1. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture
A System is:
a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole
November 18
Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

2. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture
An Ecosystem is:
the interactions of
energy
living organisms
the physical environment in a geographic location
November 18
Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

3. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture
Ecosystems
Get, transform, and waste energy (sunlight, food, fossil fuels…)
Recycle, lose, and get nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.)
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Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

4. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture
Ecosystem
sun
nutrients
organisms
nutrients energy
energy
energy
organisms
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Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

5. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture
An Agro-ecosystem is:
an ecosystem that is
managed to produce
food or fiber
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Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

6. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture
A Food System is:
the way that food moves
from the farm to the consumer
November 18
Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

7. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture
Parts of a food system
Production (how the food is grown)
Processing (cleaning, butchering, manufacturing, packaging, cooking, etc.)
Distribution (how the food is moved from the farm to the eater)
Consumption (how and where the food is eaten)
Waste management (does it go to a landfill? A sewage treatment plant? Back to the farm? Does it pollute?
November 18
Towards a Sustainable Agriculture