Food Resources: A Challenge for Agriculture Chapter 19
Chapter 19 - Food 1. Agricultural History 2. Agricultural Changes 3. Agricultural practices and their impacts 4. Agricultures Future 5. What is organic?
Food and Nutrition Important molecules: Carbohydrates - Proteins - Lipids - Minerals - Vitamins - First 3 metabolized by cellular respiration
Available Plants 30,000 known species of flowering plants
Why So Few Plants
12 Major Species of Plant Cereals: wheat Roots: potatoes Sugars: sugar cane
Domestication of Plants What makes a plant a good domestic candidate?
Domestication of Plants 1.Size
Domestication of Animals What makes an animal a good domestic candidate?
Domestication of Animals Animals: 1. Diet - readily available
Diversity? Global decline in domesticated plant and animal varieties In past, many localities had special varieties Dutch Belted cow Heirloom Plants & Animals?
World Food Problems Malnourished - too few calories or essential nutrients Undernourished - too few calories Famine - crisis of food supply What causes famine?
World Food Problems 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
Disease Resulting from Malnutrition Marasmus Kwashiorkor Marasmus - low caloric and protein intake Kwashiorkor - malnutrition causing fluid retention
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. Why have carryover stocks declined?
The First Green Revolution 1.Machine replaces human and animal labor
Environmental Concerns Soil Erosion
Livestock Industrialized hormone supplementation antibiotics in feedstuff fed Grains not grass Live on CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation)
Veal
Second Green Revolution - GMO’s Issues with Genetic Engineering: 1.The Safety of Genetic Engineering - Playing GOD - Frankenfoods 2.The Backlash Against Genetically Modified Foods – Fear of Unknown Vs Reality 3.Should Foods from Genetically Modified Crops and Livestock Be Labeled? - Right to Know Examples: 1.Insecticides in plants 2.Human hormone Producing plants 3.Bacteria that enhance plant growth 4.Bt Corn & Potatoes – insect dies of septicemia 5.Roundup Ready Corn, Soybeans, Cotton 6.Arctic Char gene in strawberries – antifreeze 7.Rapid growing fish
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 - fallow Certified Organic - 3 years no inorganic fertilizers or pesticides USDA Organic - animals fed certified organic More $ = more labor / smaller quantities
Agricultures Future CUD =