alt Hacker News> alfalfa that doesn’t even feed people but requires an insane amount of water
Just because people don't eat the alfalfa doesn't mean it isn't ultimately feeding people. Cows eat a ton of alfalfa, and we get both meat and milk from them. So it is feeding people, just indirectly.
Replies
Analemma_ • yesterday at 9:47 PM
The problem is that because farmers pay artificially low prices for their subsidized water, it distorts the price signals of the market. Who says cattle need to eat alfalfa? If they had to pay market rates for water, we’d probably find a more suitable crop that doesn’t need quite so much. But there’s no incentive right now to even try.
I think the point is it's an very inefficient way to get calories.