APES Unit 5

Croplands

produces mostly grains, provides about 77% of the world’s food

Rangelands

produces meat from grazing livestock, supplies about 15% of the world’s food

Ocean fisheries

supplies about 7% of the world’s food

Since 1950

there has been a staggering increase in global food production

Increase in food production is caused by

techonological advances such as hydroponics, GMOs, lighting

Hydroponics

allow for the growth of food without the use of soil (water is infused with nutrients needed for plant growth

aquaqponics

fish are used as the source of nutrients for plants

GMOs

crops that have been artificially altered to grow in less than idea conditions and increase crop yields compared to regular varities

Inorganic commercial fertilizers

inexpensive to purchase and can easily apply to large fields (they only provide macronutrients N, P, K)

Pesticides

chemical substances that are used to kill or control pests like insects, weeds, rodents, or other organisms that can damage crops or harm human health (can come with potential environmental consequences due to their toxicity)

Furrow irrigation

trenches are dug in fields and flooded with water(33% of water used is lost to irrigation)

Flood irrigation

water is diverted to flood an agricultural field from a lake, spring, or river

20% of water used is lost

Spray irrigation

pumping groundwater into spray nozzles; up to 25% of water is lost. More expensive and energy intensive than furrow and flood

Drip irrigation

perforated horses release small amounts of water; only 5% of water is lost; very expensive

Aquaculture

the rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plants for food

Aquaculture effects

fastest growing food-producing sector, contributes to 1/3 of the global food fish production

nutritional benefits of fish consumption

positive link to increased food security and decreased poverty rates in developing states

supply about 90% of our global calorie intake

15 plant and 8 terrestrial animal species

crops that provide more than 1/2 the calories people consume

wheat, corn, and rice

number of edible plant species known

30,000

2/3 of the world’s population survive primarily on traditional grains because

they cannot afford meat

as income rises

people consume more meat and products of domesticated livestock

the amount of available grain per person in the U.S.

1.3 tons per persom

the amount of available grain per person in Zimbabwe

90kg/200 lb per person

Causes of decline in world wide grain stock

rising temps, falling water tables (aquifers drying up and droughts), ethanol production, more grain is going towards feeding livestock, increased meat consumption

to maintain good health and resist disease, we need

large amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbs, and facts) and smaller amounts of micronutrients (vitamins)

Most deficient nutrients

vitamin A, iodine, and iron

Vitamin A deficiency

dry eyes, blindness, drying corneas

iodine deficiency

enlargement of the thyroid, hypothyroidism, intellectual disabilities of children (who were iodine deficient during pregnancy)

iron deficiency

leads to anemia (low red blood cell counts)

Marasmus

protein energy malnutrition “to waste away” (low in calories and protein

Kwhasiorkor

“displeaced child”

severe protein deficiency occuring in infants and toddlers

enough calories, not enough protein

many of the world’s poor can only afford to live on

a low protein, high carb ciet that results in malnutrition

malnutrition

the condition that develops when the body is deprived of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function

Malbutrition occurs in people who are either

undernourished or overnourished

about __ adults in developed countries is overweight

1/7

Americans spend $40 billion a year on

weight loss

the world spends $19 billion on

malnutrition

industrialized agriculture (high input)

• uses large amounts of fossil fuels energy, water, commerical fertilizer, and pesticides

• producers single monoculture crops or livestock for sale

• practiced in developed countries

• consumes ¼ of all cropland

plantation agriculture (high input)

• form of industrialized agriculture used primarily in tropical developing countries

• involves growing cash crops (bananas, coffee, soybeans, cocoa, sugarcane) on large monoculture plantations, mostly for sale in developed countries

traditional intensive agriculture (low input)

• farmers increase their inputs of human labor, fertilizer, and water to get a higher yield per area of cultivated land

• they produce enough food to feed their families and to sell their income

traditional subsistence agriculture (low input)

• typically uses mostly human labor

• produce only enough crops or livestock for a farm family’s survival

impact of agriculture on the environment

soil erosion, deforestation, desertification, degradation of aquifers, salinization of soil, loss of biodiversity accumulation of toxic inorganic compounds, sediment transport/deposition downstream, on -site pollutions from overuse and secondary effects of fertilizers and pesticides

impact of fertilizers

eutrophication in water (overnutrition)

impact of pesticides

causes structural changes in soil; reduces the ability to retain water, fertility of soil

flood irrigation advantages

relies on gravity, inexpensive

flood irrigation disadvantages

reduces water available for wildlife, limited on types of agriculture, land must be graded to allow water flow, 20% of water lost to evaporation, risk of waterlogging and/or salinization of soil

furrow irrigation advantages

easy to dig, better precision with water amounts

furrow irrigation disadvantages

not good with sandy soil, can’t add small amounts of water, 33% of water lost to evaporation, soil erosion

spray irrigation advantages

precision application which can be programmed, can add supplements to water

spray irrigation disadvantages

larger upfront costs, machinery to run system may run on fossil fuels, sediment can clog nozzles, pivot systems can wear ruts in soil, 25% of water lost to evaporation

drip irrigation advantages

only 5% of water lost to evaporation, helps reduce nutrient leaching

drip irrigation disadvantages

most expensive irrigation system, sediment can clog pipes easily, requires mechanization, not good for fields that require annual tiling

waterlogging

issue in fields where soil has high clay content & flood irrigation is used; can be resolved by letting land dry out; selecting crops that like high water environments or incorporate sand into the soil; inhibits root growth by depriving roots of oxygen

