Chapter 19Chapter 19Food Resources: A Challenge ForFood Resources: A Challenge For Agriculture Agriculture

Overview of Chapter 19Overview of Chapter 19

o Food and NutritionFood and Nutritiono World Food ProblemsWorld Food Problemso Principle Types of AgriculturePrinciple Types of Agricultureo Challenges of Producing More Crops Challenges of Producing More Crops

and Livestockand Livestocko Environmental Impact of AgricultureEnvironmental Impact of Agricultureo Solutions to Agricultural ProblemsSolutions to Agricultural Problemso Fisheries of the WorldFisheries of the World

Food and NutritionFood and Nutrition

o CarbohydratesCarbohydrates• Sugars and starches metabolized by cellular Sugars and starches metabolized by cellular

respiration to produce energyrespiration to produce energy

o ProteinsProteins• Large, complex molecules composed of Large, complex molecules composed of

amino acids that perform critical roles in amino acids that perform critical roles in bodybody

o LipidsLipids• Include fats and oils and are metabolized by Include fats and oils and are metabolized by

cellular respiration to produce energycellular respiration to produce energy

o Vitamins and MineralsVitamins and Minerals

Human FoodsHuman Foods

World Food ProblemsWorld Food Problemso Feeding growing population is difficultFeeding growing population is difficulto Annual grain production (left) has increased Annual grain production (left) has increased

since 1970since 1970o Grain per person has not (right)Grain per person has not (right)

World Food ProblemsWorld Food Problems

o FamineFamine• Failure of crops caused by drought, flood or Failure of crops caused by drought, flood or

catastrophic eventcatastrophic event• Temporary but severe shortage of foodTemporary but severe shortage of food

o Maintaining World Grain Carryover Maintaining World Grain Carryover StockpilesStockpiles• Amounts of rice, wheat, corn and other Amounts of rice, wheat, corn and other

grains remaining from previous harvestgrains remaining from previous harvest• Provides measure of food securityProvides measure of food security• Decreased each year since 1987Decreased each year since 1987• UN feels carryover stock should not fall UN feels carryover stock should not fall

below 70 daysbelow 70 days

World Grain World Grain Carryover StockCarryover Stock

o Why the decline?Why the decline?• Rising temperaturesRising temperatures• Falling water tables Falling water tables

and droughtsand droughts• Ethanol productionEthanol production• More grain is going More grain is going

towards feeding towards feeding livestocklivestock

World Food ProblemsWorld Food Problems

o Poverty and FoodPoverty and Food• 1.3 billion people are so poor they cannot 1.3 billion people are so poor they cannot

afford proper nutritionafford proper nutrition• More common inMore common in

• Rural than urban areasRural than urban areas• Infants, children and the elderlyInfants, children and the elderly

o Economics and PoliticsEconomics and Politics• Cost money to store, produce, transport and Cost money to store, produce, transport and

distribute fooddistribute food• Getting food to those who need it is politicalGetting food to those who need it is political

Principle Types of AgriculturePrinciple Types of Agriculture

Industrialized Industrialized agricultureagriculture• Modern Modern

agriculture agriculture methods methods that require that require large capital large capital input, and input, and less land less land and laborand labor

Principle Types of AgriculturePrinciple Types of Agricultureo Subsistence AgricultureSubsistence Agriculture

• Traditional agricultural methods, which are Traditional agricultural methods, which are dependent on labor and large amounts of landdependent on labor and large amounts of land

o Examples:Examples:• Shifting cultivationShifting cultivation• Slash and burn agricultureSlash and burn agriculture• Nomadic herdingNomadic herding• IntercroppingIntercropping

Challenges of Producing More Crop and Challenges of Producing More Crop and LivestockLivestock

o Domestication and Genetic DiversityDomestication and Genetic Diversity• Domestication of crops and livestock causes a Domestication of crops and livestock causes a

loss of genetic diversityloss of genetic diversity• Farmer selects and propagates animals with desirable Farmer selects and propagates animals with desirable

agricultural characteristicsagricultural characteristics

• Many high yielding crops Many high yielding crops are genetically uniformare genetically uniform

