18 Food Resources

Overview of Chapter 18 World Food Security Food Production Challenges of Producing More Crops and Livestock Environmental Impact of Agriculture Solutions to Agricultural Problems Fisheries of the World © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

World Food Security Feeding growing population is difficult Annual grain production (below) has increased from 1961–2008 Due to increase in population, amount of grain per person has not increased © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION The root cause of hunger and malnutrition is poverty. Food security means that every person in a given area has daily access to enough nutritious food to have an active and healthy life. Need large amounts of macronutrients(protein, carbohydrates, and fats). Need smaller amounts of micronutrients(vitamins such as A,C, and E). © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION Chronic undernutrition, hunger Chronic malnutrition (deficiency of protein & nutrients) •1 in 6 people in less-developed countries is chronically undernourished or malnourished •Famine •Drought, flooding, war, other catastrophes © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

World Food Security Famine Temporary but severe shortage of food Developing nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America are most at risk Worst African famine was caused by drought during 1983 to 1985. More people die from starvation than famine © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

World Food Security Maintaining Grain Stocks Provides us with one measure of food security. Amounts of rice, wheat, corn and other grains remaining from previous harvest Provides measure of food security Decreased each year since mid 1980’s In 2010, UN estimated that carryover stock would last 72 days © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Decline in Grain Stock Rising temps Falling water tables and droughts Ethanol production More grain is going towards feeding livestock Increased meat consumption in developing countries © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

World Food Security Economics and Politics Poverty and Food Cost money to store, produce, transport and distribute food Getting food to those who need it is political Poverty and Food 1.3 billion people are so poor they cannot afford proper nutrition More common in Rural than urban areas Infants, children and the elderly © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leading cause of hunger and famine…. Government Democratic governments are more likely to get their people feed in difficult times In developing countries one solution is to shift to more local food production and consumption. Globalization is another solution. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Food Production © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Animals as food Constitute 40% of the calories consumed in developed countries Only comprise 5% of calories consumed in developing countries © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Principle Types of Agriculture Industrialized agriculture Modern agriculture methods that require large capital input, and less land and labor Subsistence Agriculture Traditional agricultural methods, which are dependent on labor and large amounts of land. Shifting cultivation, Slash and burn agriculture, Nomadic herding, Intercropping On average, low input polyculture produces higher yields than high-input monoculture. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Subsistence Agriculture or aka Traditional Agriculture Subsistence agriculture: Traditional agricultural methods, which are dependent on labor and a large amount of land to produce enough food to fee oneself and one’s family. Low Input Polyculture Many farmers in developing countries use low-input agriculture to grow a variety of crops on each plot of land (interplanting) through: Polyvarietal cultivation: planting several genetic varieties. Intercropping: two or more different crops grown at the same time in a plot. Agroforestry: crops and trees are grown together. Polyculture: type of intercropping different plants are planted together. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Agriculture (Low-Input) Some of the methods used in sustainable agriculture: Reduce water waste in irrigation Emphasize biological pest control and integrated pest management Increase use of organic fertilizers Increase use of soil conservation techniques

Forms of subsistence agriculture Shifting cultivation is a form of subsistence agriculture in which short period of cultivation are followed by periods, during which the land is left uncultivated and revert to forest. Stash and burn agriculture-Distinct type of shifting cultivation, involves clearing small patch of tropical forest to plant crops. Soil loses productivity. Nomadic herding livestock is supported by land too arid for crop growth. Intercropping is a form of intensive subsistence agriculture that involved growing of variety of plants at the same time on the same field. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Subsistence: Low Input: Research has shown that, on average, low input polyculture produces higher yields than high-input monoculture. Example of alley cropping Figure 13-8

Industrial Food Production: High Input Monocultures About 80% of the world’s food supply is produced by industrialized agriculture. Uses large amounts of fossil fuel energy, water, commercial fertilizers, and pesticides to produce monocultures. Greenhouses are increasingly being used. Plantations are being used in tropics for cash crops such as coffee, sugarcane, bananas.

High Input Monoculture

Industrialized agriculture Plantation agriculture Figure 13.4 Natural capital: locations of the world’s principal types of food production. Industrialized agriculture Plantation agriculture Intensive traditional ag. Shifting cultivation Nomadic herding No agriculture Fig. 13-4, p. 275

Limits on Food Production · arable land · precipitation · temperature

Energy Inputs in Industrialized Agriculture © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges of Producing More Crops Domestication and Genetic Diversity Domestication of crops and livestock causes a loss of genetic diversity Farmer selects and propagates animals with desirable agricultural characteristics © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges of Producing More Crops Increasing Crop Yield Food production increased in developed countries Pesticides Selective Breeding-more desireable traits © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Food Production Has Increased Dramatically Three systems produce most of our food Croplands: 77% on 11% world’s land area Rangelands, pastures, and feedlots: 16% on 29% of world’s land area Aquaculture: 7% Importance of wheat, rice, and corn 48% calories of the calories people consume directly 2/3 of world depend on them © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges of Producing More Livestock Increasing Livestock Yields Hormone supplements US and Canada, not used in Europe Antibiotics 40% of antibiotics produced in US are used in livestock operations Problems with increased bacteria resistance- some bacteria are resistant to every antibiotic known © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Producing More Meat Sustainably To accomplish this we need to switch from beef and pork to poultry and fish. Why? Poultry and fish are more grain efficient. Reducing livestock (cattle) would reduce damage to rangelands, but would not increase food production as the rangelands are not suitable for growing crops.

