Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future Richard T. Wright

1. Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable FutureRichard T. Wright Chapter 9 The Production and Distribution of Food

2. The Production and Distribution of Food • Crops and animals: major patterns of food production • New patterns: genetically modified foods • Food distribution and trade • Hunger, malnutrition, and famine

3. Crops and Animals: Major Patterns of Food Production • The development of modern industrialized agriculture • The green revolution • Subsistence agriculture and the developing world • Animal farming and its consequences • Prospects for increasing food production

4. U.S. Crop Yields

5. Facts about US agriculture • 3 million farmers, ~2% of the workforce, but another 13% in related work • ¼ of the continental US is under cultivation- with this amount shrinking • WE ROCK when it come to food production: Fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation, and plant genetics have combined to make producing TOO MUCH food a problem for farmers in many years. • Farmers are a MAJOR lobbying group

6. Major Patterns of Food Production: Past 40 Years and Next 40 Years? • Bringing additional land into cultivation- this is a problem! • Increasing use of fertilizers- probably at the maximum effects now. • Increasing use of chemical pesticides- diminishing returns, use is up, results flat. • Increasing use of irrigation- 20% in US, 17% worldwide, 40% of food

7. Major Patterns of Food Production: Past 40 Years and Next 40 Years? • Substituting new genetic varieties • Rotating crops • Growing many different kinds of crops • Recycling animal wastes • Grain over animal production

8. The Green Revolution • Production of better strains of wheat and rice- grain production has kept up with population- Norman Borlaug, peace prize, 1970. • Temporarily closed the gap between food production and need in some countries • Heavy reliance on irrigation and fertilizers • Negative impact on small farmers and culturally specific crops

9. Subsistence Farming: More or Less? • Labor intensive • Technologically based • Use of marginal lands • Clearing of tropical rain forests • Environmental degradation

10. Animal Farming and Its Consequences • 70% of grain crops in U.S. go to feed animals. • Overgrazing- problem in developing countries • Mismanagement of animal manure- “factory farms”- this is a place where policy counts. • Most widespread source of water pollution • Source of 3% of greenhouse gases-farting & burping cows produce methane! • Sustainable on rural farms and with pastoral herding. For marginal lands, it is better to graze wisely than to farm.

12. Global Population and Grain and Meat Consumption Fig. 9-9 here

13. The massive yields are the result of irrigation- Egypt and Mexico don’t have better farmers than US!

14. Prospects for Increasing Food Production • Over last 30 years, food production has surpassed population growth • World food consumption to increase 50% by 2020 • Agricultural sustainability is highly dependent on soil and water conservation • Global climate changes- this could factor in, but the results are unknown.

15. 40% Increase in Food Production Needed over Next Two Decades • Eat lower on the food chain, less meat • Convert cash crops to food • Eat less • Increase crop yields • Double Green Revolution!- Green both in terms of increased yields and lowered environmental impact.

16. 40% Increase in Food Production Needed over Next Two Decades • Convert animal farms to grain farms • Develop alternative foods • Convert pet food to human food (or eat pet food, which is, I am told, quite edible) • The promise of biotechnology

17. New Patterns: Genetically Modified Food • The promise • The problems • Policies

18. Biotech Crops in the United States Fig. 9-10 here

19. The Promise: Transgenic Crops • Plant or animal with genes from another organism, introduced by genetic engineering. • Incorporation of desired traits into crop lines and animals • Cloning of domestic animals (HYPE!!)

20. The Objectives of Genomics (Genetic Engineering) • Disease resistance- Bt genes, virus resistance, pest resistance- Round-up genes in corn, etc. • Drought tolerance- • Improved nutritional value- Golden rice • Incorporate human vaccines-

21. The Problems with Genomics • Environmental concerns • consumer acceptance • Not affordable in all countries • Major player in the future of agriculture • Might keep food production in pace with population growth

22. Environmental Problems • Pest resistance to genetically engineered toxin (pesticides are massive experiments in selection) • Broad spectrum impact on nontarget species- kill off butterflies • “Super weeds” – breed with weed relatives- documented in some plants.

23. Food Safety • Proteins cause allergic responses (HYPE!) • Antibiotic resistance to human pathogens (HYPE- resistance flows quite nicely by natural means) • Plant produces new toxic substances (hype) • If you don’t like an idea, it is easy to generate catastrophic scenarios that are difficult to disprove. (“might” is hard to disprove)

24. Other Problems with Genomics • Access to new technologies • profit driven • affordability in developing countries • terminator technology: seed sterility- Monsanto backed off- these are for profit companies, remember. • Another policy area • Consumer acceptance

25. Food Distribution and Trade • Patterns in food trade • Food security

26. Patterns in Food Trade • Major changes in net importers and exporters of grain over the last six decades (Table 9-3) • North America is the world’s “bread basket” or “meat market” • Direct relationship between import levels and population growth

27. Patterns of Global Trade in Grain Table 9-3 here

28. Food Security (see Fig. 9-13) • “Assured access for every person to enough nutritious food to sustain an active and healthy life” • Family: personal and family food security • Country: self-sufficiency in food and nutrition • Global: sustainable food and nutrition for all countries

29. Hunger, Malnutrition, and Famine • Nutrition vs. hunger • Extent and consequences of hunger • Root cause of hunger • Famine • Food aid

30. Nutrition vs. Hunger • Hunger: lack of basic food for energy and meeting nutritional needs • Malnutrition: lack of essential nutrients (amino acids, vitamins, and minerals) • Undernourishment: lack of adequate food energy (Calories) • One-quarter of U.S. population is obese- the number of fat and mal/under nourished people in the world are about equal now!

31. On the Other Hand • 100 million children in southern Asia are underweight because of lack of food • 11 million children <5 years old die each year in developing countries – half due to hunger and malnutrition- the rest is bad water!

32. Root Cause of Hunger • The root cause of hunger is poverty (tautological!) • MUCH of poverty is the result of WAR • 20% of the people on Earth suffer from the effects of hunger and malnutrition • Children are most at risk • It is more likely that a pet cat will be fed than an undernourished child

33. Causes of Famine and Hunger Hotspots • Civil Wars • Drought (FEWS) • Government Incompetence

34. Food Aid “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for lifetime." --Old Chinese Saying

35. Food Aid Fig. 9-19 here

36. What you need to know from Chapter 9:Some facts- fraction of US that farmsFactors that increase crop yieldsBenefits and costs of raising animalsWhat’s the Green Revolution? Advantages and disadvantages?What are the benefits and disadvantages of subsistence farming?How has food production increased, as compared to population?What’s a “double green” revolution?Terms: transgenic, genetic engineering, Major types of transgenic cropsProblems with transgenic cropsChanges in food trade in the past 70 yearsTerms- malnutrition vs undernourishedWhy are people hungry, and don’t tell me it’s b/c they are poor!