre hobby farms then yeah they aren't a profitable main source of income (excluding some market garden operations)

[mymythisisthis]

What about fish farming and aquaculture. People pay a premium for sustainable fish, a good pound of sustainable fish can set me back $20-$30. Maybe there is enough of a profit margin in such fields, and they don't have to be big.

[GreeniFi]

Most farms in the world are in the sub one hectare range. And their owners aren’t hobbyists.