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Food Security
Food Security
Consumption of animal products increasing Environmental impacts? China Produces most wheat Largest importer of wheat
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization 852 million lack adequate food Developing countries Undernutrition Lack of calories
Malnutrition Lack of calories or nutrients 3 billion worldwide Overnutrition Too many calories Animal saturated fats, sugar, salt United States
86 countries Low income Food deficient Food insecurity Chronic hunger Malnutrition
Food Insecurity
World Hunger
Causes Population growth Unequal food distribution Poverty Solutions Control population Promote economic development
1970-2006 Grain production doubled Grain per person did not increase
Poverty
Most common cause of undernutrition and malnutrition More common in rural areas Difficult problem to solve
Industrialized Agriculture
Modern agricultural methods Developed countries Inputs Capital Energy Chemicals High yields
Subsistence Agriculture
Traditional agricultural methods Developing countries Food for family Inputs Labor Land
Shifting Cultivation
Subsistence agriculture Grow crops, then leave land alone Slash-and-burn agriculture Clear forest Grow crops Soil loses productivity quickly Supports small populations
Nomadic Herding
Subsistence agriculture Land not suitable for crops Livestock continually move Why?
Intercropping
Subsistence agriculture Variety of crops in same field Polyculture Plants mature at different times Different crops harvested throughout the year
Agricultural Challenges
Loss of prime farmland Loss of domesticated varieties Improving yields Curbing environmental impacts
More than 400,000 acres lost per year in U.S. Suburban sprawl Conservation easements 1996 Farm Bill Protect farmland 30+ years
Farmers using fewer varieties of plants and animals Modern methods Uniformity Maximum production Loss of genetic diversity Save germplasm Tissues May need later
Food production has increased Green revolution Mid-20th century Modern methods High-yield varieties Chemicals
High-Yield Varieties
Green Revolution
Benefits Mexico increased wheat production Indonesia self-sufficient in rice Problems Developing countries dependent on chemicals, machinery High energy costs Too many chemicals
Demand for grains will increase Cant increase amount of land Yields can only increase so much Genetic engineering could help Developing countries will need better farming methods
Hormones Promote faster growth European Union limits imports of hormone-treated beef: why? Antibiotics Animals grow larger (4 5%) Resistant bacteria WHO wants them eliminated U.S. still using
Environmental Impacts
Environmental Impacts
Pesticides Resistance Farmers use more Residues on food Land degradation Loss of productivity Salinization Habitat fragmentation
Environmental Impacts
Food requirements have been met Environmental problems increasing More food will be needed Vicious circle???
Sustainable Agriculture
Maintains soil productivity: conservation techniques Healthy ecological balance Minimal long-term impacts Natural fertilizers
Sustainable Agriculture
Less chemicals and antibiotics Water and energy conservation Diverse crops
Sustainable Agriculture
Organic agriculture No non-natural chemicals No genetic engineering View the farm as an agroecosystem Second green revolution!
Genetic Engineering
Cross-pollination with native species Widespread crop failure Food allergies Long-term impacts unknown
Pest: interferes with human welfare or activities Pesticides Help control pests Insecticides Herbicides Fungicides Rodenticides
Pesticides
Perfect pesticide Narrow-spectrum Kills only intended organism Breaks down rapidly Stays where applied Doesnt exist! Broad-spectrum Kills variety of organisms Many used today
Benefits of Pesticides
Genetic resistance 520 insect species resistant 84 weed species resistant Bioaccumulation Biomagnification
Alternatives to Pesticides
Biological controls Use naturally occurring organisms Pheromones Hormones Genetics Irradiation
Alternatives to Pesticides
Combination of control methods Keep crop loss to economically tolerable level Sustainable agriculture Management vs. eradication Education critical On the increase
1963: 417 pairs left in lower 48 states Three reasons the population dropped?
1972: DDT banned Bald Eagle Protection Act Endangered Species Act Conservation efforts 2007: more than 7000 nesting pairs in lower 48 Removed from Threatened List