Feedback Loops

In complex systems, feedback loops play a big role. These fall into two categories.

1.        Positive Feedback Loops

2.        Negative Feedback Loops

Positive feedback loops are re-enforcing. The result of an action re-enforces the original action. This isn’t necessarily positive in a moral sense. Climate change is an example of a positive feedback loop.  As the oceans get warmer, more water evaporates, and more water vapour is held in the atmosphere. This water vapour holds more heat, which makes the oceans get warmer. And so, the cycle goes on.

Negative feedback loops are self-balancing. The result of an action dampens the effect of the action and balances out the system. We can see this in the supply and demand responses in economies. When there is a greater demand than supply, prices go up and there is an incentive for supply to increase. In the long term, the supply-demand relationship balances out.

In agriculture, we are always working with these feedback loops. Our grazing management is a negative feedback loop, very similar to the supply and demand in the economy. As our feed increases, our mob size can increase. As our feed decreases, we reduce our number of animals (or use supplemental feed).

Our grazing management is also part of a broader positive feedback loop. If we manage well, we can improve the resource base which allows us to increase our carrying capacity. The increases in profit enable us to manage our resource base even better and increase our carrying capacity further. If we manage poorly, however, we trigger a positive feedback loop in the other direction. We end up with less profits and hence less ability to manage well moving forward. This feedback loop ends in degraded land and massive debts.