The Social and Environmental Dilemmas of a Hungry World

This presentation is meant to cover a breadth of issues, but not necessarily any particular in depth

Criticism of current methods used involving feeding people are compared objectively

The benefit’s of current methods and advantages offered by alternatives are taken into consideration

This is a very complex issue involving many seemingly unrelated subjects such as economics, physiology, politics, and international and domestic laws

What does the title of this presentation mean?

In the process of all of humanity trying to feed itself:

Some people go hungry, others are well fed, still yet others develop chronic diseases related to food consumption

Man made droughts and famine have been triggered by agriculture

Overgrazing, water table depletion, ocean dead zones, desertification, and soil erosion threatening future generations has happenedHuman and animal health hazards,( i.e. .cancer rates, extinctions, etc,.)have all sky rocketed because of pesticide, herbicide, and petro chemical use involved in agriculture. Wars, social injustice and stratification, and extreme poverty remain a problem chiefly characterized and caused by the lack of food

Climate and economics determine who goes hungry

What is a Social or Environmental dilemma concerning food ?

So the only way to avoid these problems is to just not grow food? Hardly so.

Current challenges to feed the world mostly first arose circa 10,000 BC~ in the Neolithic Revolution

Population issues are the key cause of these problems

Problems involving feeding people occur on a local level and on a global level. It’s a case of micro and macro economics.

Hunger occurs here. Pollution and population over-consumption triggered problems occur here. Disease related to feeding people occurs here.

Our decisions we make to obtain food affect people abroad, and their situation ultimately affects our food. The environment and other organisms are affected universally.

I - INTRODUCTION

Population and Food

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FeedGrains/Yearbook/FGYearbookTable02-Full.htm

What if the yield on our crops do finally diminish?

How can we afford to spend extra resources on environmental

precautions when people need food immediately?

How do we change the agricultural system for the better without

hurting the economy that completely depends on it?

What if people do actually need animal protein; does it matter since we can't keep providing it anyways?

How would we help strengthen foreign agriculture without weakening our own, when

protecting the value of our crops is our main lifeline?

Natural resources like water, soil, fish, game exhaustible, take time to replenish. Forms the basis of trade, resources unequally distributed.

Uneven yields in less fertile regions creates food shortages. People can over consume a particular area. History of wars being fought over this reason. Access to graze land for cattle, etc

Sustainable agriculture views a farm as a kind of ecosystem – an “agroecosystem”—made up of elements like soil, plants, insects, and animals. These elements can be enriched and adjusted to solve problems and maximize yields. Soil can “die”.

Alludes to soil degradation, bio-depletion, water table depletion, overuse of pesticide.

II- INFRASTRUCTURE, LOGISTICS, AND THE ECONOMICS BEHIND AGRICULTURE

Agricultural paradigm in developing countries vs. developed country

-substance farming with a lack of resources, lowered yield, government restrictions,

creditors, access to water-industrial farming, environmental depletion, no crop diversity, food as a super-commodity, global grain economics causes complications

(see below)

Stock index of grains being speculated can cause inflation

which makes it harder for developing nations to import food or produce their own, further

antagonizing food shortages for the most vulnerable to food insecurity of the developing

nations’ populations. Sustained agricultural growth requires substantial investment in

irrigation, rural infrastructure, human capital, and institutions, not just access to basic

inputs. Aid dumping fertilizer, etc,. problematic.

Problem with global economy- Developing countries cannot afford to sell their grain at the price it's worth, because they cant produce it at the level other countries can. Protectionism vs. Free trade. Very controversial.

Global economy pro's- Massive increase in capital, customer base, new technologies. Improves relationships between countries and cultures. Spreads wealth to new areas through trade. Can cause imbalances however (Above) Stocks essential to economic development in the first place.

-Fuel, directly affects price of food, globalization of food market responsible for large portion of fossil fuel relate problems. Fuel is one of the inputs needed for industrial agriculture.

The irony of it – No fuel, no food. Food= environmental degradation. No company profit/capitalism, no development. Profit = cheap labor, domestic jobs lost, lack of agricultural technological innovation.

III-CROP TECHNOLOGY, EFFICIENCY, POLICY, PARADIGMS, AND ITS EFFECT ON BIODIVERSITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

The Green Revolution –food production is finally leveling off. Soil degradation is rampant, the green revolution never made it to Africa. Is the Green Revolution overhyped in the first place? Massive inorganic chemical toxins have poisoned hundreds of millions of people plus, and greatly affected freshwater environments.

Using Food for fuel- The bio fuel industry is beginning to actually compete for crops with people. It is actually one reason that has contributed to the increase in food prices.

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Invasive GMO?–Some evidence suggests gene flow can spread GMO crops unintentionally, while other evidence refutes it based on too many outside variables. If inherent pesticide properties of certain plants can hybridize into the environment, there can be a risk of degraded soil fertility and other micro ecology degradation.GMO might be the answer – GMO may be the only real way to increase yields in a less productful environment. Possibility of increasing micronutrient content of food. Food aid has often been offered, much of it being GMO, yet some countries refuse it.

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Monocultures– Without modern level of output, population would be unsustainable, but what to do about the threat of biodiversity degradation?

Large Livestock –A largely inefficient system, but how to get people protein?

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IV- Crop Technology, Efficiency, Policy, Paradigms, and its Effect on Human Health.

Crop biodiversity vs. industrial agriculture: heritage seeds are what most sustenance farmers (1.4 billion + people) depend on, how will GMO affect this?

What to do about food insecurity and obesity? Why are both malnurished?

Evidence suggests certain saturated fats actually heal and maintain arteries and raise HDL cholesterol?

Lack of fruits and vegetables. Considered to be main artery healer, free radical scavanger.

A. THE NEED FOR A NEW CLEANER, SAFER, PRODUCTIVE GREEN REVOLUTION, A NEW PARADIGM OF FARMING FOR THE FUTURE B. NEED FOR MORE DEMOCRACY, PEOPLE NEED TO VOICE THEIR OPINION OF THE WAY THEY WANT THEIR FOOD C. MORE RESEARCH NEEDED, A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT PARADIGMS OF APPROACH NEEDED, ALTERNATIVE AND SYNONYMOUS TECHNOLOGIES (I.E., AGRO ECOLOGY) OF BIOTECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED/EVALUATED

D. RESEARCH: HEALTHIER, SUSTAINABLE, ECONOMICAL ANIMAL FOOD

V- Future Outlooks

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