The Green Revolution

Shift in agriculture away from small, family operated farms to large, industrial-scale agribusiness

Fortunately…

  • Increased the use of GMO’s, mechanization, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides

  • Increased the efficiency of lands & carrying capacity

  • Decreased world hunger

However…

  • Soil erosion, biodiversity loss, water depletion, ground and surface water contamination

High yield variety crops

Hybrid crops that produce a higher amount of crop/area

Fortunately…

  • Increased food stability and yield in areas of famine

GMO’s

Genetically modified organism - created when a scientist takes a gene from one organism and inserts it into the genome of another organism

Fortunately

  • A variety of benefits

However…

  • Decreased genetic diversity, increased susceptibility to diseases and pests

Mechanization

Increased use of tractors and combines for plowing, tilling fields, and harvesting

Synthetic fertilizer

Shift from organic fertilizers (like manure and compost) to synthetic fertilizers

N - P - K

Nitrogen - greens up to plants

Up

Phosphorus - reaches down to the roots and helps produce blooms

Down

Potassium - promotes all around wellbeing

All around

Irrigation

Drawing water from the ground or nearby surface waters and distributing it

Pesticides

Chemicals sprayed on crops that kill weeds, insects, rodents, and other pests that eat or damage crops

Meat production methods

CAFOS (concentrated animal feeding operations) - animals are fed grain to fatten them as quickly as possible

Manure lagoons

large, open storage pits for animal waste