1560; Understanding Food - Module 8

What major changes define modern agriculture?

Machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, fossil fuels, monocultures, factory farming

What is a key issue with industrial agriculture?

It is unsustainable

What trade-off did industrialization create?

Increased productivity but environmental, social, and nutritional costs

What farming practice increases yield but reduces biodiversity?

Monoculture

Key features of industrial agriculture

Mechanization, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, agribusiness expansion

What is sustainability?

Meeting present needs without harming future generations

What are the three pillars of sustainability?

Environmental, economic, social

What does sustainability require?

Living within natural and human resource limits

What is soil made of?

45% mineral, 5% organic, 25% water, 25% air

What is loam?

Ideal mix of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter

Why is soil important?

Supports plant growth and nutrient supply

What is arable land?

Land suitable for farming

What threatens farmland in Southern Ontario?

Urban sprawl

What causes fertility loss?

Erosion, compaction, salinization

Causes of soil degradation

Erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification, pollution

What is sustainability?

Meeting present needs without harming future generations

Soil composition percentages?

45% mineral, 5% organic, 25% water, 25% air

Soil formation processes?

Rock weathering + biological activity

What is the hydrologic cycle?

Movement of water: precipitation → runoff → evaporation

Where is most freshwater stored?

In ice

Causes of water scarcity

Pollution, irrigation, deforestation, climate change

What powered modern agriculture?

Steam → gas → diesel engines

What problem does excessive tilling cause?

Erosion and runoff

What replaced manual harvesting?

Machines (harvesters, combines)

Effects of mechanization

Fossil fuel use, fewer workers, higher efficiency

Can plants use atmospheric nitrogen directly?, Why not?

No, N₂ bond is too strong

What is nitrogen fixation?

Converting N₂ → usable nitrogen

What bacteria help fix nitrogen?

Rhizobium

Why can’t plants use nitrogen from air?

Bond too strong to break biologically

Why do crops reduce soil fertility?

They remove nutrients

Traditional methods to restore fertility

Manure, green manure, crop rotation

What is crop rotation?

Alternating crops to restore soil nutrients

Early sources of nitrogen fertilizer

Guano and saltpeter

What is the Haber-Bosch Process?

Method to produce ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen

Who developed The Haber Bosch Process?

Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch

Why is the Haber Bosch Process important?

Enables large-scale fertilizer production

Environmental impacts of Haber Bosch?

Runoff, eutrophication, biodiversity loss, fossil fuel use

Why is modern agriculture unsustainable?

Resource depletion + environmental damage

What type of market dominates the food industry?

Oligopoly

What major health issue is linked to industrial food?

Obesity epidemics

What stages are included in the supply chain?

Inputs, production, manufacturing, distribution, retail, consumption, waste

What is an oligopoly?

Market with a small number of dominant sellers

How do oligopolies form?

Horizontal + vertical integration + diversification

What is horizontal integration?

Expanding at the same level of the supply chain

Examples of minimally processed foods

Fresh produce, raw meat

Examples of moderately processed foods

Pasteurized milk, frozen foods

Examples of highly processed foods

Candy, soda, packaged snacks

What is artisanal food?

Handmade using traditional methods

What is industrial food?

Mass-produced using machinery and chemicals

What is “added value” in food processing?

Preservation, convenience, novelty, marketing appeal

What are the four NOVA categories?

Minimally processed, culinary ingredients, processed foods, ultra-processed foods

What defines ultra-processed foods?

Industrial formulations with additives and heavy marketing

Main categories of additives

Preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, colours, sweeteners

Purpose of preservatives

Prevent spoilage

Examples of Preservatives?

Nitrites, sulphites, BHA, citric acid

Natural colour examples

Annatto, turmeric

Synthetic colour examples

Tartrazine, citrus red 2

What do emulsifiers do?

Mix oil and water

Examples of emulsifiers?

Lecithin, mono/diglycerides

Examples of thickness?

gar, gelatin, pectin

Examples of non-sugar sweeteners

Aspartame, saccharin, sorbitol

What are natural flavours?

Extracts from natural sources

What are artificial flavours?

Chemically synthesized compounds

Main additive categories?

Preservatives, colours, emulsifiers, thickeners, sweeteners

Difference between natural and artificial flavours?

Source (natural vs synthetic)

What is fortification?

Addition of micronutrients or fibre to foods

What is enrichment?

Fortification that restores nutrients lost during processing

What is the difference between enrichment and fortification?

Enrichment restores lost nutrients; fortification adds nutrients generally

What is added to milk?

Vitamin D

What is added to skim milk?

Vitamin A

What is added to evaporated milk?

Vitamin C

What nutrients are added to white flour?

Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, iron

Example of fortification?

Calcium added to orange juice

What is the food processing industry?

Industry that transforms raw materials into new food products

What happened to Christie, Brown & Co?

Became major cookie producer → acquired by Nabisco → merged into Kraft Heinz

What is Kraft Heinz?

A major global food corporation formed by mergers

What is carbonation?

Addition of CO₂

What were early sodas made from?

Water, syrups, sugar, carbonation

What did cola drinks originally contain?

Kola seeds (caffeine compounds)

Major sources of added sugar?

Soft drinks and sports drinks

Why is sugar hard to identify on labels?

Many different names (e.g., dextrose, molasses)

What is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)?

Processed corn sugar (glucose-fructose)

Why is HFCS widely used?

Cheap and sweeter than glucose

What major shift occurred in food systems?

Local → global production

What replaced small retailers?

Supermarkets and superstores

Features of modern food systems

Convenience foods, fast food, heavy marketing, packaging waste

Environmental impacts of food industrialization

Deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, climate change

What global goal addresses this?

End hunger and promote sustainable agriculture (UN Goal #2)

What is NOT a feature of food industrialization?

Increase in specialist food retailers

What defines the modern industrial food system?

Globalization, mass production, heavy processing, corporate control

Main trade-off of industrial food systems?

Convenience and low cost vs environmental and health impacts

What are the main types of pesticides?

Insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides

Examples of natural insecticides

Pyrethrum, rotenone, nicotine sulphate

Examples of synthetic insecticides

Organochlorines (DDT), organophosphates, carbamates

What are neonicotinoids?

Nicotine-like synthetic insecticides

Examples of herbicides

2,4-D, atrazine, glyphosate (Roundup)

What is monoculture?

Growing a single crop on a large scale

What did agriculture shift from and to?

Mixed farming → monoculture