ENV100 Notes on Agriculture and Sustainability

Approximately 1 billion people globally experience malnutrition.
- Malnutrition diseases include:
- Marasmus - severe energy, protein & carbohydrates deficit.
- Kwashiorkor - protein & micronutrient deficiency.
73% of Americans are overweight or obese.
Growing number of hungry individuals:
- 2019-2021 growth of undernourished by 150 million.
- Up to 783 million people don't have enough food.
- Over 40 million in 51 countries are in 'emergency' hunger levels; 45% child deaths from hunger related causes.

After decline, hunger rates have risen since 2017.
- Causes: climate change, conflict, COVID-19, natural disasters.
- Root causes: poverty, inequality, corruption, and war.

Rural Poor:
- No access to electricity, safe water; involved in food production without ownership of land.
Urban Poor:
- No means to grow or buy food, often live in 'food deserts.'

Definition: Ensuring everyone has physical and economic access to adequate food from non-emergency sources.
Globally, food production is rising, yet distribution and accessibility issues persist.
- Constraints (5 A's):
- Availability - Production.
- Adequacy - Quality of food.
- Accessibility - Distribution issues, civil unrest.
- Affordability - Economic access.
- Acceptability - Cultural preferences.

Definition: A period of significant increase in agricultural production globally (1960's).
- Key Innovations:
- Agrochemicals, irrigation, new crop varieties, new cultivation methods.
Post-WWII Agriculture Evolution:
- Mechanization: use of tractors and large-scale irrigation.
- Increased production due to selection for high-yield, disease-resistant crops.

Increased crop yields significantly: e.g., wheat yields in India from 12.3 million tons to 20 million tons in 5 years.
Overall, food production increased more than 1000%.
Decreased famine incidents, improved lifestyle and income for many.
Goals: higher yields, better technology transfer to rural farmers, hunger elimination.

Overuse of fertilizers leading to pollution; resulting nutrient runoff causing eutrophication.
Pesticide impact on human health and ecosystems.
Monoculture leading to biodiversity loss and increased pest vulnerability.

The Need for Sustainable Practices:
- Recognizing limits of productivity, minimizing negative impacts.
- Integrated pest management and traditional seed preservation.
Aquaculture in Global Fisheries:
- Fastest-growing production sector, vital for food security amidst declining wild populations.
- Necessity for managing existing wild fisheries and improving intensive aquaculture's sustainability.

CAFOs are efficient but may create adverse environmental effects:
- Nutrient runoff leading to water pollution.
- High levels of waste and potential disease transfer to humans

Definition: Organisms with genes from different species to achieve desirable traits.
Potential benefits include increased yields and pest resistance; however, concerns exist about biodiversity decline and creating socio-economic inequities.

Emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and integrated systems like aquaponics to support our growing population while respecting ecological limits.