Transcript Chapter_09

Environmental Science: Toward a
Sustainable Future
Richard T. Wright
Chapter 9
The Production and Distribution of
Food
PPT by Clark E. Adams
The Production and Distribution of Food
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Crops and animals: major patterns of food
production
New patterns: genetically modified foods
Food distribution and trade
Hunger, malnutrition, and famine
Thomas Malthus: 1798
Food
Production
Population
Growth
Time
Thomas Malthus
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Did not consider changes in agricultural
technology and science
Did not consider dramatic decreases in
fertility rates in some countries
Was right, but ahead of his time
Crops and Animals: Major Patterns of Food
Production
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The development of modern industrialized
agriculture
The green revolution
Subsistence agriculture and the
developing world
Animal farming and its consequences
Prospects for increasing food production
U.S. Crop Yields
Major Patterns of Food Production: Past 40
Years and Next 40 Years?
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Bringing additional land into cultivation
Increasing use of fertilizers
Increasing use of chemical pesticides
Increasing use of irrigation
Major Patterns of Food Production: Past 40
Years and Next 40 Years?
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Substituting new genetic varieties
Rotating crops
Growing many different kinds of crops
Recycling animal wastes
Grain over animal production
The Green Revolution
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Temporarily closed the gap between food
production and need in some countries
Heavy reliance on irrigation and fertilizers
Negative impact on small farmers and
culturally specific crops
Subsistence Farming: More or Less?
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Labor intensive
Technologically based
Use of marginal lands
Clearing of tropical rain forests
Environmental degradation
Animal Farming and Its Consequences
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Loss of 70% of grain crops in U.S.
Overgrazing
Mismanagement of animal manure
Most widespread source of water pollution
Source of 3% of greenhouse gases
Sustainable on rural farms and with pastoral
herding
Global Population and Grain and Meat
Consumption
Fig. 9-9 here
Prospects for Increasing Food
Production
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Over last 30 years, food production has
surpassed population growth
World food consumption to increase 50%
by 2020
Agricultural sustainability is highly
dependent on soil and water conservation
Global climate changes
40% Increase in Food Production
Needed over Next Two Decades
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Eat lower on the food chain, less meat
Convert cash crops to food
Eat less
Increase crop yields
Double Green Revolution!
40% Increase in Food Production
Needed over Next Two Decades
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Convert animal farms to grain farms
Develop alternative foods
Convert pet food to human food
The promise of biotechnology
New Patterns: Genetically Modified Food
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The promise
The problems
Policies
Biotech Crops in the United States
Fig. 9-10 here
The Promise: Transgenic Crops
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Crossbreeds of genetically different plants
Incorporation of desired traits into crop
lines and animals
Cloning of domestic animals
The Objectives of Genomics
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Disease resistance
Drought tolerance
Improved nutritional value
Incorporate human vaccines
The Problems with Genomics
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Environmental concerns
Not considered safe by all consumers
Not affordable in all countries
Major player in the future of agriculture
Might keep food production in pace with
population growth
Environmental Problems
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Pest resistance to genetically engineered
toxin
Broad spectrum impact on nontarget
species
“Super weeds”
Food Safety
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Proteins cause allergic responses
Antibiotic resistance to human pathogens
Plant produces new toxic substances
Other Problems with Genomics
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Access to new technologies
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profit driven
affordability in developing countries
terminator technology: seed sterility
Consumer acceptance
Food Distribution and Trade
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Patterns in food trade
Food security
Patterns in Food Trade
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Major changes in net importers and
exporters of grain over the last six
decades (Table 9-3)
North America is the world’s “bread
basket” or “meat market”
Direct relationship between import levels
and population growth
Patterns of Global Trade in Grain
Table 9-3 here
Food Security (see Fig. 9-13)
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“Assured access for every person to enough
nutritious food to sustain an active and
healthy life”
 Family: personal and family food security
 Country: self-sufficiency in food and
nutrition
 Global: sustainable food and nutrition for all
countries
Hunger, Malnutrition, and Famine
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Nutrition vs. hunger
Extent and consequences of hunger
Root cause of hunger
Famine
Food aid
Nutrition vs. Hunger
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Hunger: lack of basic food for energy and
meeting nutritional needs
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Malnutrition: lack of essential nutrients (amino
acids, vitamins, and minerals)
Undernourishment: lack of adequate food
energy (Calories)
One-quarter of U.S. population is obese
The Food Guide Pyramid
On the Other Hand
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100 million children in southern Asia are
underweight because of lack of food
11 million children <5 years old die each
year in developing countries – half due to
hunger and malnutrition
Root Cause of Hunger
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The root cause of hunger is poverty
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20% of the people on Earth suffer from the
effects of hunger and malnutrition
Children are most at risk
It is more likely that a pet cat will be fed than
an undernourished child
Causes of Famine and Hunger Hotspots
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Civil Wars
Drought (FEWS)
Government
Incompetence
Food Aid
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him
for today.
Teach a man to fish; and you have
fed him for lifetime."
--Old Chinese Saying
Food Aid
Fig. 9-19 here
Food Aid: True or False
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Alleviates chronic hunger
Helps local agriculture
Disrupts local economy
Contributes to ecological deterioration
Postpones the day of reckoning
Food Aid and Carrying Capacity
The Lifeboat Ethic of Garret Hardin
Carrying Capacity with Food Aid
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Carrying Capacity w/o Food Aid
Time
End of Chapter 9