Chapter 12 – Short Answer Questions – Due By Sunday Feb 12th

Material Covered: Chapter 12 in Book; Chapter 12 Lecture

Instructions: Please answer the four questions below. You don’t have to be extensive in what
you write and you can use sentences or bullet points. But you need to answer the question and
make sure you show that you read/watched the material. This assignment will be graded for
completion (10 points total), but points may be taken off if it is clear you didn’t read the material
or write clearly.

Question 1: What is the Green Revolution & why is it such a big deal when we talk about food
production?

The Green Revolution was when new technologies transformed agriculture in the 20th century. It
improved yields and food security. It tripled average yields to 6 metric tons per hectare. The
replacement of human or animal plows to gas- or diesel-powered farm equipment increased
efficiency and lowered human employment.

Question 2: What are some of the trade-offs (positives and negatives) associated with use of
nitrogen fertilizers?

Nitrogen fertilizers increased food production immensely. It gave us the ability to produce more
food on less land, but nitrogen fertilizers can acidify soil and degrade natural organic matter.
This leads to an increase in relying on fertilizers and pesticides. Also, when more nitrogen is
released into the air from these fertilizers, lowers both water and air quality. Nitrogen water
runoff creates low oxygen for ecosystems in bodies of water. N2O emissions are 300 time more
potent than greenhouse gases.

Question 3: What are two suggestions your book makes for reducing your environmental impact
when it comes to food?

The individual food choices of consumers are part of food production systems. We all can impact
the food systems by the choices of what we eat. There are ways to eat and buy sustainably and
reduce the amount of food produced. This includes the amount of meat you eat as well as the
amount of food you buy to reduce food waste.

Question 4: What is the “loss of agrobiodiversity”?

The loss of agrobiodiversity is when a certain crop varieties are intensively produced, other crop
varieties are cultivated less. In some cases the other varieties can even die out.