Food Resources: A Challenge for Agriculture Chapter 19

Food and Nutrition Important molecules: Carbohydrates - sugars, starches = energy (ATP) Proteins - 20 amino acids (essential amino acids) Lipids - fats & oil (energy, membrane, hormones) Minerals - inorganic salts - iron, calcium, iodine Vitamins - regulation of metabolic processes - rickets First 3 metabolized by cellular respiration Essential Nutrient & Minerals

Available Plants 400,000 estimated species of flowering plants 12 account for over 80% of the worlds crops Why few domesticated: Indigestible Poisonous Low Nutritional Value Tedious to Prepare Difficult to Gather

12 Major Species of Plant Cereals: wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum, and soybeans Roots: potatoes, manioc and sweet potatoes Sugars: sugar cane, sugar beets, and bananas

Diversity & Heirloom Species Global decline in domesticated plant and animal varieties Heirloom: local varieties Dutch Belted cow Heirloom Plants & Animals?

Heirloom Reliance upon modern varieties of rice caused more than 1,500 local rice varieties in Indonesia to become extinct. Almost 96% of the commercial vegetable varieties available in 1903 are now extinct.

Domestication of Plants What makes a plant a good domestic candidate? 1.Size 2.Mutant Pods & seed heads - did not pop or drop 3.Earliest to ripen - at same time 4.Self Pollinating 5.Quick to grow 6.Least care

Domestication of Animals What makes an animal a good domestic candidate? Animals: 1. Diet - readily available 2. Rapid Growth Rate 3. Captive Breeding 4. Disposition Reasonable 5. Low Panic Levels 6. Social structure & hierarchy

World Food Problems Malnourished – poor diet Undernourished - too few calories Famine - crisis of food supply What causes famine?

Famine Famines – Drought in Africa resulted in 1.5 million deaths in Ethiopia and Sudan 1993 – civil unrest and drought resulted in 2 million starving Somalis 1990’s – flooding and drought resulted in 2 million deaths in North Korea Primary causes of Famine: 1. Drought 2. Political Unrest 3. Ecological Distress

Disease Resulting from Malnutrition Marasmus Kwashiorkor Kwashiorkor - malnutrition causing fluid retention Marasmus - low caloric and protein intake

Obesity

Producing Enough Food Total Grain Production Per Capita Grain Production

Grain Stocks U.N. estimates that carryover stocks should not fall below 70 days from start of the next harvest. Each year the world demand for grain climbs. Each year the world’s farmers must feed 80 million more people. In addition, some 3 billion people are trying to move up the food chain and consume more grain-intensive livestock products. And this year some 120 million tons of the 415-million-ton U.S. grain harvest will go to ethanol distilleries to produce fuel for cars. Carryover stocks are the supply that is left over at the end of the marketing year. Marketing years for U.S. corn and soybeans end on August 31.

The First Green Revolution 1940’s – began in Mexico High yield varieties – domesticated plants bred specifically to respond to fertilizers Increasing the amount of calories produced per acre of agriculture

The First Green Revolution 1.Inorganic fertilizers 2.Irrigation 3.Pesticides + other “cides” 4.Monocultures 5.Aquaculture 6.Machine replaces human and animal labor 7.Oil Dependent

Environmental Concerns Soil Erosion Pollution – water & air Lack of Water due to irrigation Overgrazing by Livestock - desertification Overfishing – stock reductions Loss of Ecological Services

Live on CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) Fed Grains not grass Antibiotics in feedstuff Hormone supplementation

Bucolic?

Veal

Second Green Revolution? - GMO’s Examples: 1.Human hormone Producing plants 2.Roundup Ready Corn, Soybeans, Cotton 3.Bt Corn & Potatoes – insect dies of septicemia 4.Arctic Char gene in strawberries – antifreeze 5.Rapid growing fish Issues with Genetic Engineering: 1.The Safety of Genetic Engineering - Playing GOD 2.The Backlash Against Genetically Modified Foods – Fear of Unknown Vs Reality - Frankenfoods 3.Should Foods from Genetically Modified Crops and Livestock Be Labeled? - Right to Know

What is organic?

Going Organic - going back? Sustainable Agriculture

Keene Family Farm Walnut Acres 1.Fertilizer = animal and plant waste 2.Integrated pest management 3.Crop Rotations 4.Crop choice for soil fertility (immune system) 5.Cover Crop (alfalfa & clover) 6.Soil Rest Certified Organic - 3 years no inorganic fertilizers or pesticides USDA Organic - animals fed certified organic More $ = more labor / smaller quantities

Agricultures Future CUD =