1. Topic: Challenges to Farmers & The Green Revolution
Aim: For what reasons do farmers globally face challenges?

2. Challenges for Commercial Farmers
Overproduction in Commercial Farming
Surplus of food is produced due to efficient agricultural practices, new seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, mechanical equipment, and management
Despite increase in food supply, demand has remained constant
U.S. government has 3 policies to address excessive production
Farmers encouraged to avoid producing crops in excess supply
Government pays farmers when certain commodity prices are low
Government buys surplus production and sells or donates it to foreign governments

3. Challenges for Commercial Farmers
Sensitive land management
Protection of soil through ridge tillage (planting crops on ridge tops)
Less investment in tractors and other machinery leads to lower costs
Minimal soil disturbance
Limited use of chemicals
1. Limited herbicides to control weeds
Better integration of crops and livestock
Find a balance in distribution of livestock for an area
Animals consume crops grown on the farm and are not confined to small pens

4. Sustainable Farming:
Farming that preserves and enhances environmental quality -typically generate less money but crops are lower in cost
Organic farming is one type
3 factors: Sensitive land management, limited use of chemicals, and better integration of crops and livestock

5. Organic farm, Whatcom County, Washington
Organic farm, Whatcom County, Washington. Crops are planted on ridges close together, with limited use of chemicals and heavy machinery.

6. Organic Agriculture - sales of organic foods on the rise
The production of crops without the use of synthetic or industrially produced pesticides and fertilizers or the raising of livestock without hormones, antibiotics, and synthetic feeds.
- sales of organic foods on the rise
- grown everywhere
- demand in wealthier countries

8. Challenges for subsistence Farmers:
Subsistence Farming and Population Growth
Population growth compels subsistence farmers to consider new farming approaches that produce enough food to take care of additional people
Increase food supply through intensification of production (leave fallow less years and adopt new farming methods)
5 basic stages
Forest fallow
Bush fallow
Short fallow
Annual cropping
Multicropping

9. Challenges for Subsistence Farmers:
Subsistence Farming and International Trade
To expand production, higher-yield seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, and machinery are needed
To generate funds needed to buy these supplies, LDCs must produce something they can sell in MDCs (e.g. fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be out of season)
Dilemma: more land devoted to growing export crops, the less land available to growing crops for domestic consumption
Some LDCs (especially in Latin America and Asia) choose export crops that can be converted to drugs (e.g. marijuana, opium, coca leaf)

10. Loss of Productive Farmland:
Farmland in danger of being suburbanized as cities expand into neighboring farmlands.

11. Year Round Rice Production
lands that used to be used for family subsistence are now used for commercialized farming with revenues going to the men.
women do the work of rice production and see little of the benefit because of the power relations in Gambia

12. Third Agricultural Revolution
Origins in North America (technology)
Industrialization of agriculture
Mechanization
Replacement of human labor with machines
Chemical farming
Use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides
Food manufacturing
Addition of economic value through processing, canning, refining, packaging
Biotechnology
Genetic manipulation
Plant breeding 12

13. Agribusiness (corporate agriculture):
Large-scale, extensive farms of several thousand acres or several thousand animals controlled by a single regional business – ‘factory farming’
Large, mutli-national seed, agriculture, and chemical companies own much of this land
Agribuisness has significant political power – receive tax breaks, low-cost loans, and direct government subsides

14. Where the Factory Meets the Farm:
Poultry/hogs raised indoors with automatic feeding machines
Cattle raised in giant, outdoor feedlots (CAFOS – concentrated animal feeding operation)
Specialized Agriculture
Push towards: free range poultry, grass fed beef, alternative livestock, non GMO foods, and antibiotic and hormone free foods
Wine and Cheese:
Champagne can only be labeled if grapes are grown in Champagne region of France
Parmesan can only grown in Parma, Italy
Roquefort cheese only grown in south of France
Anything can be called Cheddar cheese, but technically it comes from Cheddar, England (Somerset)

