Feeding the World Notes

What are the types of farming?

1. Meat Production- livestock, poultry, met, dairy, and eggs; utilize rangeland
2. Agriculture- growing 1 crop (monoculture) or many crops (polyculture)
3. Aquaculture- raising aquatic organisms

What happens when food is not available?

Malnutrition- a condition caused by not consuming enough necessary nutrients
Famine- a food scarcity so widespread that causes severe malnutrition throughout large
geographic area

Why do people go hungry?

Crop failure
Drought
Soil detrition
Disease
Population Size

How did the Green Revolution change farming?

New engineering tactics for farming to allow surplus of food to grow for large
communities
Goal

Stop hunger
Increase crop yield
Minimize Crop Loss/Failure

Methods

New, high-yield grain varieties

Pesticides
Fertilizes
Better Management Practices
More technologically advance machinery

Vision Treat agriculture as a business

Plant a large amount of singles species (mono-cropping)

DrawbacksToo expensive
Air, soil, and water pollution due to toxic chemicals
Uneven distribution- poorer countries still cant transport food
Pesticide Resistance

What the types of farming?

1.

Conventional Farming
Maximize output- high efficiency
Minimize space
Concentrated animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS)
Genetically Mortified Crops (temp and chemical resistance)
Heavy equipment ( fossils fuels)
Chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers)
Tillage

2. Sustainable Farming

Sustainable Output
Takes more space
Pasture/Rangeland feeding
Incorporates more human and animal labor
Minimize Chemical Usage (biochemically)
Polyculture

Low till or no till

Benefits
Conventional

Lower food costs

Fast production times (more growing season in a given year)
Meets Increased demand
Sustainable

Healthier for humans and organisms alike

Higher quality food (in terms of energy
Conserves energy and water resources
Owner biodiversity/environmental impact

Risk/Impact
Conventional

Biodiversity degradation
Soil, water, and air pollution
Erosion and desertification
Energy and water loss
Contamination of Human foods
Pesticide and antibiotic resistance
Sustainable

Higher food costs

Low yield
Decreased availability
More susceptible to storms, pests, changes in environment, etc.