STATE OF AGRICULTURE

The Walker School

Environmental Science

Focus

Cultivation of crops

State of arable land

Pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland

Agricultural Products

Foods

Fibers

Fuels

Raw materials

Pharmaceuticals

Illegal drugs

Ornamental or exotic

products

Poppy field in Afghanistan.

Traditional Food Systems

Croplands 77%

Rangelands 16%

Ocean Fisheries 7%

Cropland

Irrigated farm land

Rangeland

Pasture

Forest

Barren land

Wetland

Urban area

Food Production in

U.S.

Improvements in Agriculture

Increased use of farm machinery

Inorganic chemical fertilizers

Irrigation

Pesticides

High-yield varieties of crops

Aquaculture ponds

Environmental Concerns

Soil Erosion

Pollution

Lack of Water for Irrigation

Overgrazing by Livestock

Overfishing

Loss of Ecological Services Effects of overgrazing on grasslands.

WHAT PLANTS AND ANIMALS

FEED THE WORLD?

Available Materials: Types of Plants

30,000 known species

of flowering plants

Only 10,000 are eaten

by humans (1% of total

biomass)

12 account for over

80% of the worlds crops

Why So Few Plants

Indigestible

Poisonous

Low Nutritional Value

Tedious to Prepare

Difficult to Gather

12 Major Species of Plant

Cereals: wheat, corn, rice,

barley, sorghum, and soybeans

Roots: potatoes, manioc and

sweet potatoes

Sugars: sugar cane, sugar

beets, and bananas

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR TYPES OF

FOOD PRODUCTION?

Agricultural Types

Industrialized Agriculture

Plantation Agriculture

Traditional Intensive Agriculture

Shifting Cultivation

Traditional Subsistence Agriculture

Nomadic Herding

Industrialized agriculture

Shifting cultivation

Plantation agriculture

Nomadic herding

Intensive traditional agriculture

No agriculture

Location of World Food Production

Cash Crops of Plantation Agriculture

Bananas

Coffee

Soybeans

Sugarcane

Cocoa

Vegetables

Drugs

HOW HAVE GREEN REVOLUTIONS

INCREASED FOOD PRODUCTION?

Steps Toward a Green Revolution

Develop and plant monocultures

Produce high yields by using large amounts of fertilizer, pesticides, and water

Increase the number of crops grown per year on a plot of land through multicroping

A monoculture of leaf lettuce.

Figure 13-6

Page 282

First green revolution(developed countries)1950 - 1970

Second green revolution(developing countries)1967

Major international agriculturalresearch centers and seed banks

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF

FOOD PRODUCTION IN THE U.S.?

Agricultural Facts for the U.S.

Bigger than the automotive, steel, and housing industries combined

Generates about 18% of the countries GNP

Produces 17% of the world’s grain

U.S. consumers spend 2% of their income on food

Accounts for 17% of U.S. energy use

4% 2% 6% 5%17% of totalcommercialenergy useCrops Livestock Food processing Food distribution and preparation

Food production

Grow

Store

Process

Package

Energy Use in Production

Transport

Refrigerate

Cook

Industrialized agriculturein developed countries

Intensive traditional agriculturein developing countries

Land

Labor

Capital

Fossil fuel

energy

Land

Labor

Capital

Fossil fuel energy

Shifting cultivation in tropicalforests in developing countries

Nomadic herding indeveloping countries

Land

Labor

Capital

Land

Labor

Capital

Food Processing Systems

Imports

Food/Farms Manufacturers

Wholesalers Caterers

Retailers Consumers

Exports

WHAT GROWING TECHNIQUES ARE

USED IN TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE?

Traditional Intensive Agriculture in Vietnam

Interplanting Strategies

Polyculturing

Intercropping

Agroforestry (Alley

Cropping)

Intercropping in Ghana, Africa.

Advantages of Polyculturing

Less need for fertilizers

and water because of

varying root depths

More protection from

wind and water erosion

Little need for insecticides

because multiple habitats

are created for natural

predators of crop-eating

insects

A polyculture tank holding plants,

rainbow trout, and crayfish.

