20 Things That Would Happen If Farming Stopped

1. Did you know this about farming?

Image Source: Reddit

Farming and agriculture are absolutely necessary to provide food security for so many people. It's become a staple of our modern world, and it's considered one of the largest industries in the world. If this industry went away, it would have severe repercussions for society and the way our world operates. It could affect everything from our economy to socio-status. There are now conversations of how AI can help provide more food resources at a lower end cost. But here's what it would look like if we didn't have the farming industry as we know it!

2. Farming carries on through the ages

Image Source: Reddit

When we entered into the global pandemic back in 2020, pretty much everyone on the planet had to make changes to their lifestyle. Maybe it meant no more eating out or going to your favorite concerts. However, farming carried on through the pandemic, and it's actually listed as one of the least changed jobs from the start of the pandemic to now. As we said, it's one of the most important industries, because it literally sustains human life as we know it. Even though the world continually changes, we've relied on farming as a sustainable food source for centuries.

3. What would happen if farming stopped?

Image Source: Reddit

Did you know that if farmers stopped farming for even 45 days, there would be major ramifications? There are so many different things to dive into here, but at the base, it would be like a Butterfly Effect. In other words, it would start a chain reaction that would go beyond just the day-to-day productivity on the farm being effected. It would end up causing a major disruption in the entire supply chain, which would ultimately change how you buy and consume food. Pretty wild to think that it could bring that much change that quickly!

4. The food supply chain

Image Source: Reddit

While you might only think of the daily tasks that farmers have to complete, it's important to keep the big picture in mind. Farmers ultimately produce commodities for the entire planet. Their daily work is the start of the food supply chain. If their daily functions cease, then it would also cease work for manufacturers, wholesalers, groceries and even restaurants. The food system is a lot more complex than most people realize, and it runs like a well-oiled machine. So a single disruption can throw off the entire chain.

5. Year-round farming

Image Source: Reddit

Of course, there are certain things about farming that are seasonal. Harvest and planting are two parts of the process that take place at specific times during the year. However, functions like tending livestock, dairy farming, and poultry are parts of the industry that require everyday attention. For dairy farmers, they must milk the cows multiple times every single day, all year long! If they aren't milked frequently, they can develop infections. So if farming stopped even for a day, it could cause major repercussions to our dairy industry. You would stop seeing milk on the shelves at the store along with your other favorite dairy products such as cheese and ice cream!

6. And even if it resumed...

Image Source: Reddit

So let's say farming stops for a while and the dairy and poultry processes come to a halt. In theory, you would think that they could just resume and everything would be fine. But that's not exactly the case. The supply chain is more intricate than that. The cycle of dairy farming, for example, means that cows are bred and then give milk, and that milk is in a steady supply. When the process is stopped, even for a short amount of time, the entire herd could develop health problems. So even this short stop could end up causing a disruption in supply for several months.

7. Seasonal crop production

Image Source: Reddit

As we mentioned, there are some activities that only happen seasonally, but even with a break in this system, it could have an effect on the rest of the food chain system. For example, if the farmers stopped working in April or May, it would mean that the crop produced for that year would be significantly less. A huge part of farming is taking advantage of the time when the weather is best, which means the majority of planting and harvest happens between April and October. If farmers were to break during these time periods, it would mean that our annual harvests would not provide enough crops to meet the current demand.

8. Seasonal crops effect year-long farming

Image Source: Reddit

To further the point of the importance of seasonal crops, the crops that are produced during that April to October season can affect the long-term farming we discussed as well. Things like corn, soybeans and grain are produced during seasonal farming, and these items not only feed humans, but they're also used to feed the cattle and poultry we've been discussing. So if farmers don't produce crops, it also diminishes our meat and dairy supply. This would cause a protein deficit that could potentially have global impact.

9. It's happened before

Image Source: Reddit

We have seen the effects of the agriculture industry being impacted before. However, we've never seen it on a global scale. For the most part, the disasters that have occurred are localized to particular regions. It could be due to natural disasters such as late freeze, hurricanes, floods, or tornados. These types of things typically only hit one part of a state or just a few states, which allows other areas to compensate for what's lacking. If there was a widespread disaster, like a pandemic where farming could not continue, it would affect the global food supply.

10. The impact on the economy would be great

Image Source: Reddit

Experts say that beyond just the food industry being affected, we could expect many more people to become homeless. Many more people would be without the appropriate resources they need to sustain day-to-day life. This could mean a lack in clothing and jobs as well. Society as we know it would become much less civilized as the majority of people would have to resort to becoming hunter/gatherers, which would automatically pit people against each other for the remaining resources. Historians say that lack of appropriate food sources has caused the extinction of many societies.

