Farming

Jared Diamond's view of agriculture

"the worst mistake in human history" because it led to "gross social and sexual inequality, the disease and despotism, that curse our existence" evidence: 1. today's diet consists mostly in a few starchy crops while hunter-gatherers had a varied diet 2. studies have shown that modern Greek and Turks have a lower average height than those of their hunter gatherer ancestors, showing an increase in degenerative conditions of the spine 3. early farmers in the Illinois and Ohio river valley had around 50% rise in tooth enamel defects signaling malnutrition

what are the malnutrition trends?

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what effects has the government had on farming? what are the consequences in your opinion?

1. The AAA (signed by President Rooseveldt in 1933 to control production of crops in order to raise prices and stabilize American farms, increased farm income and decreased food supplies, production levels, and exports) 2. The Farm Bill (composed of many bills, 1970, lowered price of goods, set rules for farms, offered financial support - subsidies - for farms, goods american goods outlawed foreign goods) 3. Monsanto Protection Act (protects GMO companies, 2013, no need to recall infected products, GMOs can't be sent to a court of law, covers production sales of GMOs in the USA, caused production of high toxic products, harmed health of the rest of the world, poisoned oceans with herbicides) 4. NAFTA (North American Free Trate Agreement, countries agreed to remove or lower trade barriers such as taxes on imports, more trade for American farmers, more income, more food production, caused foreign farmers to lose their jobs) 5. Consequences: could include boost to economy, more agricultural output, obesity, health and nutrition issues, negative effect on small farmers

what are some negative consequences of the way we produce food today?

1. as more of us move into cities, more of us are eating meat. however, 1/3 of the annual grain crop globally now gets fed to animals rather than to humans. 2. 19 million hectares of rainforest are lost every year to create new arable land 3. we are reliant on transnational corporations to feed us. 80% of the global trade in food now is controlled by only 5 multinational corporations 4. 1/2 of the food produced in the USA is thrown away 5. a billion people are obese while a billion are starving

causes of malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa

1. high birth rate and falling death rate mean there are more people to be fed 2. few farmers have the money to buy high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, pesticides or machinery, or to implement irrigation schemes 3. when food is scarce, neither governments nor people can afford to buy high-priced surplus from overseas 4. during colonial times, European companies established commercial crops for their own profit instead of encouraging subsistence crops for local use, some governments still give tax concessions to overseas transnationals allowing them to continue to grow these crops 5. overused soil with few remaining nutrients. in places, soil erosion has led to desertification 6. many areas receive small and unreliable amounts of rainfall 7. pests and diseases destroy crops and stored grain 8. often there is not enough protein in the diet 9. in many countries there is political instability

describe the seven modern farming issues

1. monoculture: depletes the soil from its nutrients and causes a negative vicious cycle 2. pesticides: harm non-harmful wildlife such as bees 3. fertilizers: nitrate is washed through the soil into rivers causing a rapid growth of algae and other plants which use up fish's oxygen and into underground domestic water supplies where it harms human health 4. phosphates: released from animal manure and untreated human sewage, polluting water supplies 5. organic farming: self-sustaining, produces lower yields, more weeds, farmers have to wait years before they can market their goods as 'organic', more expensive for shopper to buy because of the extra work it requires, favors natural fertilizers, less likely to harm the environment as there are no nitrates to run off into rivers and no pesticides to harm wildlife 6. free-range farming: farming in which animals are kept in natural conditions, with freedom of movement 7. GM crops: there is a risk that genes engineered in plants and animals will be transferred to species in the wild, irreversibly altering the world's ecosystems

five factors that Jared Diamond credits to the emergence and growth of agriculture

1. the decline in the availability of wild foods 2. increased availability of domesticable wild plants 3. the cumulative development of technologies on which food producting would eventually depend 4. the two-way link between the rise in human population density and the rise in food production 5. geographic boundaries between hunter-gatherers and food producers

pros and cons of agriculture

PROS 1. health: more food 2. society: improved education and infrastructure in LEDCs, food diversities, created more jobs 3. environment: land saved because of increased food production, technologies that save environment such as new farming techniques CONS 1. health: malnutrition/obesity 2. society: poor farmers get poorer because they can't afford new technologies, low wages for workers 3. environment: drainage of nutrients, desertification, deforestation, soil erosion, fertilizers and pesticides damage wildlife

definition of intensive farming

a kind of agriculture where a lot of capital and labour are used to increase the yield that can be obtained per area

