[23throwaway23]

It'd be interesting to actually test this out if we got rid of farm and fossil fuel subsidies that prop up monoculture.

Would be an even better comparison if we account for the externalities, like soil erosion and ecocide from pesticide/fertilizer run-off.

[Nasrudith]

Look at New Zealand - they lack agricultural subsidies and tax fuel. Assuming monoculture is because of subsidizes isn't based on reality.

Externalities are a /way/ larger issue than just monoculture or even modern pesticides and fertilizer though.

[pfdietz]

Vs. the genocide if we didn't use artificial nitrogen fertilizers and had to suffer lower yield for a purely "organic" food system (note that organic fertilizers that ultimately source their nitrogen back to waste from conventional agriculture could not be used.)