11. Even further on that...

Image Source: Reddit

Sustainable agriculture is vital to ensuring food security worldwide. It's truly the foundation of human civilization. Beyond just food, without farmers, things like cotton and wool (and therefore, clothing) would stop, as well as basic essentials like soap, paper, and laundry detergent. These are items that are considered farming by-products. Did you know that there are also a lot of medicines that come from farming? It's pretty crazy to think that one industry is so pivotal to the way we operate as a society today!

12. We're already experiencing a threat to food security

Image Source: Reddit

The population of the planet is increasing pretty rapidly, and unfortunately, it's outpacing the amount of natural resources that are available to us. Experts say that food insecurity is actually more of a realistic threat to us than it ever has been. Without providing farmers with the appropriate resources and working conditions, we run the risk of having a genuine food shortage problem in the coming years. If we keep consuming at this rate and farming slows, we will be in trouble! What else would be limited if farming stops?

13. Our entertainment would be limited

Image Source: Reddit

You've probably never stopped to think about ALL of the things that a stop in farming would effect. But did you know that it would have a major impact on entertainment? Two products that are a byproduct of farming are musical instrument strings and film (for cameras and movies). That means that your favorite musician wouldn't be able to get strings for their guitar or violin. And it means that your favorite director wouldn't be able to make that sweet film only movie they've been talking about for a decade!

14. It would be really hard to build a house

Image Source: Reddit

Without farming, the supply of lumber would stop. This also affects things like drywall production, tools, and brushes. So if you are trying to build a house or an office or a new spot for your pet, you'd have a hard time doing any of that without farmers! Farming is quite literally the backbone of America, and these jobs end up creating jobs for SO many other people across the entire country. Can you imagine what it would be like to not be able to build a house, because of a lack of access to resources?

15. You can kiss your sports career goodbye

Image Source: Reddit

You might think that sports and farming aren't really related. But if farming stopped today, it would end up affecting sports in a major way! Because of farming, we have access to things like bats, baseballs, leather, and even uniforms. If we didn't have farming, we couldn't create any of these things, which would mean that the sports industry would eventually slow down or even stop. How would anyone be able to watch the Super Bowl without a football! Have you ever thought about all the ways in which farming impacts your life?

16. It would set back the healthcare industry

Image Source: Reddit

The healthcare industry is intertwined with the agriculture industry, because health care actually relies on farmers supplying the appropriate resources to help create things like x-ray film, sutures, latex gloves, and even a lot of ointments and medications! When we think of farming, we automatically think about the impact that it would have on the food industry. But there are actually so many other things that use elements of things that farmers produce to create what they need to sustain their own industries.

17. Transportation would take a hit

Image Source: Reddit

Farmers produce ethanol (which is present in the gasoline you pump into your car). They also help produce the resources needed for tires, car upholstery, and even antifreeze and car lubricants. Without the work of our farmers, for even a short period of time, we would see our own personal transportation become less efficient, but public transportation would also be impacted. This means that millions of people would have less access to jobs and other necessities. Ultimately, the impact on our economy would be disastrous.

18. Paper books would become a thing of the past

Image Source: Reddit

Yes, we know that a lot of people have switched to digital book readers of sorts. But there are also a ton of people who prefer a hard copy of a book. And while so much of our lives are on our laptops and phones, there are still situations where a piece of paper is just better. Without farmers, the production of paper and paperback books would stop. Farmers also contribute to the production of ink for pants and printers, which is made up of soybeans. So the written word as we know it would stop if farming stopped!

19. It would change the education system

Image Source: Reddit

Based off of what we've seen so far, it makes sense that if farming stopped it would have a deep impact on our education system as well. Things like crayons are made from soybeans, similar to ink. And without paper, we wouldn't have textbooks or notebook paper. Of course, without wood, we wouldn't have appropriate desks or pencils. All of these items are still vital to our education system, even as we step even further into the digital world. Teachers would be majorly set back without these types of resources!

20. Manufacturing would slow or cease

Image Source: Reddit

As we've discussed, there are a ton of by-products from farming that we use for other industries. So this means that manufacturing for things like adhesives or lubricants or detergents would stop existing. This would mean the loss of thousands of jobs across America and even globally. The impact to our society would be unfathomable. Our modern society the way we experience it now would be completely changed, and there would be a huge increase in unemployment, thus an increase in homelessness and poverty as well.

