Chapter 15 Topics• 15.1

– Nutrition and malnutrition– Food Production– The Green Revolution

• 15.2– Traditional vs Modern agriculture– Sustainability - Soil conservation

& pesticide use– Genetic engineering

• 15.3– Aquaculture– Livestock

15.1 Feeding the WORLD • By 2050 farmers must feed ~9 billion people…

50% more than are fed today!– FamineFamine: widespread starvation b/c of shortage of

food; often related to prolonged drought

• Nutrition: energy from foodNutrition: energy from food– Calories= 1 kilocalorie (1,ooo calories)

How does the NA diet compare with the African diet?

– Malnutrition:Malnutrition: not enough calories are consumed and/or insufficient variety to meet the body’s needs; usually related to:

– Poverty & Income: Africa, Asia, S.America (less than (less than $1 a day)$1 a day) ex: only eating corn or rice ex: only eating corn or rice

– GOAL: abolish poverty and famineGOAL: abolish poverty and famine

Sources of Nutrition

• DietDiet: type and amount of food eaten– Balanced- protein {amino protein {amino

acids}acids}, , fatsfats, , carbs carbs ,, mineralsminerals, , vitaminsvitamins

Food Efficiency• A measure of the quantityquantity of food (yield)

produced in a given area of landgiven area of land with limited inputs of energy and resources– Efficiency - Produce the highest yield Efficiency - Produce the highest yield

(amount of food)(amount of food) with the least with the least negative negative impactimpact

– More energy, water and land are used to produce More energy, water and land are used to produce a Calorie from animals than from plantsa Calorie from animals than from plants•Remember the energy pyramid (10% law)

– Meat often provides more nutrients/gram…however, not 10 times more!

What are the hidden impacts/costs of growing food?

World Grain Production, 1950-2005

We are producing more grain than ever but there is less to go around…why?

The GREEN revolution

• New varieties with higher yields– Mexico 1950-1970 (wheat 8-fold) & India (rice doubled)

– Subsistence farmers – those who grow Subsistence farmers – those who grow what they need with just a bit more to sell:what they need with just a bit more to sell:•Need $ for chemicals and water for new Need $ for chemicals and water for new varietiesvarieties

•Machinery – not useful on tiny farmsMachinery – not useful on tiny farms•Therefore often remain in or close to povertyTherefore often remain in or close to poverty

Agricultural Subsidy • Paid to farmers and agribusiness to supplement

income, manage supply of commodities, influence cost and supply of commodities– Corn, wheat, grain, oats, barley, cotton, milk, Corn, wheat, grain, oats, barley, cotton, milk,

rice, peanuts, sugar, tobacco, oilseeds, rice, peanuts, sugar, tobacco, oilseeds, soybeanssoybeans

– “From 1995-2009 the largest and wealthiest top 10 percent of farm program recipients received 74 percent of all farm subsidies with an average total payment over 15 years of $445,127 per recipient

– hardly a safety net for small struggling farmers. The bottom 80 percent of farmers

received an average total payment of just $8,682 per recipient.”

-http://farm.ewg.org/summary.php

Led to industrialization of food…FOOD, Inc.

Why are the bad foods so cheap?

How do you grow stuff?Steps Past Present

Plow/dig – to mix nutrients

Farmer, animal, hand tools

Machinery with fossil fuels

Fertilize Organic – manure, compost

Synthetics with fossil fuels

Water Flows through fields in ditches

Overhead sprinklers or drip

Control pests and weeds

By hand, hoe, and natural predators

Chemicals

Harvest Farmers Machinery with fossil fuels

How can we balance efficiency with stewardship?

Section 15.2 – Crops and Soil

Past to Present • Agriculture has changed dramatically, especially

since the end of World War II. – new new technologiestechnologies, , mechanizationmechanization, increased , increased

chemical usechemical use, , specializationspecialization and and government government policies that favored maximizing productionpolicies that favored maximizing production. .

– allowed allowed fewer farmersfewer farmers with with reduced labor reduced labor demandsdemands to produce the majority of the food to produce the majority of the food and fiber in the U.S. at and fiber in the U.S. at lower costlower cost

• Although these changes have had many many positive effectspositive effects and reduced many risks in reduced many risks in farmingfarming, there have also been significant costs:–topsoil depletiontopsoil depletion, , –groundwater contamination groundwater contamination

from fertilizerfrom fertilizer

–genetic engineering and loss of genetic engineering and loss of species varietyspecies variety

–Chemicals, chemicals, Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals – you are what you chemicals – you are what you eat!eat!