Green Revolution: what is it, when and where it happened, 3 pros and 3 cons, and HYVs

a large increase in crop production in developing countries achieved by the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s in Asia, refers to the application of modern and western-type farming techniques to LEDCs • 3 pros: increased food supply, lowered food prices, and saved huge areas of forest and wetlands and hillsides from being converted into cropland • 3 cons: small farmers and landless workers lost out, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides were often used excessively and polluted waterways and killed wildlife, and many traditional plant varieties were lost • HYVs (high yielding varieties) increased food production, led to fall in food prices, allowed production of some commercial crops BUT need large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides, are more susceptible to attacks by pests and diseases, and need a more reliable and controlled supply of water

definition of fertilizer

a mineral compound containing one or more of the six main nutrients needed for successful plant growth

how has demand cash crops in developed countries, like carnations and palm oil, affected LEDCs? give at least one pro and one con

affected LEDCs because MEDCs exported it to other countries and the people in the LEDCs preferred it because it tasted better and it was cheaper than local crops, bringing economical problems because farmers from LEDCs are forced to sell their crops expensive in order to gain money, if not they loose money. con: LEDC farmers become bankrupt, not many people buy their crops, lots of labor in cultivating their crops and not many outputs are seen, loose money. pro: benefits MEDCs, people have to pay less for food

definition of pesticides

all chemicals applied to crops to control pest, diseases and weeds

definition of extensive farming

an agricultural production system that uses small inputs of labour, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed

definition of farming

an industry, a system with inputs into the farm, processes which take place on the farm, and outputs from the farm

definition of pastoral farms (cattle and hill sheep)

cattle: cool summers, mild winters, plenty of rain, low-lying and flat land, good transport, easily reachable urban markets hill sheep: high and steep land, poor soils, low temperatures, heavy rainfall, poorly developed transport systems, not easily reachable urban markets

marasmus and its characteristics

chronic deprivation or impaired absorption of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals, severe weight loss and wasting of both muscles and adipose tissue, initial treatment may consist of IV or oral glucose followed by liquids, multivitamins, and mineral supplements may be indicated

definition of shifting cultivation, where it takes place and with what crops, its disadvantages and its advantages

definition: a type of farming where people move every few years as the soil becomes exhausted, it takes place in tropical forests (the Amazon was used as a case study), mostly with yams, peppers, and manioc, it's disadvantage is that they have to be moving and looking for new land and it's advantages are that it's sustainable and that the abandoned land grows again because the soil gets its nutrients back

definition of cash crops, its disadvantages and its advantages (use case studies as examples)

definition: change from subsistence farming to farming focused on exportation profits disadvantages: require hard work that is poorly paid, no local improvements, water loss, and food shortages (less land is available to provide food for the country's own people - Kenya) advantages: are that free accommodation, education, and medical care are offered, also that they receive foreign currency, provides jobs (Malaysia)

definition of GMOs, two pros and two cons

definition: genetically-modified crops, involves taking genes from one species and inserting them into another to give it new qualities such as improved resistance to pests, heat or cold two pros: product may last longer without refrigeration, seed may be more resistant to pests, can help inccrease crop yields two cons: risk that genes engineered in plants and animals will be transferred to species in the wild altering the world's ecosystems, may be toxic to humands or may instigate allergic reactions, may lead to antibiotic resistance, may create super weeds,

definition of plantation agriculture, where it takes place and with what crops, its disadvantages and its advantages

definition: type of tropical farming where one crop is grown usually for export by a transnational corporation on a large and efficiently run estate, it takes place in Malaysia, mostly with rubber and oil palm, it's disadvantage is that they are forced to live below the poverty line and it's advantages are that it is close to transportation, provides a source of income, and helps with infrastructure

definition of subsidies

financial support offered by the government designed to provide assistance to domestic farmers and farming corporations

definition of mixed farming

found in a transition zone between the crop-growing areas in the east and the animal-rearing areas in the west

