Chapter 17

What role does the consumer play in helping build a sustainable food system?

Consumers can support sustainable agriculture with their purchases. Buying locally grown, organic food is the best option for reducing the carbon footprint of that food. -About 90% of the carbon footprint for food grown using conventional industrial methods is from the production of the crop (fuel for the equipment, raw materials for pesticides and fertilizer production) not its transport.

Global warming

Monocrop agriculture and CAFOs contribute heavily to...

What is sustainable agriculture, and how does it differ from industrial agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture- farming methods that can be used indefinitely because they do not deplete resources, such as soil and water, faster than they are replaced. -They rely on renewable energy and local resources for inputs, and they depend on biodiversity to trap energy, deal with waste, and control pest population. -industrial agriculture relies on cheap fossil fuel energy and huge amounts of water. It also leads to a progressive degradation of the environment.

cover crop

a crop planted in the off-season to help prevent soil erosion and to return nutrients to the soil.

monoculture

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

Biochar

a form of charcoal that is produced when organic matter is partially burned and that can be used to improve soil quality.

Concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO)

a method in which large numbers of meat or dairy animals are reared at high densities in confined spaces and fed a calorie rich diet to maximize growth.

Strip cropping

alternating different crops in adjacent strips, several rows wide; helps keep pest populations low.

Perennial crops

crops that do not die at the end of the growing season but live for several years , which means they can be harvested annually without replanting.

Annual crops

crops that grow, produce seeds, and die in a single year and must be replanted each season

Cultural eutrophication

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

seed banks

places seeds are stored in order to protect the genetic diversity of the worlds crops.

Carbon footprint

the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere by a person, company, nation or an activity

What are some examples of methods employed by those pursing sustainable agriculture, and how do these methods decrease the impact of farming?

- Modeling a farm after an ecosystem (agroecology) to include a variety of plants and animals can boost productivity and protect or even enhance the local environment. -An example: rice seedlings are planted in flooded rice paddies, ducklings are introduced to eat weeds and provide "fertilizer", fish are introduced to eat weeds and provide "fertilizer", Azolla is introduced to add nitrogen; ducklings and fish keep the azolla from growing too much. -This increases the production with lesser dependence on expensive inputs and using methods that enhance rather than diminish environmental quality can help communities become more self -sufficent and help them achieve food security. -Use cultural, mechanical and biological control to deal with pest problem and they resort to using chemicals only if these methods don't adequately deer the pests.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of sustainable farming? Can it feed the world?

-Advantage for the consumer: food is fresher, tastier, and healthier and gains satisfaction in making a more ethical choice. Disadvantage: sustainably grown crops may be more expensive, greenwashing can mislead consumers, shelf life is shorter -Advantage for the farmer and the environment: using fewer inputs of water and fossil fuels and saves money and causes less environmental damage, soil is not degraded and may be enhanced, less use of toxic chemicals benefits the environment, more genetic diversity. Disadvantage: may be more labor intensive, crops grown sustainably may not be as productive per acre as industrially farmed crops, fewer govt subsides are available, the certification process for getting crops to be labeled as organic takes time is costly to farmers -Advantage for society: many sustainable methods are less expensive so are suitable for developing nations, methods are available that minimize water need, useful in arid areas, local production of food can increase food security Disadvantage: research is needed to identify best methods and crops for a given area, farmers need training to implement these systems.

What environmental problems result from the use of industrial agriculture methods such as the application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides?

-Industrial agriculture is very productive but relies on large amounts of fossil fuels and water, degrades the soil and local environment (reducing future productivity) and is criticized for treating animals unethically. -Conventionally grown food had 4 times more pesticide residue than organic food. -Run-off is a result of the application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. also cultural eutrophication and a dependence on fertilizer. -fertilizer use can increase productivity but can degrade soil and contaminate nearby bodies of water. -the use of irrigation can result in soil salinization; as water evaporates from the soil, salts are left behind and eventually become so concentrated that they impede crop growth. -the colossal machines used to plow endless fields of corn and soybean have compacted the soil making it harder for plants to take root and grow. -erosion of genetic diversity (loss of genetic raw material that allows crops to respond to changes such as the arrival of a new fungal pest or a drier climate.

contour farming

farming on hilly land in rows that are planted along the slope, following the lay of the land, rather than oriented downhill.

organic agriculture

farming that does not use synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, GMOs, or other chemical additives like hormones (for animal rearing)

reduced tillage cultivation

planting crops in soil that is minimally disturbed and that retains some plant residue from the previous planting.

crop rotation

planting different crops on a given plot of land every few years to maintain soil fertility and reduce pest outbreaks

Pesticide resistance

the ability of a pest to withstand exposure to a given pesticide; the result of natural selection favoring the survivors of an original pop that was exposed to the pesticide.

food miles

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

terracing

the process of leveling land into steps on steep slopes; reduces soil erosion and runoff down the hillside

Integrated pest management

the use of a variety of methods to control a pest pop. with the goal of minimizing or eliminating the use of chemical toxins. -This falls into four categories: cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical control.