• High likelihood that High likelihood that bacteria, fungi, viruses, bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. will attack and etc. will attack and destroy entire cropdestroy entire crop

o Increasing Crop YieldIncreasing Crop Yield

Challenges of Producing More Crop and Challenges of Producing More Crop and LivestockLivestock

• Food production Food production increased in increased in developed developed countries countries (wheat (left)(wheat (left)

• PesticidesPesticides• Selective Selective

breedingbreeding

Case-In-Point Green RevolutionCase-In-Point Green Revolution

o High Yielding Rice VarietiesHigh Yielding Rice Varieties

o Increasing Livestock YieldsIncreasing Livestock Yields• Hormone supplementsHormone supplements

• US and Canada do thisUS and Canada do this• Europe does not citing human health concernsEurope does not citing human health concerns

• AntibioticsAntibiotics• 40% of antibiotics produced in US are used in livestock 40% of antibiotics produced in US are used in livestock

operationsoperations• Problems with increased bacteria resistanceProblems with increased bacteria resistance

Challenges of Producing More Crop and Challenges of Producing More Crop and LivestockLivestock

Antibiotic Use and ResistanceAntibiotic Use and Resistance

o Manipulation of genes by taking specific gene from a cell Manipulation of genes by taking specific gene from a cell of one species and placing it into the cell of an unrelated of one species and placing it into the cell of an unrelated speciesspecies

Genetic EngineeringGenetic Engineering

Issue with Genetically Modified Issue with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)Organisms (GMOs)

o Determined to be safe for human Determined to be safe for human consumption (according to current research)consumption (according to current research)

o Concerns about GMO seed or pollen Concerns about GMO seed or pollen spreading in wildspreading in wild

o Backlash against GMOsBacklash against GMOso GMOs are not currently labeledGMOs are not currently labeled

• FDA finds it would be counterproductive and FDA finds it would be counterproductive and expensive to labelexpensive to label

Environmental Impacts of Environmental Impacts of AgricultureAgriculture

o High use of fossil fuels and High use of fossil fuels and pesticidespesticides• Air pollutionAir pollution

o Untreated animal wastes Untreated animal wastes and agricultural chemicalsand agricultural chemicals• Water pollutionWater pollution• Harms fisheriesHarms fisheries

o Insects, weeds, and disease-Insects, weeds, and disease-causing organisms causing organisms developing resistance to developing resistance to pesticidespesticides• Contaminate food supplyContaminate food supply

Environmental Impact of AgricultureEnvironmental Impact of Agricultureo Land degradationLand degradation

• Decreases future ability of land to support crops Decreases future ability of land to support crops or livestockor livestock

o Habitat fragmentationHabitat fragmentation• Breakup of large areas of habitat into small, Breakup of large areas of habitat into small,

isolated patchesisolated patches

o Cultivating marginal landsCultivating marginal lands• Irrigating dry landIrrigating dry land• Cultivating land prone to erosionCultivating land prone to erosion

Solutions to Agricultural Problems- Solutions to Agricultural Problems- Sustainable AgricultureSustainable Agriculture

Sustainable AgricultureSustainable Agriculture

o Examples:Examples:• Natural Predator-prey relationships instead of Natural Predator-prey relationships instead of

pesticidespesticides• Crop selectionCrop selection• Crop rotation and conservation tillageCrop rotation and conservation tillage• Supplying nitrogen with legumesSupplying nitrogen with legumes• Organic agricultureOrganic agriculture

o Integrated Pest Management (IPM)Integrated Pest Management (IPM)• Limited use of pesticides with sustainable Limited use of pesticides with sustainable

agriculture practicesagriculture practices

Fisheries of the World- ProblemsFisheries of the World- Problems

o No nation lays claim to No nation lays claim to open oceanopen ocean• Resource susceptible to Resource susceptible to

overuse and degradationoveruse and degradationo OverharvestingOverharvesting

• Many species are at Many species are at point of severe depletionpoint of severe depletion