definition of arable farms

found in the east, sunny and warm summers, less rain, low-lying and flatter land, deep and fertile soils, good transport systems, easily reachable urban markets

definition of commercial farming

growing of crops or the rearing of animals for sale at a profit, income earned from outputs must exceed the money spent on inputs

definition of malnutrition

ill-health caused by a diet deficiency, either in amount (quantity) or balance (quality)

kwashiorkor and its characteristics

inadequate protein intake, may appear well-nourished or even over-nourished because of edema (swelling), treatment is mainly to correct protein deficiency by giving 2.5-3.0 gm/kg/day

what is monoculture? how is it a cycle? what are two negative environmental consequences?

monoculture is the practice of farming one crop on a piece of land over a long period of time. it is a cycle because as the soil starts to loose it's nutrients, fertilizer is used to enrich the soil, but with monoculture, crops are vulnerable to disease, so pesticides have to be used to fight disease, which demeans the quality of the soil, and because of this, fertilizer is used once again. negative consequences: runoff from the fertilizers is deposited into oceans from lakes and streams feeding algae which takes up the oxygen and ends up suffocating the fish and killing them, nitrogen in the fertilizer that combines with oxygen to create nitrous oxide which contributes to the acceleration of climate change, and soil degradation

what effects has the global market had on subsistence farming?

population growth leads to a growing global market, which results in growing demands for supermarkets in MEDCs and in the introduction of new forms of technology that might not be appropriate

how does food shape cities according to Carolyn Steel?

she says that agriculture and cities need each other, that once food is established in a city it is rarely moved, that food is part of the landscape, and that as transportation improved crops and animals could be grown and raised farther from the cities making it possible for cities to grow

what have been changes in attitude to food according to Carolyn Steel?

she says that before you had to get food through very difficult physical means, that there is no longer a relationship with nature, that food used to be center and social core of the city but now it is anonymous, that we don't value our food (1/2 of the food produced in the USA is thrown away), and that we are not managing to feed the planet properly (a billion people are obese and a billion starve)

definition of nomadic

someone who travels from place to place, doesn't stay long in one place, a wanderer

definition of sedentary

staying in one location for a long period of time, not migratory

definition of subsistence farming

traditional type of agriculture in many LEDCs and isolated regions that lie within the tropics, few inputs, simple processes, low outputs, only sufficient to satisfy immediate needs of a family or local community

what does DES stand for? is the US above or below world average? Costa Rica? Bangladesh?

• Dietary Energy Supply, it is the number of calories per capita available each day in a country, however, like GDP, it does not take into account differences between individuals or between areas within a country • US is above • Costa Rica is above • Bangladesh is below

one advantage and one disadvantage for a farmer who uses nitrate fertilizers, negative effects to the environment because of nitrate fertilizers, and positive effects for a consumer

• advantage to farmer: higher-yield varities • disadvantage to farmer: expensive to use • negative environmental consequence: washes into oceans, causing rapid growth in algae that take up fish's oxygen, suffocating fish to death • positive effect for consumer: since it produces higher-yield varities, can be bought a cheaper price

three advantages and three failures of the Green Revolution to local farmers

• advantages: allows production of commercial crops, faster-growing varieties allow an extra crop to be grown each year, yields are more reliable as many new varieties are more disease-resistant • failures: HYVs need large amounts of fertilizer and pesticides which increase costs, encourage grwoth of weeds and can harm water supplies, need a more reliable and controlled supply of water, many poor farmers can't afford to buy seed, fertilizer, and tractors and become much poorer

was the green revolution a success? (use two pieces of evidence to support your point and one counter-argument)

• no • supporting evidence: caused malnutrition and other diseases, "Since the Green Revolution, refined carbohydrates and fats have replaced beans and other more nutritious sources of energy and protein, especially in urban areas." (Emile Frison) • supporting evidence: pesticides and herbicides sprayed damaged the farmers health, "A recent Punjabi University study found a high rate if genetic damage among farmers, which was attributed to pesticide use." (Daniel Pepper) • counter-argument: did increase food production, lowered food prices, increased the economy of the poor, and created more jobs BUT all these successes don't compare to the biggest problem seen, which is a long-term effect that who knows if it will be solved.