Okay. So it’s a little idiosyncratic to think about farming in science fiction, but hear me out. 70-80% of the world’s food is farmed. Farming is so much a part of who we are, scientists are actively studying how to better grow plants in space. Truly, the concept of terraforming is, in part, about our ability to farm on other planets.
So, let’s say we didn’t want to destroy another planet’s atmosphere and environment by turning it into an Earth away from Earth, what would we do for food?
That day isn’t quite here yet, but in a sci-fi universe, farming on non-Earth planets should definitely have its own considerations. …so what are they?
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What Level of Technology is the Farming Society?
If you missed my talk on agricultural technology, you may not realize farming has come a long way since the advent of the plow. Small operations and commercial growers alike use everything from electronic sensors to robots to understand and manage crops. And when it’s time to harvest, humans are not always the first choice for this manual work. As technology progresses, so does the way farmers get from seed to market.
With that in mind, it’s important to think about where in their technological and developmental evolution my societies are. Are they just moving from hunting and gathering behaviors, or are they using drones and robots? Or maybe they’re something even beyond where we are today–employing highly sustainable practices that optimize yield. What about genetically or hormonally modified foods? And what do these food alteration practices mean for the world around them as well as the people who eat the food that comes from them? There’s a wide swath of interesting science to fictionalize here.
And while many sci-fi adventures happen with more advanced societies, not all do. For instance, the sturnovula of my Drifting Amalgams universe are in a Paleolithic era when their narrative begins. Being avian, their bodies are changing to help them adapt to better using the stone tools they’ve begun using. In this way, I’m framing the species with an important evolutionary moment that incorporates their new interest in farming food.
How Extensive Does Their Farming Need to Be?
Technology as well as population size impact farming practices. Remembering that both food and medicine commonly begin on the farm, I think about what farming means for resource consumption. For farming peoples with highly advanced technology, the need for land or light or water or replacement nutrients may be as simple as, “Thank God we invented the... you know, whatever device.”
But for a more realistic approach or for less technologically advanced farmers, I think about how much land is needed to farm, how much water is used, how fertilizer is produced, etc.
Essentially, what resources are needed and how are they obtained. Does the need to feed or heal the world mean social, environmental, political, or scarcity concerns? Are farming practices manageable? Maybe the major farming entity needs to look into other options–either technological or extraplanetary.
And, especially if we’re talking extraplanetary, atmosphere and gravity are resources to consider. How do farmers replicate the gravity, humidity, elemental, and nutrient mixes needed to grow the desired horticulture on planets that the plants are not native to? And what does it mean for pests, infection, and biodiversity when non-native species are being introduced to a new planet?
Prime Directive Rules?
Other planets. Indeed. This is an interesting one because if the planet is inhabited, diplomacy may need to be used. Although, a planet's inhabitants may not be evolutionarily mature enough to enter an agreement. What then? And what if the planet’s inhabitants are not sentient? …by whose definition?
Here’s another point where farming is more interesting than I initially imagined. I actually had to build rules for extraplanetary encounters into my society builds because the stone-age sturnovula don’t understand high-tech farming on their planet. When corporate farmers move into the sturnovula nesting sites, how do those aliens view these developing peoples and how do they proceed? Do they consider it moral to farm on a planet that has “lesser” beings on it.
As you can see, there are a wealth of narrative avenues to present agricultural conflict and discussion for sci-fi worlds. Wars have been fought over land, and famines have been the scourge of the have-nots for ages. With a little bit of imagination, something as commonplace as farming can become the launchpoint of interspecies disputes.
Until next time, keep creating.
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