Salinization

buildup of salt in the soil due to an increase in water irrigation coupled w/an increase in evaporation resulting in soil that inhibits plant growth; soil can be flushed out with fresh water until all salt is rinsed out, but is costly both naturally and monetarily

aquifer overuse

a lot of individual farmers pulling from the resource faster than it can be replenished; allows saltwater to seep in the aquifer making it useless; injection wells are used to maintain aquifer pressure and keep saltwater at bay

monocropping

an agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety

First Green Revolution

(1950-1970, in developed countries)

• increased mechanization, improvements in irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides, introduction of high-yield varieties of crops

Second Green Revolution

1967-present, in developing countries

Third Green Revolution

called the gene revolution by using genetic engineering to develop genetically improved strains of crops and livestock animals

domestication of crops and livestock causes

a loss of genetic diversity

• farmer selects and propagates animals with desirable agricultural characterstics

these 6 plants originate from wild mustard

brussel sprouts, cabbage, kholrabi, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower

In order to ensure easier handling and longer shelf life

vegetables and fruits are harvested when still green, and then artificially ripened with ethylene gas

Calgene’s Flavr Savr

intention to create a vine-ripened tomato that delayed bruising and spoilage

Bayer CropScience

tomatoes that don’t lose their juice when sliced

Super Cow

belgian blue is purposely bred with the defective gene myostatin, altering normal growth patterns

traditional breeding

crossing plants and selecting offspring, desired genes inserted with other genetic material

mutagenisis

exposing seeds to chemical radiation

rna interference

switiching off selected genes with RNA

transgenic

inserting selected genes using recombinant DNA methods

Bt corn

produces toxin that is poisonous to insects

round up ready corn

resistance to herbicide glyphosphate

enviropig

digest food more efficiently, excrete less waste

soybeans

herbicide resistance and production of omega-3 fatty acid precursors

potatoes

built with a cholera vaccine

transgenic salmon  AquAdvantage

grow at twice the rate of their natural counterparts

AquaBounty

contain a salmon-derived growth hormone gene and a gene from a bottom-feeder called the ocean pout

golden rice and bananas

genetically bred to have higher amounts of Vitamin A

canola

first GMO crop to escape the farm and grow in the wild

meat production

the raising of cattle, chicken, turkey, pigs, sheep, goats, or any other livestock for consumption by animals

CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation)

used as a way to get animals slaughtered quickly

CAFO pros

more efficient means of production, uses less land per head oof livestock and uses grain for food

less expensive than free-range, thus keeping costs down for consumers

CAFO cons

fecal coliforms (e.coli)

greenhouse gas production

lowered dissolved oxygen levels

antibiotic and growth hormone use

soil compaction, results in erosion and large quantities of water being used

uses 20x the amount of land than crops; not grain efficient

Clean Water Act

regulated discharges of pollutants into waters of the US as well as quality standards for surface water

what percent of US antibiotics go to farm animals that aren’t sick?

70-80%

soil compaction

soil erosion, no infiltration— doesn’t allow groundwater to be recharged

How do we reach sustainability?

don’t exceed carrying capacity, replant barren areas, block off riparian zones, switch to more grain efficient meat sources

free range grazing

animals graze on what they naturally ear, roam freely outdoors for most of the day, fenced grazing area, no antibiotic use, waste spread over a larger area

free range grazing cons

soil degradation, water pollution, desertification, large land use per animal, more expensive

desertification

type of land degradation in drylands in which biological reproductivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby land becomes increasingly arid

rangeland farming problems

erosion, animal waste polluted water, puts stress on grain supply, uses large quantities of water, very land intensive

Production emissions can include

transportation of fertilizers/ pesticides, transportation of feed for livestock, transportation of crops to market, transportation of livestock to slaughterhouse then to market

Supply chain losses can include

imperfect crops, crops and meat that have spoiled during shipping

grass-fed

refers to cattle that ate grass for portions of their lives, with supplemental grain intake

farmed

fish that have been commercially bred and raised in tanks or other enclosures

grass-finished

refers to cattle grazed on grass for their entire lives with no supplemental food

free-range

cattle or chickens that spend time in the pasture, however, there is no definitive amount of time spent in pasture required

pasture-raised

livestock were allotted outdoor space for roaming, however, there is no definitive amount of time spent in pasture required

organic

requires that animals are fed organic feed and forage and are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors; no hormones or antibiotics

wild

fish are caught in their natural habitat