Food Resources

What are the Issues?

Types of Agriculture• Industrialized

– High input– Industrialized countries

• Plantation– Monoculture for export– Fair Trade

• Traditional Subsistence– China, Northern Africa

• Traditional Intensive– Increased input

Types of Agriculture• Industrialized Agriculture

1. Nestle2. Cargill3. Kraft4. Unilever5. Tyson

• Pesticides and Seeds– Monsanto– DuPont

• Animal Feed and Transportation– ADM and Cargill

A Little History

• Corporations a collection of many individuals united into one body, under a

special denomination, having perpetual succession under an artificial form, and vested, by policy of the law, with the capacity of acting, in several respects, as an individual…

• Patenting

• Legislation– H.R 2749 Food Safety Bill

Objectives• Explain the challenge of feeding the growing human

population

• Identify goals, methods and impacts of the green revolution

• Explain the science behind GMF’s and discuss the associated debate

• Provide the various ways we can increase food production acknowledging the pros and cons

• Argue the benefits and drawbacks of subsidies

World Population Growth

• Current population 6.2 billion – Annual growth rate of

1.1%

• Projected poopulation in 2050 – 9 billion

How will these people be fed?

Nutrition

• Malnutrition– Kwashiorkor – Marasmus– Under nutrition

• Over nutrition• Micronutrient deficiencies

Types of Agriculture• Industrialized

– High input– Industrialized countries

• Plantation– Monoculture for export– Fair Trade

• Traditional Subsistence– China, Northern Africa

• Traditional Intensive– Increased input

Green Revolution

• What is the green revolution?

• What are the characteristics?

• What are the pros?

• What are the cons?

The Green Revolution

• Characteristics– High input– Decreased land use– High yield

• Three Steps– Monoculture development and planting– High input of fertilizer, water, and pesticide– Multiple cropping

Monocultures

What are monocultures and why use them?• Rice • Wheat • Corn• Why use them?

– Selected for disease resistance characteristics and high yields

– Increased planting and harvesting efficiency increasing output

Second Green Revolution

• Import of industrial techniques to developing countries– High input – High yield monoculture

varieties

Environmental Effects of Industrial Agriculture

• Loss of Biodiversity

• Soil Erosion

• Air pollution – increase CO2

• Degradation of water quality

• Human health

Case Study

• India

World Grain ProductionSince 1985•Production has leveled off

•Per capita production has declined

• Global production increase of nearly 300%

• Per capita production rose nearly 36%

Increasing World Food Production

• Genetic Engineering

• New Foods

• Irrigation of New Land

• Urban Farming

Genetic Engineering

• Genetic modification of food and livestock

• Desired traits:– Rapid growth – High nutritional content – Mold or fungus resistance

• Controversy

New Foods

• Giant water bugs, cockraoches

• Winged bean or Krill– High protein food sources

– Low trophic level reduces energy use

• Perennials

Irrigation

• Aquifers

• Inefficient use of supplied water

• Leads to soil salinization

• Competition for water resources – California Aqueduct

Meat Production

• Range land and environmental impact

• Energy requirements

Energy Requirements

Energy Conversion

Fish

• Ocean harvesting

• Fish farming - aquaculture

Sustainable Agriculture

• Polyculture crops• Organic fertilizers• Irrigation efficiency• Perennial crops• Crop rotation

• Different kind of 'malnutrition’. The distended stomach of Kwashiorkor (ie severe protein malnutrition in children) is due to the very low levels of albumin in the blood. This causes fluid to accumulate in the abdomen and in the legs, in association with extreme lethargy. No Grimsby Chum would have been that malnourished. So the skeletons will have shown possible signs of rickets (Vitamin D deficiency) and/or stunted growth (ie long bones not as long, etc). These are not the same type of findings as would be associated with abdominal distension from malnutrition