WHAT OTHER METHODS

REDUCE SOIL EROSION?

Soil Conservation

Table 6-2, p. 190

Terracing

Contour Farming

Strip Cropping

Agroforestry

Gully Reclamation

Plants That Deplete Soil Nutrients

Corn

Tobacco

Cotton

Crop Rotation Example:

Corn Soybeans Oats Alfalfa

HOW CAN WE MAINTAIN AND

RESTORE SOIL FERTILITY?

Extent of Fertilizer use in United States

Organic Fertilizers

Animal Manure

Green Manure

Compost

Spores of Mushrooms

Crop Rotation

HOW MUCH HAS FOOD

PRODUCTION INCREASED?

Rice Production

Corn Production

Wheat Production

Food Production

Enough is produced to feed the current population

Poor distribution infrastructures and political

corruption create situation were 1 out 6 people in

developing nations do not have enough food

HOW SERIOUS ARE

UNDERNUTRITION AND

MALNUTRITION?

Poverty MalnutritionDecreasedresistanceto disease

High deathrate forchildren

Decreasedenergy

Decreasedability

to learn

Decreasedability

to work

Shortenedlife

expectancy

Feedback loop

Problems of Chronic Undernutrition

Mental Retardation

Stunted Growth

Susceptible to Infection Diseases

Susceptible Parties:

•Infants

•Nursing Mothers

•Elderly

Diseases Resulting from Undernutrition

Diarrhea Measles

Disease Resulting from Malnutrition

MarasmusKwashiorkor

Precautions (A $5 - $10 Fix)

Immunizing Children

Encouraging Breast Feeding

Preventing Dehydration

Preventing Blindness

Providing Family Planning

Increasing Education for Women

HOW SERIOUS ARE

MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES?

Major Micronutrient Deficiencies

Vitamin A

Iron

Iodine

Some Micronutrient Deficiencies

Iron Deficiency:

•Causes Fatigues

•Makes Infection More Likely

•Increase Chances of Mother

Dying in Child Birth

Iodine Deficiency:

•Stunted Growth

•Mental Retardation

•Goiter

Goiter on neck.Vitamin A Deficiency:

•Allergies

•Impaired growth

•Night blindness

•Decreased immune system function

•Cancer susceptibility

Micronutrient Fixes: GMO’s

Spliced gene into rice to make it rich in beta-

carotene (Vitamin A)

HOW SERIOUS IS

OVERNUTRITION?

Being Overweight

Overweight

4.5-14 kg (10-30 lbs)

Obese

14 kg (30 lbs +)

Health Problems:

•Lower Productivity

•Lower Quality of Life

•Greater Susceptibility to Disease

•Lower Life Expectancy

WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL

AFFECTS OF PRODUCING FOOD?

AGRICULTURAL FIXES?

Agricultural Fixes

Genetically Modified

Foods

New Foods

More Efficient

Agriculture

Improved Irrigation

A Limited Solution

Depletion of Aquifers

Erosion

Groundwater Contamination

Salinization

Waterlogging

Reduction of Wildlife Habitats

Increase Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere

Accelerate Global Warming

Urban Gardens

Reduces stresses on soil and biodiversity in non-urban areas

Provide food and jobs for low-income urban residents

Lead to conflict over how urban land should be used

Urban soils need to be checked for toxic pollutants (Pb, Hg)

Microlivestocks (Edible Insects)

Blank Ant Larva (tacos in Mexico)

Giant Water Bugs (vegetable dip in Thailand)

Emperor Moth Caterpillars (South Africa)

Cockroaches (Kalahari Desert)

Butterflies (Bali)

Ants (Bogota)

http://www.slashfood.com/2005/10/27/scorpion-

lollipops-and-the-future-of-microlivestock/

HOW MUCH FOOD IS

WASTED?

Food Waste (70%)

Spoilage

Inefficient Processing

Inefficient Preparation

Plate Waste

Average U.S. family of 4 wastes around 640 lbs per year!