Food

1. Food By: Rebecca Carden YaneisyGinebra

2. Our diets today • There are two popular Categories in our diets today which also happen to be the two most costly • Meats Including Chicken, Pork, beef, ect. • Seafood including fish, shell fish, ect.

3. Meats • In 2006, farmers production of meats was about 276 million tons • Four times as much than in 1961

4. Changes • Demand increased • A need to fatten animals faster • The addition of antibiotics to feed • Time to raise a chicken decreased in half • Gestation crates

5. Problems • Endangering people’s health • Avian Flu • Threatening the Earth • Fertilizers running into the Gulf of Mexico, creating a “dead zone” • Government Funding • Given subsidies for growing only certain crops and livestock • Encourages chemical usage to fatten animals.

6. Solutions • Creating Self staining system • Manila-raising livestock and fish together • Manure from animals fertilizes that algae need for tilapia and rice to grow. • Sows(female pigs) raised in Hoop houses (Iowa State University) • Pens that allow the pigs to walk around • Cut down of veterinary costs • More Live births • Reduce costs by 11 percent

7. Solutions Cont. • Raising Fewer animals in more natural environment • Using different grasses as feed ( University of Wales) • Reduce amounts of Methane released • Less digestive problems • Reducing or eliminating subsidies • New Zealand eliminated subsidies • dairy farms turned to more protein-rich milk. • Cross breads, Cows cost less, Producing more leaner lambs

8. Seafood • Harvested about 141 million tons of seafood in 2005 • Eight times as much as in 1950

9. Changes • Fishing fleets became larger • New technology • Satellite navigation systems • Detailed maps of the ocean floor • Bigger nets

10. Problems • Costal pollution • from waste and excess feed • Chemicals from treating diseases • Salmon escaping and spread those diseases • Bottom Trawling • Destroys Habitats • More Sustainable fish • Fish that are lower on the Marine food chain • Have lower levels of Mercury

11. Solutions • Pure Salmon Campaign • Advocate closed-container farms so water can be reused and any pollution can be treated. • Introducing cleaner fish • Norway is introducing a species that cleans parasites and leftover food. • Reduces lice, a major disease in farming Salmon. • Use Shellfish to eat algae and filter water

12. Solutions Cont. • Changing Restaurants • Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster) plans to certify all its farm raised shrimp ‘to ensure it is grown in a a sustainable way with minimal impacts on the environment,” • Wal Mart 3-5 years to certifying all its seafood from the North American market was raised sustainably.

13. Local level • There are many species that grow in these farms like tropical fish, alligators, tilapia, catfish, shrimp, and others. At the same time aquaculture corporations had record earnings in excess on 100 million dollars, the environment had suffered the consequences. • First, aquaculture requires a significant amount of clean water and land. At this moment there are around 500 farms that use between 3 to 5 acres of land, which comes to a total of 2500 acres in Florida. • Second, broken septic and storm water systems have contaminated the water in Cedar Key. • In addition, some oyster’s farmers were forced to close because they contaminated the Gulf of Mexico. • Other environmental impacts are oxygen depletion in surrounding waters, degradation of benthic ecosystems, and harmful effects from pesticides and herbicides used to control aquatic weeds and algae in aquaculture areas.

14. Local Level • “Today in South West Florida population is soaring, and rapid development is jeopardizing our water, land, wildlife, and our source of quality of life. We must act now to prevent our extraordinary resources from disappearing forever”. Conservancy of Southwest Organization (2008). In this particular area animals have been vulnerable to the effects of growing human population. Furthermore, the development of new areas had impacted the quality of our water.

15. Local level • Organic Farms • Worden Farm in Punta Gorda, uses an electric cultivating tractor on crops. The organic farm is dedicated to producing organic foods, cultivating community connections to the farm and promoting viability of family farms. • By growing food without chemicals, Southwest Florida farms can help reduce the amount of pollution put into the water and the air.