Food Production and the Environment 10 Food Production and the Environment

10.1 What Is A Food Desert? 23.5 million can’t be wrong

What Is Food Security and Why Is It Difficult To Attain? Food security is the condition under which all or most the people in a population have daily access to enough nutritious food to live active and healthy lives Poverty is the root cause ½ of the world’s people live on $2.25 a day (50% spent on food) 1/6 of the world’s people live $1.25 a day (70% spent on food) U.S spend about 7% on food on average

Nutritional Requirements Undernourished not enough calories Overnourished too many calories Malnourished missing one or more essential nutrients

Industrialized and Traditional Crop Production Industrialized/high input agriculture: heavy equipment, fossil fuel, commercial fertilizer/pesticides, and money (monoculture: growing one to two crops) Food supply vulnerable to disease Traditional/low input agriculture: solar energy and human labor to grow a crop that will feed a family with no surplus (polyculture: growing several crops) The goal of industrialized food production is to steadily increase each crop’s yield. Another form of industrialized agriculture is plantation agriculture – focusing on cash crops: bananas, coffee, sugar cane, palm oil. Polyculture follows the principles of biodiversity and sustainability.

Differences Between Industrialized and Organic Agriculture Figure 10.3 Some major differences between industrialized agriculture and organic agriculture

Industrialized Food Production in US Since 1960, US has more than doubled the yields of key crops 38% is fed to livestock China and India are more productive than the United States (if measured by people fed per acre)

Organic Agriculture Organic agriculture: crops grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and inorganic fertilizers, or genetic engineering Labels 100 % organic - These products contain only organically produced ingredients and processing aids. By law they can display the USDA Organic seal. Organic - these products contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients. Made with organic ingredients - packaging must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. Natural - meaningless Multiple cropping: increasing crop yield by increasing the number of crops grown per year per field. Case Study: Industrialized Food Production in the United States: Agribusiness

The Green Revolution Green revolution: higher yields from existing cropland Plant monocultures of selectively bred crops Large amounts of water; synthetic fertilizers and pesticides Multiple cropping Multiple cropping: increasing crop yield by increasing the number of crops grown per year per field. Case Study: Industrialized Food Production in the United States: Agribusiness

Industrialized Food Production Requires Huge Inputs of Energy Large inputs of energy are needed to grow, store, process, package, transport, refrigerate, and cook plants and animals In the U.S., 10 units of fossil fuel energy are needed to produce 1 unit of food energy Fishing fleets use 12.5 units of energy to produce 1 unit of energy from seafood Industrialized food production is dependent on fossil fuel, resulting in a net energy loss

Artificial Selection vs. Genetically Modified

Artificial Selection vs. Genetically Modified

GMO’s

Tradeoffs of GM Crops and Foods Figure 10.15 Use of genetically modified crops and foods has advantages and disadvantages. Questions: Which two advantages and which two disadvantages do you think are the most important? Why?

Feedlots

Feedlots

Aquaculture 87% of the world’s commercial ocean fisheries are being harvested at full capacity 30% of which are overfished

Tradeoffs: Animal Feedlots and Aquaculture Figure 10.16 Use of Animal Feedlots and confined animal feeding operations has advantages and disadvantages. Questions: Which single advantage and which single disadvantage do you think are the most important? Why? Figure 10.17 Use of Aquaculture has advantages and disadvantages.

Topsoil Erosion Is a Serious Problem in Parts of the World Topsoil (the fertile top layer of many soils), is a significant natural capital component because it stores water and nutrients needed by plants Topsoil renewal is one of the earth’s most important ecosystem services Topsoil nutrients recycle endlessly as long as they are not removed faster than natural processes replace them

Natural Capital Degradation: Topsoil Erosion Figure 10.11 Natural capital degradation: Topsoil erosion is a serious problem in some parts of the world. Question: Can you see any geographical pattern associated with the problem?

Soil Erosion The movement of soil from one place to another by nature and by human activity Flowing water (the largest cause of soil erosion) carries away soil loosened by rainfall Wind loosens and blows away topsoil particles – from flat land in dry climates Farming, deforestation, and overgrazing exposes land and hastens soil erosion Desertification: the process by which the productive potential of topsoil falls by at least 10% because of a combination of prolonged drought and human activities that expose topsoil to erosion – the dust bowl of the 1930s.

Harmful Affects of Soil Erosion Loss of soil fertility through the depletion of plant nutrients in topsoil Topsoil pollution of surface waters can kill fish and clog reservoirs and lakes Increased if it contains pesticide residues – biomagnified through food webs Erosion releases the soil’s carbon content, which alters the carbon cycle, adding to atmospheric levels of CO2 Soil pollution is a global environmental problem. Contamination comes from industrial power plants, motor vehicles, and pesticides. At present, 19% of China’s arable farmland has been contaminated by soil pollution.

Desertification 70% of all water used for irrigation. Can lead to salt in soil The process when the productive potential of topsoil drops by 10% or more because of drought or human activity

Nature Controls the Populations of Most Pests Natural enemies control the populations of most pest species This free ecosystem service is an important part of earth’s natural capital Humans upset the checks and balances of natural pest control when we clear forests and grasslands, plant monoculture crops, and use synthetic chemicals to kill pests Common types of pesticides: insecticides (for insects), herbicides (for weeds), fungicides (for fungus) and rodenticides (for rats and mice). Biopesticides derived from chemicals made by plants to ward off pests.

Tradeoffs of Conventional Chemical Pesticides Fig. 10.19 Use of synthetic pesticides has advantages and disadvantages. Questions: Which single advantage and which single disadvantage do you think are the most important? Why?

Protective Laws and Treaties Pesticide usage is regulated by: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Unfortunately adequate funding has not been provided for effective management and enforcement of FIFRA Additional legal problems are called the boomerang effect: When residues of synthetic pesticides banned in one country and exported and used in another; then returned to the exporting country in and/or imported food.

Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticide Use Crop rotation/adjusting planting time starves pests/allows enemies to eat them Polyculture provides homes for pest’s enemies Implant genetic resistance Biological control: use natural enemies Natural pheromones (insect perfume) Can lure pests into traps Can attracted natural enemies into crop fields

More Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticide Usage Integrated pest management (IPM) – use of a coordinated combination of cultivation, biological and chemical tools IPM can reduce synthetic pesticide costs over 50% without reducing crop yields. Drawbacks: Is highly individualized – each situation is unique and what works in one case may not work in another. It also takes time. Advocates support implementing IPM through taxation.

10.5 How Can We Improve Food Security? Reducing poverty and malnutrition, producing food more sustainably, and relying on locally sourced food will improve food security

The Government’s Role in Improving Food Production and Security Controlling food prices vs. food subsides Implementing health measures Aid local, sustainable, organic food production and distribution Educate farmers Encourage Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs People can also sharply cut food waste in order to improve food security.