15.
What do the terms “Natural Flavors” and “Artificial Flavors” mean when they appear on processed, packaged products?

16. Traditional plant breeding
Traditional donor
Commercial variety
New variety
DNA is a strand of genes, much like a strand of pearls. Traditional plant breeding combines many genes at once.
(many genes are transferred) X =
Desired Gene
(crosses)
Desired gene
Plant biotechnology
Desired gene
Commercial variety
New variety
Using plant biotechnology, a single gene may be added to the strand.
(only desired gene is transferred) =
The Green Revolution involved traditional plant breeding – [CLICK] the exchange of genetic material between related plants to achieve some measure of product improvement
Biotechnology or genetic engineering, by contrast, [CLICK] involves the movement of one or more specific genes – sometimes across species – to achieve some desired product improvement
It is the latter – genetic engineering … [CLICK]
(transfers)
Desired gene
Traditional breeding involves exchanging all genetic material between two related plants.
Genetic engineering usually only involves moving one or two genes and can cross the species barrier. 16

17. Protests at WTO Meetings
…that has become the focus of much discussion, fierce controversy, and sometimes even violent protest – all ingredients for a great classroom lesson 17

18. Biotechnology: Manipulation and management of biological organisms
Recombinant DNA techniques
Tissue culture (cloning)
Cell fusion
Embryo transfer
Positive: high yielding, disease resistant “super” plants
Negative: periphery excluded by distance and cost + concerns about safety
The more recent trend in agriculture has been in the area of biotechnology and genetic engineering
[CLICK] Positives
[CLICK] Negatives 18

19. Increase in Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.
The US is a leader in innovation and application of biotechnology in agriculture
Source: 19

20. Four crops accounted for nearly all of the global biotech crop area in 2002
But from a practical standpoint, the “big four” biotech crops – both in the United States and globally – are soybeans, corn, cotton and canola.
Together they accounted for more than 99 percent of the global biotech planted area in 2001, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.
Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications 20

21. Four countries accounted for 99 percent
Four countries accounted for 99 percent* of the global biotech crop area in 2002
Four countries – the United States, Argentina, Canada and China – accounted for more than 99 percent of the global biotech crop area in 2001.
The remaining nine countries accounted for the other 1 percent.
Within the “1 percent” group, South Africa and Australia were the only countries that grew more than 100,000 hectares of transgenic crops.
(A hectare equals 2.47 acres.)
*Australia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay accounted for the remaining 1 percent of biotech crop acres.
Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications 21

22. Some Benefits of Genetically Modified Foods
As with most controversial topics, there are two sides to this debate 22

23. Some Concerns about Genetically Modified Foods:
Possible adverse effects on human health
Introduction of new allergens
Antibiotic-resistant genes in foods
Production of new toxins
Concentration of toxic metals
Enhancement of toxic fungi
Environmental impacts
Dangers not yet identified

24. Labeling issues:
Main argument against labeling of GM food is that it creates unnecessary fears and that there’s no evidence of harm
However, how do you even know there’s no evidence of harm when it’s not labeled

25. Crossing life forms?
Suggestion to splice gene from flounder into strawberry to protect it from frost damage
Would you eat this?

26. Globalization has taken GM crops/food products worldwide
But it has not been without strong reactions
Note: see Biotechnology folder on CD for readings 26

27. The Green Revolution
Invention of high-yield grains, especially rice, with goal of reducing hunger. Includes: increased production of rice, new varieties in wheat and corn, reduced famines due to crop failure (now most famines are due to political problems)
Impact (in terms of hunger) is greatest where rice is produced 27

29. "Miracle" highly-yield seeds have been produced through laboratory experiments at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). IRRI researchers conduct cross-pollination experiments in the institute's greenhouse.

30. Positives of Green Revolution (GMO’s)
Increased crop yields
Increased food supply
Increased resistance to disease and pests
New agricultural products – genetically modified cassava and sorghum for African countries
Fattening livestock
Improved fruit appearance

32. Worldwide use of genetically altered crop plants
Dominated by maize and soybeeans
Warnings by ecologists and geneticests 32

33. Opposition to Green Revolution
Genetically engineered crops are yielding some ethical problems. In the semi-periphery, farmers typically keep seeds from crops so that they can plant the seeds the next year. Companies that produce genetically engineered seeds do not approve of this process; generally, they want farmers to purchase new seeds each year.
Many semi-periphery farmers can not afford the new seeds, fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. 33

35. Limitations of Green Revolution:
Limited impact in Africa
Environmental: rice, wheat, corn not ideal in all parts of Africa; desertification and water shortages
Political: Widespread corruption, insecurity, a lack of infrastructure, and a general lack of will on the part of the governments
Environmental problems
Vulnerability to pests
Soil erosion - less organic material in soil – less fertility
Water shortages
Increased exposure to toxic materials
Dependency on chemicals for production – increased groundwater pollution