Chapter 18: agriculture

Pesticide Resistance

*Infographic 18.2* "Pest population can develop resistance to almost any pesticide that we invent. When this happens, farmers must either use more of the original pesticide (which is even more toxic & spurs additional pesticide resistance), or find a different pesticide all together. As resistance to the next pesticide develops, the cycle repeats itself." page 318

Disadvantages of The Green Revolution

1. Affected the environment by causing more pollution and soil erosion. 2.The new chemicals (pesticides & fertilizers) contaminated the water and soil surrounding the crops. 3. The large irrigation caused a strain on water supply because of the massive amounts it required to maintain crops. (caused droughts and water shortages)

Green Revolution Technology

1. Chemical Pesticides 2. Sophisticated Irrigation Systems 3. Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizer 4. Modern Farming Equipment

Sustainable Farming Methods

1. Contour Farming 2. Reduced Tillage 3.Terrace Farming 4. Crop Rotation 5. Strip Cropping 6.Cover Crops

Advantages of The Green Revolution 2.0

Advantages 1. GMO crops may help feed the world 2. Creates a better organism with more desirable treats, can create better and greater crop yields.

Advantages of Organic Farming for The Farmer/Environment

Advantages: 1. fewer and less costly inputs 2. Soil is not degraded & may be enhanced if natural fertilizers & techniques such as cover crops & crop rotation are used. 3. Beneficial insects are not killed by broad-spectrum pesticides 4. More genetic diversity & species diversity makes it less likely that a pest outbreak or other problem will decimate the entire crop. 5. Less potential for water pollution (no chemicals)

Advantages of Organic Farming for The Consumer

Advantages: 1. no pesticides 2.foods may contain more antioxidants (the plants against disease) 3. better taste 4. Fresher (because it is not stored & shipped long distance) 5. Animal products contain no hormones & the animals may be treated more ethically. 6. Less risk of exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Strip Cropping

Alternating different crops in strips that are several rows wide keeps pest populations low; it is less likely the pest will travel beyond the edge of a strip & they may not find another row of this crop.

Transgenic Organism

An organism that contains genes from another species.

Advantages of The Green Revolution

As a result of the Green Revolution and the introduction of chemical fertilizers, synthetic herbicides and pesticides, high-yield crops, and the method of multiple cropping, the agricultural industry was able to produce much larger quantities of food. This increase in productivity made it possible to feed the growing human population

Biomimicry

Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies. The goal is to create products, processes, and policies—new ways of living—that are well-adapted to life on earth over the long haul.

Sustaibable Agriculture

Farming methods that do not deplete resources, such as soil and water, faster than they are replaced.

Disadvantages of The Green Revolution 2.0

Disadvantages 1. genes introduced into domestic crops could escape into the natural world and be incorporated into other plants for which they were not intended. (like weeds) 2. GMOs are patented and owned by a few multinational corporations, making it more expensive than traditional seed making it a bad option for developing countries. 3. "much of the hunger seen in the world today arises not from lack of food but from an inability of the disempowered to access it. Putting even more of our food supply under the control of a few multinationals could only make it worse." page 328

Disadvantages of Organic Farming for The Farmer/Environment

Disadvantages: 1. More labor intensive 2. Certification process takes time & is costly 3. Fewer subsidies available compared to those for industrially grown crops 4. Crops native to the area or suitable for the climate do best so may not be able to grow all crops in all areas.

Disadvantages of Organic Farming for The Consumer

Disadvantages: 1. Fruits & Veggies may have more blemishes on them 2. Shelf life is shorter (not waxed, not picked before ripe) 3. Usually more expensive 4. "Greenwashing"- Claims that are made about the healthiness of organic food that are misleading (organic cookies are probably not really any healthier than those made from conventional ingredients)

Cover Crops

During the off-season, rather than letting a field stand bare, a crop can be planted that will hold the soil in place. Nitrogen- fixing crops like alfalfa that improve the soil are often chosen.

Food as a Global Commodity

Everyone wants it and needs it??

Monoculture

Farming method in which one variety of one crop is planted, typically in rows over huge swaths of land, with large inputs of fertilizer, pesticides, and water.

Organic Agriculture

Farming that does not use synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, or other chemical additives.

Green Revolution 2.0

Focuses on the production of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to increase crop productivity or create new varieties of crops.

Feed Conversion Rates

How much edible food is produced per unit of feed input.

Integrated Farming

Integrated farming (also known as mixed farming) is a farming system with simultaneous activities involving crop and animal. The main purpose of integrated farming is so that the farming components support one another; hence, reducing external inputs. *THINK ABOUT THE DUCK STORY*

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)

Many meat or dairy animals are reared in confined spaces, maximizing the number of animals that can be grown in a small area.

Eutrophication

Nutrient enrichment of an aquatic ecosystem that stimulates excess plant growth and disrupts normal energy uptake and matter cycles.

Terrace Farming

On steep slopes, the land can be leveled into steps. This reduces soil erosion & allows a crop like rice to stay flooded when needed.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms that have had their genetic information modified to give them desirable characteristics such as pest or drought resistance.

Green Revolution

Plant-breeding program in the mid-1900s that dramati¬ cally increased crop yields and led the way for mechanized, large-scale agriculture.

Reduced Tillage

Planting crops into soil that is minimally tilled reduces soil erosion & water needs (it reduces water evaporation). It also requires less fuel because of less tractor use.

Crop Rotation

Planting different crops on a given plot of land every few years helps maintain soil fertility & reduces pest outbreaks since pest from the year before (or their offspring) will not find a suitable food when they emerge in the new season.

Food Miles

The distance a food travels from its site of production to the consumer.

Green Revolution 2.0 Technology

Transferring new genes for desirable characteristics from one species to another; Such as... 1. Pest Resistance 2.Drought Resistance 3. Increased Nutrient Production *THIS CREATES A TRANSGENIC ORGANISM*

Contour Farming

When farming on a slight slope, the crops are planted parallel to the slope of the land rather than perpendicular to it. *This reduces soil erosion during rain events*

Fertilizers

a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility.

High-Yield Varieties (HYVs)

are those plants that have been selectively bred to produce more than the natural varieties of the same species, usually because they grow faster or larger or are more resistant to crop diseases.

Pesticides

is any substance used to kill, repel, or control certain forms of plant or animal life that are considered to be pests. ** DO NOT READILY DEGRADE OVER TIME**