What you learned in school
Agricultural science classes taught that modern industrial farming methods using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides were completely sustainable and could feed the world indefinitely. Students learned about the Green Revolution as an unqualified success that solved world hunger. Textbooks presented industrial agriculture as scientifically superior to traditional farming methods, emphasizing increased yields and efficiency. The focus was on technological solutions to food production with no discussion of environmental costs or long-term sustainability concerns.
What we know now
Agricultural science classes taught that modern industrial farming methods using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides were sustainable and could feed the world indefinitely. Students learned about the Green Revolution as an unqualified success. Industrial agriculture has led to soil depletion, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, and resistance to pesticides. Monoculture farming has made crops more vulnerable to pests and diseases. The external costs of industrial agriculture include environmental damage and health effects that were not considered in the original sustainability assessments. More sustainable approaches are needed for long-term food security.