Food Resources: A Challenge for Agriculture

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Chapter 18

• Food Resources A Challenge for Agriculture

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Organic Food Production Act

• Defines organic food as those crops grown in soil
  that has been free of commercial inorganic
  fertilizers pesticides for at least 3 years.

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Food Composed of

• Carbohydrates- sugars starches
• Metabolized by body in cell respiration w/ energy
  transferred to ATP
• Supply energy we use
• Proteins- large complex molecules composed of
  amino acids
• Used by body in many forms including hair
  muscles
• Some serve as enzymes or catalysts that regulate
  the bodys chemical functions
• 20 different amino acids, 12 the body makes, 8
  (essential amino acids) come from food.

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Food Composed of

• Lipids- includes fats oils
• Used in cell respiration
• Deliver more energy pound per pound than
  carbohydrates and proteins
• Minerals- inorganic elements such as zinc iron
• Required by body to maintain chemical balances

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Food Composed of

• Vitamins- complex molecules required in small
  amounts
• Help regulate metabolism body functions
• Water

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Food Insecurity

• 2 regions in world w/ greatest food insecurity
  South Asia Sub-Saharan Africa
• Low income food deficits countries
• Undernourished- receiving fewer calories than
  needed
• Mal-nourished- get food, but not receiving enough
  of specific essential nutrients (e.g. protein)
• Overnourished- eat in excess of that required
  for general nutrition
• 4. Famine- severe food shortage

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2 Diseases of Malnutrition

• Marasmus- emaciation from diet low in calories
  protein
• Kwashiorkor- resulting from protein deficiency
  (big stomach)

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Problems with Over nutrition

• Obesity, high blood pressure, increased chance of
  heart disease diabetes
• Problem is not producing enough food but
  distribution intermittent problems such as
  famine

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World Grain Carryover Stocks

• Amount of grains remaining from previous harvests
  at the start of a new harvest (i.e. whats
  already socked away)
• Food Security- having access at all times to
  adequate amounts types of food.
• Minimum recommended stockpile 70 days

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2 Reasons Grain Stockpiles are Falling

• Weather conditions- poor harvests
• Consumption of beef , pork, poultry
• Animal products account for 40 of calories
  consumed by people in developed countries
• 5 in developing countries

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Economic Effects

• Poverty is main cause for malnutrition under
  nutrition
• Economic effects food due to cost to produce,
  transport, store distribute
• Cultural acceptance- whats food to one is not
  food to another (e.g. pork for Jews beef for
  Hindus)
• 100 plants provide 90 of food consumed
• 1/2 of all cereal grains grown in highly
  developed countries are used to feed livestock

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Types of diets

• Omnivores
• Vegetarians
• Lactoovo vegetarians (milk, eggs foods from
  milk, eggs are ok)
• Lacto-vegetarians (milk milk products are ok)
• Vegans- no milk, eggs or their products)

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Types of Agriculture

• 1. High-input agriculture
• Use large amounts of energy, typically in form of
  fossil fuels
• Use pesticides commercial fertilizers
• Produce high yields
• 2. Subsistence agriculture
• Produce enough food to feed oneself, family w/ a
  little left over to sell

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Types of Agriculture

• 3. Shifting agriculture (slash burn)
• Clearing of small patches of tropical forest to
  plant crops
• 4. Nomadic herding
• Livestock supported by land too arid for crop
  growth
• Herds continually moved to find adequate food
• 5. Polyculture- subsistence agriculture w/
  different crops (Native American- 3 sisters)

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Vocabulary

• Domestication- species cultivated for desirable
  traits
• Loss of genetic diversity
• Germplasm- any plant or animal material that may
  be used in breeding.

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Green Revolution

• Production of more food per acre of cropland
  using modern cultivation methods new
  high-yielding varieties
• Problems w/ it include high energy usage
  environmental problem associated w/ intensive use
  of fertilizers pesticides
• Increased use of hormones antibiotics in
  livestock
• Hormones affecting children antibiotic exposure
  leading to development of resistant bacteria

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Food Processing

• Manual alteration via drying, canning, freezing,
  irradiation, curing refrigeration
• Food additives to enhance taste color or
  texture, improve nutrition, reduce spoilage /or
  extend self life

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Food Additives

• Sugar salt are the 2 most common food additives
• Common preservatives- sodium propionate
  potassium sorbate
• Other food additives- anti oxidants,
  nitrates/nitrites
• Food Drug Administration- responsible for
  monitoring food additives

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Environmental Impacts of Agriculture

• Agricultural practices are single largest cause
  of surface water pollution in the U.S.
• Heavy use of energy
• Pest-resistance to pesticides

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Degradation

• Degradation- natural or human induced process
  that decreases the ability of the land to support
  crops or livestock
• Solution Sustainable agriculture (alternative or
  low-input agriculture)
• Diversification
• IPM gt natural prey/predator relationships
• Organic fertilizers (compost mulch)
• Organic agriculture
• Alternative plowing/fallow/tillage field rotation
  (p.340-341)

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Genetic Engineering

• Ability to take a specific gene from a cell of
  one kind of organism place it in the cell of an
  unrelated organism
• GMO- genetically-modified organisms
• Concerns cross-pollination/invasive species can
  lead to loss of diversity, food gone
  wild/allergies (e.g. peanut gene in corn)

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Fish/Aqua Culture

• Fish/Seafood popular cause they are a source of
  high-quality protein (5 of human diet from
  seafood)
• 4 main categories
• Fish
• Crustaceans
• Mollusks
• Algae

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Problems with Fisheries

• Increase pressure from growing human population
  increase of seafood diets
• Sophisticated fishing equipment leads to over
  fishing (ex. long-lines, purse-seine nets, trawl
  bag, drift nets)
• By catch often dies is simply dumped back

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Ocean Enclosure

• National boundaries in ocean (200 miles off
  shore) over which the nation controls the fishing
• Open management- unrestricted access to fishing
  grounds

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Fishery Conservation Acts

• Magnuson Fishery Conservation Act
• Regulates U.S. fishing
• Establishes 8 regional fishery management
  councils
• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
  Management Act
• Requires regional councils National Marine
  Fisheries Service (NMFS) to provide essential
  fish habitat for more than 600 species , reduce
  over fishing, minimum by catch rebuilt
  populations

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Means for regulating fisheries

• Quotas
• Restrictions on certain types of fishing gear
• Limits on of fishing boats
• Closure of fisheries during spawning periods
• 60-80 of all important fish live at least part
  of their lives in coastal areas

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Aquaculture

• Aquaculture- rearing aquatic organism
• Mariculture- cultivation of marine organisms
  (alternative name for aquaculture)
• Expensive
• Lots of pollution
• Potential for release of invasive/exotic species