–the decline of family farms, the decline of family farms, –increasing costs of production, increasing costs of production,

–neglect of living and working neglect of living and working conditions for farm laborers, conditions for farm laborers,

–disintegration of economic and disintegration of economic and social conditions in rural social conditions in rural communities.communities.

SOIL• Fertile Soil – supports healthy

plants– Topsoil – contains the most organic

matter– More rock the deeper you go

• Soil Conservation –reducing erosion– Terracing -levels– Contour plowing – follow land shape– No-till farming – new crops with old– Composting – enriches soil by

adding organic matter: manure, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps

• Salinization – naturally salty soil creates salty irrigation water where rainfall is low; big problem in southern CA

• How do we achieve sustainability?– Goals—Goals—

• environmental health - soil, water, energyenvironmental health - soil, water, energy• economic profitability – for farm owners and laborerseconomic profitability – for farm owners and laborers• social and economic equity – poverty, animal care and social and economic equity – poverty, animal care and

stewardshipstewardship: maintaining or enhancing vital resources : maintaining or enhancing vital resources for future generationsfor future generations

– Agriculture- • crop variety avoids soil depletion, crop variety avoids soil depletion, • Biological pest and weed control, Biological pest and weed control, • Sustainable use of waterSustainable use of water

– Livestock-• Selection, nutrition, health, grazing, confinement issuesDemand drives supply…what choices can you make with your

food $$$?

Sustainable Farming

What About Pests? –

• Pests destroy a lot of crops…13% in US and 33% worldwide!

No, not like your little brother!

Cabbage Looper Moth Caterpillar

Aphids

Stink Bugs

Slugs

any organism that grows where you don’t want it and causes economic damage

What About Pests? –

Wild plants have:•Variety•Natural enemies•Evolved defenses

Pesticides:•Harmful to beneficial plants and insects and people, too!•Pests develop resistance•Pollute water and soil•Bioaccumulation

any organism that grows where you don’t want it and causes economic damage

Pesticide Industry Ramps Up Lobbying in Bid to Pare EPA RulesFebruary 24, 2011

By ANNE C. MULKERN of GreenwireThe pesticide industry is applying extra doses of lobbying in an

effort to eradicate federal requirements it considers harmful. CropLife America - the trade group for Dow

Chemical Co., DuPont, Monsanto Co. and other pesticide makers - aims to influence dozens of measures, from safe food and drinking water rules to toxic chemical regulations and antiterrorism laws. The organization in the last three months of 2010 significantly ramped up persuasion efforts. CropLife America in that period spent nearly $751,000 on lobbying, a 58 percent increase from a year earlier.

"In the first two years of the Obama administration… they were going to push for more precautionary oversight of chemicals."

Environmentalists said CropLife America is moving to eliminate regulations that are needed to protect human health and wildlife and could have more success with the current Congress.

"They seem to have quite a bit of influence with EPA," Miller said. "The EPA has been really careful to not do anything that would really step on the toes of the pesticide industry."

Genetic Engineering – changing DNA in one organism by combining it with genes from

anotherEx: genes from bacteria able to resist an insect

Arguments for GMOs:•Increases yield•Just like crossbreeding but more efficient•Desirable traits – resistance, add. nutrients, fresher longer

Concerns:•Foods are not labeled•Not fully tested•Can invade wild species•Mixing plant/animal genes

corn

Domesticated Animals – animals bred and managed for human use

Food From Water

Overharvesting resulted in depletion of fish stocks

Aquaculture – raising fish or shellfish on farms in water or ranches (temporary); circulated water brings O2 in, waste out

Issues: excessive waste degrades water and wetlands; disease

North Atlantic Cod

15.3 – Aquaculture and Livestock

Livestock – animals raised on a farm or ranch to be sold for profit

Livestock is important even in cultures where they aren’t part of the diet:•Milk•Dung for fuel•Fertilizer•Work

List 5 issues with livestock as food from Food Inc.

What concerns should we have if this trend continues?