Chapter 19 Food Resources: A Challenge for Agriculture

Organic Food Production Act  Defines organic food as those crops grown in soil that has been free of commercial inorganic fertilizers & pesticides for at least 3 years.

Food Composed of:  Carbohydrates- sugars & starches  What do we use them for?  Proteins- large complex molecules composed of amino acids  What do we use them for?  1.  2.  __ different amino acids, the body makes __, __ come from food

Food Composed of:  Lipids- includes fats & oils  What do we use them for?  Energy production -  Minerals- inorganic elements such as zinc & iron  What do we need them for?

Food Composed of:  Vitamins- complex molecules required in small amounts  What do we need them for  Water

Food Insecurity 2 regions in world w/ greatest food insecurity = Low income = food deficits countries Problem is not producing enough food but distribution & intermittent problems such as famine 1.Undernourished- 2.Mal-nourished- 3.Overnourished- 4. Famine-

2 Diseases of Malnutrition: 1.Marasmus- 2.Kwashiorkor-

Problems with Over nutrition  1.

World Grain Carryover Stocks  Amount of grains remaining from previous harvests at the start of a new harvest (i.e. what’s already socked away)  Food Security-  Minimum recommended stockpile = __days

2 Reasons Grain Stockpiles are Falling 1.2. Animal products account for __% of calories consumed by people in developed countriesAnimal products account for __% of calories consumed by people in developed countries  _% in developing countries

Economic Effects  What is the main cause for malnutrition & under nutrition  Economy effects food due to _______________________________  Cultural acceptance- what’s food to one is not food to another (e.g. pork for Jews & beef for Hindu’s)  ____ plants provide ~ 90% of food consumed  ____ of all cereal grains grown in highly developed countries are used to feed livestock

Types of diets  Omnivores  Vegetarians  Lactoovo vegetarians (milk, eggs & foods from milk, eggs are ok)  Lacto-vegetarians (milk & milk products are ok)  Vegans- no milk, eggs or their products)

Types of Agriculture 1. High-input agriculture  - 2. Subsistence agriculture

Types of Agriculture 3. Shifting agriculture (slash & burn) 4. Nomadic herding 5. Polyculture-

Vocabulary  Domestication-  Problem?  Germplasm-

Green Revolution  Production of more food per acre of cropland using modern cultivation methods & new high-yielding varieties  Problems w/ it include  1.  2.  3.  4.

Eating Vegetarian  If every American ate vegetarian for one day, we would save:  100 billion gallons of water  1.5 billion pounds of grain  70 million gallons of gas  33 tons of antibiotics  1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide  4.5 million tons of animal feces  Like taking 500,000 cars off the road.

Food Processing 1.Manual alteration via drying, canning, freezing, irradiation, curing & refrigeration 2.Food additives to enhance taste & color or texture, improve nutrition, reduce spoilage &/or extend self life

Food Additives  Sugar & salt are the 2 most common food additives  Common preservatives- sodium propionate & potassium sorbate  Other food additives- anti oxidants, nitrates/nitrites  Food & Drug Administration- responsible for monitoring food additives

Environmental Impacts of Agriculture  Agricultural practices are single largest cause of surface water pollution in the U.S.  Heavy use of energy  Pest-resistance to pesticides

Degradation  Degradation- natural or human induced process that decreases the ability of the land to support crops or livestock  Solution: Sustainable agriculture (alternative or low-input agriculture)  1.  2.  3.  4.  5.

Genetic Engineering  Ability to take a specific gene from a cell of one kind of organism & place it in the cell of an unrelated organism  GMO- genetically-modified organisms  Concerns:  1.  2.

Fish/Aqua Culture  Fish/Seafood popular cause they are a source of high-quality protein (~5% of human diet from seafood)  4 main categories  1.  2.  3.  4.

Problems with Fisheries 1.Increase pressure from growing human population & increase of seafood diets 2.Sophisticated fishing equipment leads to over fishing (ex. long-lines, purse- seine nets, trawl bag, drift nets) 3.“By catch” often dies & is simply dumped back

Ocean Enclosure  National boundaries in ocean (200 miles off shore) over which the nation controls the fishing  Open management- unrestricted access to fishing grounds

Fishery Conservation Acts  Magnuson Fishery Conservation Act  Regulates U.S. fishing  Establishes 8 regional fishery management councils  Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act  Requires regional councils & National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to provide “essential fish habitat” for more than 600 species, reduce over fishing, minimum by catch & rebuilt populations

Means for regulating fisheries  Quotas  Restrictions on certain types of fishing gear  Limits on # of fishing boats  Closure of fisheries during spawning periods  60-80% of all “important” fish live at least part of their lives in coastal areas

Aquaculture  Aquaculture- rearing aquatic organism  Mariculture- cultivation of marine organisms (alternative name for aquaculture)  Expensive  Lots of pollution  Potential for release of invasive/exotic species