Lesson 2: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Agribusiness and Industrial Food

What Is Your Mental Image of a Farm? Please Draw it on a Blank

Sheet of Paper.

Farm Image

• 1919 – 1 out of 4 Americans lived on a farm.• Farmers raised cattle, chicken and hogs.• People ate real food!• Grew apples, wheat, oats, potatoes, grapes,

cherries and corn.• Lots of open space for animals to roam and

plants to grow.• Kept seeds for next year growing season.

Old MacDonald Farms

Large Agribusiness Farms

New “McDonald” Farms

Farms that are large-scale business operations

What is Agribusiness?

• Series of farms that turn raw ingredients into finished food.

• Industrial Food Chain• Use Hybrid Seeds or genetically modified organisms

(GMO’s)• Crops planted close together• Ride tractors or use planes to spray plants• Use Pesticides* and chemicals• Plants Harvested using Big Machines• Irradiate Foods

Agribusiness

Artificial substances used to prevent, destroy or repel pests such as insects or animals from

destroying plants.

definition: pesticides

• Quadruples the amount of crop produced.

• Conventional Farming Methods= High Yield Cheaper Prices

Why Would Farms Use Pesticides?

Plants created in a laboratory. Do not occur naturally.

What are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)?

• Do not require pesticides

• Larger crop yields • Longer shelf lives• Better quality food

crops• Higher nutrition

Supporters: GMO’s Create Resistant Genes

•Food is inexpensive •Crops resistant to disease and insects•Generally weather resistant

Can tolerate extremes

FACT: Have not been proven safe

Long-term health effects are unknown

Have links to cancerLeads to food allergiesDisturbs normal cell

functioningLowers the nutritional value

of foods

Non-Supporters of GMO’sIncreases resistance to antibioticsGMO plant dust can spread Food producers don’t want them labelled – why not?Already labelled in more than 40 countriesCompromises moral and ethical beliefsEncourages corporate control of the food supply

•Founded in 1901•Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri•In approximately 80 countries – unknown number of employees•$11 billion dollar company•Large acre crops•Biotech agricultural seeds – GMO’s and Hybrids•Vegetable seed breeding•Weed control seeds

Biggest Producer of GMO Seeds Monsanto

• Exposing foods to radiation (x-rays) to destroy bacteria, germs, microorganisms and insects.

• Used to prolong the shelf life of food.• Meats, fruits and vegetables and flour.

Food Irradiation

What is Your Perception of this Symbol?

•Damages the Quality of Food•Causes “free radicals”* to form•Depletes nutrients•Long-term effects are unknown

Food Irradiation Concerns

Unstable particles formed by the process of oxidation

Oxidation occurs when oxygen combines with radiation, pollution, tobacco smoke and high fat foods.

definition: free radicals

Less than 2% Less than 1% Claim it as an

Occupation

What Percent of the U.S. Population Still Lives on Farms?

• Draw Your Image of an Agribusiness Farm• Compare and contrast against your first

image Are there any similarities? What are the major differences? Which farm do you prefer and why?

Farm Drawing 2

#1. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)Identify the top 10 genetically modified foods and list them on the worksheet given.

Suggested Activities

#2. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)Check labels of foods at home or in the grocery store to see if they have been genetically modified. Your teacher will explain what to look for.