Green revolution An agricultural system that produces more food on less land (increased yields per unit area of cropland). This system has three main components: 1) developing and planting monocultures of genetically engineered, high–yield varieties of crops; 2) growing and protecting crops with large inputs of fertilizer, pesticides, and water; 3) increasing the intensity and frequency of cropping. Modern agriculture has a greater harmful environmental impact than any human activity © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Antibiotic Use and Resistance © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic Engineering Manipulation of genes by taking specific gene from a cell of one species and placing it into the cell of an unrelated species Used to produce Genetically Modified (GM) food Ex: golden rice - rich in beta carotene (prevent Vitamin A deficiency in developing countries) Plants that are tolerant to insect pests, heat, cold, drought, or acidic soils More productive farm animals © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetically Modified Foods “Frankenfood” Foods created through genetic engineering. Genes are spliced from species into the DNA of another species. Allows higher yielding crops, faster growing crops, and disease resistance species to be created. 2/3 of food products in U.S. grocery stores are GMF. Concern from some- uncertainty of the safety of these products. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Unmodified corn (left); drought resistant GM corn (right) © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetically Modified Food and Crops Trade-Offs Genetically Modified Food and Crops Projected Advantages Projected Disadvantages Need less fertilizer Need less water More resistant to insects, plant disease, frost, and drought Faster growth Can grow in slightly salty soils Less spoilage Better flavor Less use of conventional pesticides Tolerate higher levels of pesticide use Higher yields Irreversible and unpredictable genetic and ecological effects Harmful toxins in food From possible plant cell Mutations New allergens in food Lower nutrition Increased evolution of Pesticide-resistant Insects and plant disease Creation of herbicide- Resistant weeds Harm beneficial insects Lower genetic diversity

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Safety in Genetic Engineering Determined to be safe for human consumption Concerns about GMO seed or pollen spreading in wild Currently does not appear to be an issue Long term unknown Backlash against GMOs - especially in Europe GMOs are not currently labeled FDA finds it would be counterproductive and expensive to label © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental Impacts of Agriculture © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Solutions to Agricultural Problems- Sustainable Agriculture Agricultural methods that maintain soil productivity and a healthy ecological balance while having minimal long-term impacts © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Agriculture Examples: Natural Predator-prey relationships instead of pesticides Crop selection Crop rotation and conservation tillage Supplying nitrogen with legumes Organic agriculture Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Limited use of pesticides with sustainable agriculture practices © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Turning to the Oceans Fisheries and Fish Harvests Why? 11 of the world’s 15 major oceanic fishing areas have been fished at or beyond their estimated maximum sustainable yield for commercially valuable species and are in a state of decline. Why? growing demand for seafood; efficient, large–scale industrial fishing fleets; degradation and destruction of coastal wetlands; pollution of coastal waters.

CATCHING AND RAISING MORE FISH AND SHELLFISH Government subsidies given to the fishing industry are a major cause of overfishing. Global fishing industry spends about $25 billion per year more than its catch is worth. Without subsidies many fishing fleets would have to go out of business. Subsidies allow excess fishing with some keeping their jobs longer with making less money.

Aquaculture: Aquatic Feedlots Raising large numbers of fish and shellfish in ponds and cages is world’s fastest growing type of food production. Fish farming involves cultivating fish in a controlled environment and harvesting them in captivity. Fish ranching involves holding anadromous species that live part of their lives in freshwater and part in saltwater. Fish are held for the first few years, released, and then harvested when they return to spawn.

Fisheries of the World - Problems No nation lays claim to open ocean Resource susceptible to overuse and degradation Overharvesting Many species are at point of severe depletion 62% of world’s fish stock are in need of management action © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fisheries of the World - Problems Overharvesting (continued) Sophisticated fishing equipment Bycatch killed off Magnuson Fisheries Conservation Act © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

World Seafood Harvest © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fisheries of the World - Problems Ocean Pollution - dumping ground Oil Heavy metals Deliberate litter dumping Storm water runoff from cities and agricultural areas Aquaculture Growing of aquatic organisms for human consumption Great potential to supply food © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fisheries of the World - Problems Aquaculture (continued) Locations of fisheries may hurt natural habitats Produce waste that pollutes adjacent water © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.