Food Resources: A Challenge For Agriculture Kwashiorkor is a virulent form of childhood malnutrition characterized by edema, irritability, anorexia, ulcerating dermatoses, and an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates. The presence of edema caused by poor nutrition defines kwashiorkor. [1] The cause of kwashiorkor was thought to be due to insufficient protein consumption alone, however micronutrient and antioxidant deficiencies are now believed to play important roles.edemaanorexia [1]protein micronutrientantioxidant

Overview Food and Nutrition World Food Problems Principle Types of Agriculture Challenges of Producing More Crops and Livestock Environmental Impact of Agriculture Solutions to Agricultural Problems Fisheries of the World

Human Foods

Food and Nutrition Carbohydrates – Sugars and starches metabolized by cellular respiration to produce energy (in the form of ATP) Proteins – Large, complex molecules composed of amino acids that perform critical roles in body (hair nails and muscles are made of protein) – There are 20 different amino acids required for human nutrition. – The Human can synthesize of these on it’s own – Humans lack the ability to synthesize the other aa’s called “essential amino acids” – They are Isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenyalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, histadine, and, in children arginine Lipids – Include fats and oils and are metabolized by cellular respiration to produce energy Vitamins (help regulate metabolism) and Minerals (ingested in the form of salts dissolved in water)

World Food Problems Feeding growing population is difficult Annual grain production (left) has increased since 1970 Grain per person has not (right) The answer lies in controllingh uman population growth

World Food Problems Famine – Failure of crops caused by drought, flood or catastrophic event – Temporary but severe shortage of food (Africa, Asia, and Latin America most at risk) – Worst = African Famine Etiopia hit hardest) Maintaining World Grain Carryover Stockpiles – Amounts of rice, wheat, corn and other grains remaining from previous harvest – Provides measure of food security – Decreased each year since 1987 – UN feels carryover stock should not fall below 70 days

World Grain Carryover Stock Why the decline? – Rising temperatures – Falling water tables and droughts – Ethanol production – More grain is going towards feeding livestock as more people eat meat especially in China as their incomes rise ***see table 18-1 p.413

World Food Problems 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 Economics and Politics – Cost money to store, produce, transport and distribute food – Getting food to those who need it is political (some dishonest politicians sell food instead of giving it to the hungry)

Principle Types of Agriculture Industrialized agriculture – Modern agriculture methods that require large capital input, and less land and labor

Principle Types of Agriculture Subsistence Agriculture – Traditional agricultural methods, which are dependent on labor and large amounts of land Examples: – Shifting cultivation – Slash and burn agriculture – Nomadic herding – Intercropping – See mini-glossary pg.417

Challenges of Producing More Crop and Livestock Domestication and Genetic Diversity – Domestication of crops and livestock causes a loss of genetic diversity Farmer selects and propagates animals with desirable agricultural characteristics Many high yielding crops are genetically uniform Many high yielding crops are genetically uniform High likelihood that bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. will attack and destroy entire crop High likelihood that bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. will attack and destroy entire crop Dutch Belted Cow now very rare in Netherlands where it originated

Increasing Crop Yield Challenges of Producing More Crop and Livestock Food production increased in developed countries (wheat (left) Food production increased in developed countries (wheat (left) Pesticides Pesticides Selective breeding Selective breeding

Green Revolution The production of more food per acre of cropland by using modern cultivation methods, and the new high yielding varieties of crops Norman Borlaug ’s credited with the start of G.R. Worked with wheat Awarded Nobel Prize in 1970 for his work

Problems with the Green Revolution Critics argue that developing countries now rely on imported technologies High energy costs associated with the higher crop yields (requires fossil fuels) Environmental problems associated with inorganic fertilizers and pesticides

Case-In-Point Green Revolution High Yielding Rice Varieties Traditional(a);High yield dwarf variety(b); very high yield, dwarf-thick stock variety(c)

Increasing Livestock Yields – Hormone supplements US and Canada do this Europe does not citing human health concerns Studies have shown that hormones could cause cancer – Antibiotics 40% of antibiotics produced in US are used in livestock operations Gain 4-5% more weight with antibiotics Problems with increased bacteria resistance (MRSA) Challenges of Producing More Crop and Livestock

Antibiotic Use and Resistance

Environmental Impacts of Agriculture High use of fossil fuels and pesticides – Air pollution Untreated animal wastes and agricultural chemicals – Water pollution – Harms fisheries Insects, weeds, and disease-causing organisms developing resistance to pesticides – Contaminate food supply Colorado Potato Beetle has become resistant to most pesticides that are used

Environmental Impact of Agriculture Land degradation – Decreases future ability of land to support crops or livestock Habitat fragmentation – Breakup of large areas of habitat into small, isolated patches Cultivating marginal lands – Irrigating dry land – Cultivating land prone to erosion

Solutions to Agricultural Problems- Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture Examples: – Natural Predator-prey relationships instead of pesticides (lady bug and aphids) – Crop selection (insect resistant varieties) – Crop rotation and conservation tillage – Supplying nitrogen with legumes – Organic agriculture Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – Limited use of pesticides with sustainable agriculture practices

Manipulation of genes by taking specific gene from a cell of one species and placing it into the cell of an unrelated species Genetic Engineering

Issue with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Determined to be safe for human consumption Concerns about GMO seed or pollen spreading in wild. Monarch Butterfly/Super Weeds Backlash against GMOs GMOs are not currently labeled – FDA finds it would be counterproductive and expensive to label

Fisheries of the World- Problems Ocean Pollution - dumping ground – Oil – Heavy metals – Deliberate litter dumping – Stormwater runoff from cities and agricultural areas Aquaculture – Growing of aquatic organisms for human consumption – Great potential to supply food

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 – Cod (right) – 62% of world’s fish stock are in need of management action MR PLATT, OVERHARVESTING COD IN ALASKA

Fisheries of the World- Problems Overharvesting (continued) – Sophisticated fishing equipment – Bycatch killed off – Magnuson Fisheries Conservation Act

Fisheries of the World- Problems Aquaculture (continued) – Locations of fisheries may hurt natural habitats (removing mangroves for shrimp) – Produce waste that pollutes adjacent water (lots of fish waste in a relatively small area) Aqualture used for shrimp is the single largest factor responsible for mangrove habitat loss