--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have the industrial agriculturalists…" description: "\"We have the industrial agriculturalists who try and make an argument that big is beautiful. But if you do the math, and particularly if you factor in t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/raj-patel-18362_argument_we-have-the-industrial-agriculturalists_1622171.jpg" --- # We have the industrial agriculturalists who try and make… ![“We have the industrial agriculturalists who try and make an argument that big is beautiful. But if you do the math, and particularly if you factor in that the price of oil is going to go through the roof, and so the price of transportation is going to go through the roof - making it abundantly…” quote by Raj Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/raj-patel-18362_argument_we-have-the-industrial-agriculturalists_1622171.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/raj-patel-18362_argument_we-have-the-industrial-agriculturalists_1622171.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/raj-patel-18362_argument_we-have-the-industrial-agriculturalists_1622171.jpg) > “We have the industrial agriculturalists who try and make an argument that big is beautiful. But if you do the math, and particularly if you factor in that the price of oil is going to go through the roof, and so the price of transportation is going to go through the roof - making it abundantly clear that it's out of whack. The efficiency arguments are already crumbling, particularly if you actually include the cost of food pollution that these industries cause. They are tremendously unsustainable and tremendously inefficient.” [Raj Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-patel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Industrial agriculture claims efficiency, but when accounting for oil costs and environmental damage, it is unsustainable and inefficient. **In simple terms:** Big agriculture is unsustainable when hidden costs are considered. Key Takeaway Reevaluate agricultural practices. Themes environment agriculture economics efficiency sustainability Mood critical urgent Type analytical activist When to use this quote - policy reform - consumer choices - investment decisions - education - activism Key Concepts externalities resource depletion food systems Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives can replace large‑scale farming? - How can consumers influence sustainable agriculture? A Different Perspective May underestimate short-term economic benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Argument Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument-big-287499/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) [Efficiency Arguments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency-arguments-287496/) [Industrial Agriculturalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-agriculturalists-287498/) [Inefficient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inefficient/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Oil Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oil-going-287497/) [Pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollution/) [Roof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roof/) [Transportation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transportation/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [When you're a man, you're often in situations where you have to decide how far you're going to go in an argument. 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What are our constraints? What is the optimal, elegant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruchi-sanghvi/engineers-love-to-optimize-problems-now-i-optimize-logistical/) [Ruchi Sanghvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruchi-sanghvi/) > [If the purpose of the universe was to create humans then the cosmos was embarrassingly inefficient about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-the-purpose-of-the-universe-was-to-create-humans-then-the-cosmos/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by Raj Patel > [One of the most abused country on earth is Mexico. The marketing spills over the border, and people are persuaded to eat food that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-patel/one-of-the-most-abused-country-on-earth-is-mexico-the-marketing/) [Raj Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-patel/) > [Right now you're seeing more and more families reporting that they are skipping meals. They're having to give up meat. 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