Food and Agriculture

Food Security

The condition that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Availability

The resource needs to be available for food security.

Access

Refers to the ability to obtain food, affected by factors like money, war, farming, and malnutrition.

Utilization

The correct balance of diet and addressing issues like hidden hunger (health problems).

Stability

Consistency of food availability, access, and diet throughout the year.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.

Selective breeding

The process of mating organisms to receive a desired trait.

Mutation breeding

Creating new traits through methods like radiation exposure or adding chemicals.

Genetic engineering

Most recent method of altering genetic material by adding or removing genes.

CRISPR

A technology used for gene editing that allows for alterations in DNA sequences.

Pros of GMOs

Includes less usage of insecticides, reduced farmland footprint, and increased food production.

Cons of GMOs

Includes potential hybridization with wild organisms and bias in health studies.

Traditional farming

Family-owned practices relying on a small amount of land and crop diversity.

Industrial farming

Corporate-controlled agriculture focusing on profit and mono-cropping.

Crop biodiversity

The variety of different forms of the same crop, which is decreasing.

Salinization

The build-up of salt in the soil, often caused by irrigation systems.

Subsidence

The sinking of land due to groundwater depletion.

Haber Bosch Process

A chemical reaction that converts nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia.

Organic Fertilizers

Naturally-derived products that feed the soil.

Synthetic Fertilizers

Man-made products designed to feed the plant.

Eutrophication

The enrichment of a body of water with nutrients, leading to excessive plant growth.

Dead zones

Areas in water bodies with low oxygen levels due to algal blooms, causing organism suffocation.

Pesticides

Man-made chemicals used to eliminate pests, which can become ineffective over time due to natural selection.

Atrazine

A pesticide used to control certain weeds, which may cause changes in animal genders and affect birth weight.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming practices that maintain the health of land, ecosystems, and communities.

Intercropping

Planting different crops in proximity for healthy pest control.

Crop rotation

The practice of alternating different crops in a particular area to improve soil health.

Limited tilling

A sustainable method where soil is minimally disturbed during planting.