• Cod (right)Cod (right)• 62% of world’s fish stock 62% of world’s fish stock

are in need of are in need of management actionmanagement action

Fisheries of the World- ProblemsFisheries of the World- Problemso Overharvesting Overharvesting

(continued)(continued)• Sophisticated fishing Sophisticated fishing

equipmentequipment• Bycatch (all Bycatch (all

unintentionally unintentionally caught species) are caught species) are killed off!killed off!

• Magnuson Fisheries Magnuson Fisheries Conservation Act Conservation Act (1977) = established (1977) = established 8 regional fisheries 8 regional fisheries councils who councils who established established “management “management plans”, but usually plans”, but usually set quotas too high!set quotas too high!

Longlines = fishing lines with thousands of baited hooks…up to 80 miles long!

Purse-seine net = huge nets (over a mile wide), that are set out to encircle large schools and then drawn up and closed to trap them

Trawl net = a weighted, funnel-shaped net pulled along the bottom of the ocean to catch bottom-feeding fishes (benthic organisms) and shrimp…up to 30 tons of seafood can be caught in a single net!

Drift Net = a large (40 miles long) net designed to entangle thousands of fish and other marine organisms…most countries now ban their use

Fisheries of the World- ProblemsFisheries of the World- Problemso Ocean Pollution - dumping groundOcean Pollution - dumping ground

• OilOil• Heavy metalsHeavy metals• Deliberate litter dumpingDeliberate litter dumping• Stormwater runoff from cities and agricultural Stormwater runoff from cities and agricultural

areasareas

o AquacultureAquaculture• Growing of aquatic organisms for human Growing of aquatic organisms for human

consumptionconsumption• Great potential to supply foodGreat potential to supply food

Fisheries of the World- ProblemsFisheries of the World- Problemso Aquaculture (continued)Aquaculture (continued)

• Locations of fisheries may hurt natural Locations of fisheries may hurt natural habitatshabitats

• Produce waste that pollutes adjacent waterProduce waste that pollutes adjacent water

Other Important Marine Legislation:Other Important Marine Legislation:o Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and

Management Act (1996) = the regional councils Management Act (1996) = the regional councils and the National Marine Fisheries Service must and the National Marine Fisheries Service must now protect “essential fish habitat” for more than now protect “essential fish habitat” for more than 600 fish species, work to reduce overfishing, 600 fish species, work to reduce overfishing, rebuild threatened populations, minimize bycatch, rebuild threatened populations, minimize bycatch, etc.etc.• Must also establish more realistic fishing quotas, restrict Must also establish more realistic fishing quotas, restrict

certain fishing gear, limit number of fishing boats, and certain fishing gear, limit number of fishing boats, and close fisheriesclose fisheries during spawning periods or times of during spawning periods or times of severe depletion of fish stocks!severe depletion of fish stocks!

• Law was re-authorized in 2007 to strengthen controls over Law was re-authorized in 2007 to strengthen controls over illegal fishing in U.S. waters.illegal fishing in U.S. waters.

Other Important Marine Legislation:Other Important Marine Legislation:o Ocean Dumping Ban Act (1988): Ocean Dumping Ban Act (1988):

• Barred ocean dumping of sludge and industrial Barred ocean dumping of sludge and industrial waste, beginning in 1991…requiring that waste, beginning in 1991…requiring that sanitary landfills be used instead!sanitary landfills be used instead!

o National Marine Sanctuaries Act (1972) – National Marine Sanctuaries Act (1972) – established several critical habitat areas as established several critical habitat areas as marine sanctuaries, limiting the activities marine sanctuaries, limiting the activities such as fishing that can take place there!such as fishing that can take place there!