Food Resources and Pesticides Miller Chapter 13 and 20

I Type of Food Production Industrialized Agriculture or High-Input Agriculture Uses fossil fuels, water, commercial fertilizers, and pesticides to produce monocultures Uses 25% of cropland Used in developed nations, except for Plantation Agriculture used in developing countries where crops (bananas, coffee etc) are grown for export B. Traditional Agriculture Only enough crops produced for single family survival Uses human labor and draft animals

Inputs into Agriculture Systems

Pattern of Food Production Methods

II. Green Revolution The increase in crop yield that has occurred since 1960 by Developing monocultures Using excess water, pesticides, and fertilizer Increasing frequency of cropping Selectively bred or genetically- engineered crops (Genetically Modified Organisms) B. Spread of new varieties around the world

III. Pesticides Chemicals produced to kill organisms we consider ‘pests’ or undesirable Types of Pesticides: Insecticides  insects Herbicides  weeds Fungicides  Fungus Nematocides Nematodes/Roundworms Rodenticides  Rats & Mice

C. Why use pesticides - Save human lives to kill biological vectors that transmit diseases - Increase food supplies - Lower food costs - Increase yield and profit for farmers -Work at a fast rate, have long shelf life, and control (most) pests

D. Issues with Pesticides - Genetic Resistance: insects will develop a resistant to a chemical and develop immunity Examples of natural selection - Pesticides can potentially harm other organisms in the ecosystem - Run-off into a water source - End up in food sources - Can be toxic to humans and other animals to cause genetic mutations, birth defects, nervous system disorders Example: chlorinated hydrocarbons banned in US CASE STUDY: RACHEL CARSON PUBLISHING SILENT SPRING IN 162 An allusion to the silencing of birds because of their exposure to DDT

E. Laws Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Control Act (FIFRA) of 1910 - Regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and use. Must be registered by the EPA to show that using the pesticide according to specifications ‘will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment’ 2. Federal Environmental Pesticides Control Act of 1972 - Amendment to FIFRA providing for classifying pesticides for general vs. restricted use 3. Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 - Emphasized the protection of infants and children in reference to pesticide residue -

IV. Land Use Rangeland- Land used for grazing and browsing animals - 29% of the total US land area is rangeland B. Issues: 1. Overgrazing - lowers the net primary productivity of vegetation - reduces grass cover exposing soil to erosion - compacts the soil lowering ability to hold water - enhances invasion of exposed land to woody shrubs - major cause of desertification 2. Livestock - Produce ~15% of methane emissions - Uses large amounts of water - Produce 21times more waste than humans - Waste can run-off into surface water -Consume grain (70% of grain produced in the US)

C. Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 Regulated livestock grazing on public land by reducing herd size (aka carrying capacity) to prevent overgrazing issues and soil deterioration

VI. Overfishing Fish are a renewable resource as long as the annual yield leaves enough fish to replace the loss= Sustainable Yield Commercial Extinctions- not enough fish to make it profitable 70% of the world’s fish stocks are exploited or over-fished D. Decline is also due to loss of habitats such as estuaries that serve as hatching ground

1. United Nations Treaty on the Law of the Sea of 1982 E. Laws 1. United Nations Treaty on the Law of the Sea of 1982 -Established guidelines for businesses, the environment, and management of marine natural resources 2. Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 - Fishery management and conservation in the US - Created 8 regional fishery management councils to focus on rebuilding overfished stocks, protecting essential habitat, and reducing Bycatch= anything caught in nets that one was not fishing for

VII Sustainable Agriculture A. Ways to continue to feed the world’s population without continuing to deplete the world’s resources 1. Low-input farming- farming without using a lot of energy, pesticides, fertilizer, and water 2. Organic farming- growing plants without any synthetic pesticides or inorganic fertilizer 3. Managing topography – contour plowing, strip farming, terracing, planting ground cover, reduce till 4. Integrated Pest Management- each crop and its pests are evaluated as part of the ecological system. Point is to not eradicate pests but reduce crop damage and environmental damage

4 Aquaculture- ‘fish farming’ or raising fish, shellfish, crustaceans, or seaweed in artificial environments i. Helpful in that populations of fish are not overfished ii. Provide a dependable supply of seafood- 23% worldwide