21. The amount of weeds and pests would increase

Image Source: Reddit

A huge part of the farming and agriculture process is management of weeds and pests. Farmers are constantly looking for new and effective techniques to protect their produce against these elements. There are actually technological advancements that can help make these procedures a lot more efficient while using less pesticides to provide cleaner and healthier food. Without farming, these types of procedures would likely become less important, meaning a rise of weeds and pests across the land of the general population.

22. Your baby wouldn't have diapers

Image Source: Reddit

Diapers used to be made using something called cellulose-based polymers. Polymers are actually a by-product of farming. While this was the common method for diapers in the 1980s, diapers are still dependent on farming today because they're made from corn by-products. These by-products help with absorbency and most diapers also use cornstarch to keep the diapers from leaking. Even if you buy diapers made from acrylic acid, that comes from ethylene which is a farming by-product as well! So the babies need the farmers!

23. You'd probably have a lot more cavities

Image Source: Reddit

We were surprised to learn this, but after checking the toothpaste in our bathroom, we can confirm it's true. Toothpaste contains corn (usually listed as sorbitol), and corn, of course, comes from our lovely farmers. So if farmers stopped, then we'd have a lot more difficulty finding toothpaste! Sorbitol is a corn glucose derivative. It's put in toothpaste to create the texture that we know it as it is today. It also helps the toothpaste to have a better flavor, so it's considered a vital part of the process.

24. Beauty influencers would be jobless

Image Source: Reddit

Who among us hasn't gotten lost on TikTok watching a million Get Ready With Me videos trying to figure out how to do the perfect eyeliner for our upcoming date? While beauty influencers are making bank on their contour tutorials, they wouldn't even be able to consider this as a job if it weren't for farmers. Everything from your blush to your eyeshadow likely contains an ingredient call zea mays starch. This ingredient is, surprise!, made from corn. So the farmers even have a huge market in the makeup and beauty industry!

25. You couldn't take an aspirin for your headache

Image Source: Reddit

Next time you have a headache or body ache and you go to pop an aspirin, thank your local farmer! This household product is made up of products that we can only get from the agricultural industry. At the base, because who among us wants to get too much into the science, aspirin has things like cornstarch and water in it and then also a binding agent, filler and lubricant that all come from farming products! Is there literally any other industry that doesn't need something from the farming community?!

26. Good luck cleaning your windows!

Image Source: Reddit

Windex seems like it's basically a staple in every household in America at this point. You'd be hard pressed to find a home that doesn't have a bottle of this amongst their cleaning supplies. What you may not realize is that like MANY other products in America, this cleaner has ingredients that come from the production of corn. In fact, one bottle of Windex has up to FIVE ingredients that are corn, and thus farmer, dependent. The cornstarch in the cleaner is what acts as a super soft scrub to get your mirrors and windows crystal clean.

27. Straws would be officially out

Image Source: Reddit

We've seen a decline in plastic straws as people have become more eco-conscious. But whether you love or hate the paper straws that melt in your cup in 30 seconds, those wouldn't exist without farmers. The same goes for the far superior, but still eco-friendly, option of the sugarcane straw. These straws are completely biodegradable, but because they are plant-based and don't dissolve in your cup, we are dependent on the agricultural industry to help provide this wonderful option! Something to keep in mind when you order your next cold brew...

28. Farming is a vital career that our society needs

Image Source: Reddit

Farmers and the agricultural industry as a whole are very resilient. There are consistent challenges, and there's a lot of uncertainty that comes with farming, because you're often facing off with Mother Nature. Farming is super hard work, and we would quite literally starve without their persistence and dedication. We can't imagine a world where there isn't a demand for produce, meat, and dairy on a global scale. This isn't a career or an industry that we foresee going away, and we wouldn't want to see what it's like if the industry came to a halt.

29. They provide food security

Image Source: Reddit

As long as farming persists, we can rest assured that there is food security for the majority of the population. We can continue to look for advancements in technology that will allow more crops at better prices and labor support for farmers. This will also allow food to be accessible to everyone, and it will help those who are working to eradicate hunger. America produces the majority of its food in America, so it's important that we keep supporting this crucial industry. So the next time you go to the grocery, keep in mind what it took to get that food to your table!

30. In conclusion

Image Source: Reddit

Farming is a vital resource that we need to continue in order for the world to keep operating as we know it. While there will always be a need for the personal touch and care of a farmer, there is space for AI technology to help farmers optimize what they do have, which ultimately will result in more profitable crops, food quality, and worker productivity. It could be just what's needed to help transform the agriculture scene and continue to provide food security for people all over the globe for years to come.