Increasing food supply & sustainable agriculture FOR AGAINST

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Strategies to Increase the World’s Food Supply? Often an issue in LDCs Increase exports from countries with surpluses Expand land used for agriculture Expand fishing Increase productivity of land now used for agriculture

We need more food – What are the challenges Desertification due to overused land – excessive crop planting, animal grazing, tree cutting Excessive water can threaten drier lands Urbanization reduces agricultural land – loss of prime agricultural land Overfishing – some fish species harvested faster than they could reproduce

Top picture-aquaculture (fish farming) in Thailand Right-fishing, one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, is vital to many countries (Iceland, Japan, etc.), but fish stocks are running low due to over fishing in many parts of the world

Food shortages is not just a problem in LDCs Food deserts in the US ▫Urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food

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Third Agricultural Revolution Since 1960s - hybridized grains for better yields (“Green Revolution”) with the goal of reducing hunger (New varieties of wheat, corn & rice) - genetically engineered crops (GMO’s) - greater reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides - Increased mechanization - vertical integration of ownership (e.g., Cargill, ConAgra, ADM) - globalization of production A partial list of ConAgra’s brands Swiss MissHunt’s Van Camp’sMarie Callender’s WessonHebrew National Slim JimEgg Beaters RosaritaChef Boyardee ReddiWipPam Peter PanOrville Redenbacher’s Healthy ChoiceBanquet

“Green Revolution” – 1960s -1980s Rice plant Rice - staple food for 2.5 billion Asians - provides 2/3 of calories for Asians with rice-based diets Green Rev – Raised yields Improved rice strains * Increase use of irrigation Asia’s rice production grew at annual rates of 3.0% until 1980s Yield growth rate exceeded high pop. growth rates of the time Sources: FAO, IRRI (research organization devoted to rice) – part of global CGIAR effort at improving yields of staple crops worldwide

Biotechnology Manipulation and management of biological organisms  Recombinant DNA techniques  Tissue culture (cloning)  Cell fusion  Embryo transfer Positive: high yielding, disease resistant “super” plants Negative: periphery excluded by distance and cost + concerns about safety

Traditional breeding involves exchanging all genetic material between two related plants. Genetic engineering usually only involves moving one or two genes and can cross the species barrier. Desired gene Traditional plant breeding DNA is a strand of genes, much like a strand of pearls. Traditional plant breeding combines many genes at once. Traditional donor Commercial variety New variety Desired Gene X = (crosses) (many genes are transferred) Plant biotechnology Using plant biotechnology, a single gene may be added to the strand. Desired gene Commercial variety New variety (transfers) = Desired gene (only desired gene is transferred)

“Post-Green Revolution” (since 1980s) Green Revolution Positives: Countries self-sufficient in rice or even exporters (Thai, Viet). Poor people benefited as yield increases caused real price of rice to drop. Reduced uncertainties in agriculture Greater global exchange of ag products Reduced famines due to crop failure, now most famines are due to political problems

Four crops accounted for nearly all of the global biotech crop area in 2002 Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications

Four countries accounted for 99 percent* of the global biotech crop area in 2002 *Australia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay accounted for the remaining 1 percent of biotech crop acres. Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications

Increase in Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.

More than 50 biotech food products have been approved for commercial use in the United States Canola Corn Cotton Papaya Potato Soybeans Squash Sugarbeets Sweet corn Tomato

Some Benefits of Genetically Modified Foods

Some Concerns about Genetically Modified Foods Possible adverse effects on human health Introduction of new allergens Antibiotic-resistant genes in foods Production of new toxins Concentration of toxic metals Enhancement of toxic fungi Environmental impacts Dangers not yet identified

Opposition argues Green Revolution has led to: vulnerability to pests Soil erosion Water shortages Dependency on chemicals for production such as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers. Increased foreign debt Increased dependence on fossil fuels Less global diversity of food products

Opposition to the Bio-Revolution Opposition to the Bio-Revolution Genetically engineered crops are yielding some ethical problems. In the semi-periphery, farmers typically keep seeds from crops so that they can plant the seeds the next year. Companies that produce genetically engineered seeds do not approve of this process; generally, they want farmers to purchase new seeds each year. Many semi-periphery farmers can not afford the new seeds, fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Some of the poorest areas of the world have benefited the least from this Revolution-especially Africa. Small farms can’t take advantage of the innovations- India 4 acres, Bangladesh 1.8 acres, China ½ acre

The Next Stage: Bio-Revolution Proprietary considerations: genes, cells, plants, animals patentable as well as techniques to produce them Affects potentially all crops; vegetables, fruits, etc. Includes pesticides, animals products, pharmaceuticals, processed food products, energy, mining, warfare. Includes all areas, nations, locations, even marginal lands. Technology is largely in private sector, especially corporations; R&D in billions. Tissue culture crop propagation produces exact genetic copies; even more vulnerability Crop substitution replacing Third World exports; herbicide tolerance; increasing chemical use Unintended consequence: Engineered organisms may affect environment later in unknown ways.

What are some solutions in LDCs? A Norwegian Company is Transforming Deserts Into Farmland Ending Poverty and Hunger with Heifer International The Future of Sustainable Fish Farming Vertical Farming - Singapore's Solution to feed the urban population