Food From The Land

(done)

Hunter Gatherer Society

Nomadic groups searching for food from the land around them

Neolithic Revolution

10,000 BCE, transition to settled agriculture

Domestication

Taming an animal and keeping it. Coddling it to the point where it cant survive on its own. It becomes completely reliant on humans.

Irrigation

Using channels/pipelines to water to farmland consistently

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of humans, plants and animals between the western and eastern continents. 15 and 16th century

New World

The new world is North and South America

Old World

the old world was made up of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania

Triangle Trade

Triangle Trade-   Slaves —> Africa to new world, Raw Materials —> New world to Europe, Manufactured goods —> Europe to Africa

Plantation Agriculture

Large farms with a single cash crop grown.

Crop Rotation

Growing different crops in the same area over a few growing seasons

Urbanization

People move into cities, Railways expand and working class is created which experiences low wages and poor living conditions.

Green Revolution

The mechanization of farming. Crop yields increased by 45%, 1965-2015. Prevents famine.

Genetically Modified Organism

Selective breeding of plants to create desirable traits in the produce

Monoculture

Using one crop over a large area that is used for profit

Soil Degradation

When soil loses its nutrients

Corporatization

To change a government organization into a privately owned company.

Agribusiness

Large corporations make technology for farming and create larger industrial farms that are mechanized.

Organic

Food grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, and without GMOs

Cash Crops

Crops that are grown to be sold for profit; they can't be eaten, e.g. cotton

Urban Farming

Growing crops near and in cities and making the distribution of crops easier.

Todd the Dog

The dog from the documentary “The biggest little farm” who inspired the couple to move from the city to a farm

Canada Land Inventory

A survey of all land in Canada that gives land a rating for farming. The survey was taken from the 1960s to the 1980s

Land Classification

A survey of all land in Canada that gives land a rating for farming. The survey was taken from the 1960s to the 1980s

Agroecology

The approach to farming that prioritizes biodiversity in farms

Class 1 Land

Best farming land, deep soil, good in any weather

Class 2 Land

Good farmland, can do well in most climates

Class 3 Land

Land is okay, had some climate limits that can possibly make farming difficult

Class 4 Land

Average land, short growing season, poor soil quality

Class 5 Land

Not good, very short growing season, hilly, thin soil, poor drainage

Class 6 Land

Only capable of sustaining grasses, improvement practices are not feasible

Class 7 Land

Can not be used for farming

Food Sovereignty

Communities control their own food systems

Why do we need to classify Canada’s farmland?

We classify Canada’s farmland to identify its suitability for crops and to protect valuable agricultural land.

Over time, the number of farmers decreases yet the amount of food produced increases. Why is that?

Farms get bigger, farms get bought up by big corporations.

How does the Colombian Exchange affect agriculture in both the Old World and New World?

It introduced new animals and plants to both sides of the world

What is the difference between a genetically modified crop and an organic one?

GMO crops have had their DNA alerted to make specific traits happen while organic crops have not and do not use fertilizers or pesticides.

What is monocrop agriculture? Why is it bad?

Monocrop agriculture is a farming practice that includes only one crop on a whole farm. It can deplete the soil by repeatedly growing the same crops that take the same nutrients from the soil

What is a cash crop?

A cash crop is a crop grown to be sold for profit rather than for the farmer or livestock, wheat, cotton, tobacco etc.

List 3 characteristics of the plantation system.

Monoculture, large acreage, and Heavy labor intensify.

What factors led European colonizers to create the system of racial slavery across the Americas?

Europeans wanted cheap labor for farms and mines, so they enslaved Africans and justified it by racism

What are 3 alternatives to conventional agriculture that a farmer can use to increase food production while decreasing environmental impact?

Organic Farming, Permaculture (Farms that imitate nature,) Conservation Agriculture (Cover Crops, Crop rotation)

Why is food sovereignty important?

Allows communities to ensure access to healthy food at a reasonable price

Pros of Agribusiness

An increase in crop yields prevents famine

Cons of Agribusiness

Energy intensive, uses crude oil, crops may lack important vitamins and minerals, pesticides, reliant on synthetic fertilizers, soil degradation, drives out small-scale farms

What are 4 common agroecological techniques? What are their respective benefits? (BE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE CASE STUDIES)

1. Agroforestry - Using trees to provide shade for crops, helps retain water

2. Cover crops - used on cash crops to suppress weeds and increase nutrients in soil

3. Crop Rotation - Rotate crops on a plot of land, it increase the nutrients in the soil and crop yields.

4. Heritage crops - Older variations of crops, more resistant to disease