1. Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Some Thoughts about Sustainability
“The spiritual danger of not owning a farm is supposing that
breakfast comes from the grocery” Aldo Leopold
“How can the growing Human Population produce and
distribute enough food to meet everyone’s basic nutritional
needs without degrading the soil, air, water and biodiversity
that support all food production?” G. Tyler Miller
“Global Food Production consumes more resources and causes
more pollution and environmental damage than any other
human activity.” G. Tyler Miller
Farmers have one foot in the unpredictable natural world and
one foot in the business world.” The Philadelphia Inquirer

2. II. General Background Information
What is the Green Revolution?
A huge _________ in world food production from 1950 to 2000!
Food output has _______________ due to modern industrialized
agriculture!
How important is agriculture and food production?
_____________________ is the # 1 business in Pa. And the U.S.!
______% of all U.S. jobs are employed in food production,
processing and distribution!
______% of U.S. GNP!
Less than ___% of the U.S. population actually work on the farm
and are involved in food production!

3. What plants and animals feed the world?
Estimate: There are 30,000 different, edible plant species in
the world.
Reality: ___ plant species and ____ animal species produce 90% of our food.
2/3 of all grain production come from 3 plant species-
______________, ______________ and ______________.

4. Most of the world’s meat production comes from 3 different animal species.
_____________, _______________ and _______________.

5. III. The Environmental Side Effects of Agriculture
1. The negative side-effects from the use of pesticides.
2. Soil erosion, soil degradation and desertification.
3. Water pollution from soil erosion, fertilizers, manure and pesticides.
4. Loss of Biodiversity. Ex: Clearing forests and filling wetlands

6. What are the characteristics of Modern Industrialized
Agriculture? (A.K.A. High-input Agriculture or monoculture)
Huge farms that raise ________crops or _______ types of livestock!
Ex: Corn in the Midwest
Ex: Chicken Farms in Delaware
Requires vast amounts of _____________ (fossil fuels)!
17% of U.S. Energy Consumption!
10 units of energy are used to put 1 energy
unit of food on the table!
Requires large amounts of _______ for irrigation!
Ex: Farms in the deserts of Southern California
Ex: Wheat fields in West Kansas
Requires large amounts of synthetic, commercial
________________!

7. Requires large amounts of synthetic, commercial _____________.
Livestock production occurs in huge ____________ ____________!
Ex: Hogs in North Carolina
Consumes ½ of world grain
production!
Most of the manure is not
returned to the soil and becomes
a pollution problem!

8. “Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People!” The Rodale Institute
What are the characteristics of Low-input or Organic Agriculture?
Agrodiversity or Polyculture
Ex: Many __________ crops and livestock are raised on one farm!
Natural Methods of fertilization are used!
Ex: Crop ______________, Livestock __________________ and
Green Manure like clover!
Minimizes the need for ___________________. Maximizing organics in the soil improves water retention and minimizes irrigation.
Year round plant cover reduces soil ____________________.
Use natural methods of ________________ Control!
Organic Farmers base their success on the condition of their
soil, their most important resource.
“Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People!”
The Rodale Institute

9. What is organically grown food? (FDA Approved)
Food grown without the use of synthetic_______________, synthetic
____________________________, anti-biotics or growth hormones!
Also, no biosolids/sludge, no irradiation, no genetic modification.
U.S. Sales of organically grown food:
1980- $78 Million
$4 Billion (less than 1% of U.S. farms)
Projection of $14 Billion
Consumer Choices are Powerful!
Ex: Tomato production in Mexico versus Organically
grown tomatoes.

10. What is the best way to control pests?
What is a pest? Activity: What are your top 5 pests?
A pest is any species that causes annoyance or ___________ that
affects our lives.
What is Integrated Pest Management?
A step-wise approach to pest management that emphasizes
prevention, physical and biological control and minimizes
the use of synthetic ____________________.
What are the 6 steps to IPM?
1. Identify the cause of the problem.
2. Learning about pest biology.
3. Scout and sample the pest population.
4. Determine when intervention is necessary.

11. 5. Choose the best combination of tactics to use.
6. Evaluate your results. Is it working?
What is the IPM Pyramid of Tactics?

12. Level One: Cultural Methods
Level Two: Physical Methods

13. Level Three: Biological Methods
Natural Predators or Parasites
Genetic Methods
Level Four: Conventional Chemical Methods

14. Can we increase world food production?
Preserving Biodiversity is the key!
We need to preserve _________ species to insure that we have the
potential to unlock new ________________ sources in the future.
Ex: Wild species of corn/Central America/Virus Resistance
Ex: World Seed Banks
Ex: Bees and natural pollinators
Will people try new foods?
Ex: 30,000 known edible _______________ species
Organic Ag and Community Supported Ag promote
crop diversity.
Ex: Micro-livestock/insects
Can we increase land cultivation?
33% of the world’s land is now farmed. What land is
left is largely ____________________.
Could we grow more food in abandoned ______________?
Ex: Community Supported Farms in Phila.

15. Can we get more food from the world’s oceans?
Most of the world’s major fisheries are in ____________ due to
over ______________________ from industrial fishing.
Solution: Marine sanctuaries for species recovery.
Ex: New Zealand
What about aquaculture or fish farming?
Good news: Over _____% of the world’s fish production comes
from aquaculture.
Bad news: Current production methods are producing large
amounts of water ___________ and hurting natural ecosystems.
So, what can you and I do to help? Be a smart _____________ !

16. Is genetically engineering and genetically modified food
the answer?
What is genetically modified food (GMO’s)?
Plant or animal species that have been ____________ engineered
to increase _________________ production.
Pros associated with the use of GMO’s
Ex: Tomatoes that are ___________ resistant
Ex: Plants that are resistant to pests/need __________ pesticides ex: (Bt corn)
Ex: Round up resistant crops that reduce soil erosion.
Ex: Salmon that grow _______________
Ex: _______________ resistant crops
Ex: Plants with _______________ nutritional value
Cons concerning the use of GMO’s
Ex: Pests could develop immunity to GMO resistance
Ex: Possible spread of ___________ to wildlife/Monarch Butterfly
Ex: Genetic resistance spreading and creating super __________.
Ex: Allergic _________________ to GMO’s

17. Final Notes
National Academy of Science Study: GMO’s are well tested by the
EPA, FDA and the USDA. However:
a) Coordination between each agency needs to improve.
b) Monitoring of the environment to ensure that GMO’s do not
damage natural ecosystems needs to improve.
2. A quandary for farmers! What should I plant?
3. U.N. Resolution that was heavily influenced by the LDC’s:
“We want GMO’s to help to feed our growing population!”

18. Countries Producing GM Crops
In the Year 2000

19. The Cartenega Protocol
Lack of scientific evidence due to insufficient data shall not prevent
a country from making a decision on the use of GMO’s.
This is an international application of the Precautionary Principle
that states that scientific uncertainty should not prevent action when
the environment is threatened.

20. Major Issues of GM Crops
Innocent creatures will be hurt by insecticides built into many GM crops
Example: Monarch Butterflies
Health risks
Example: Food allergies
“Super weeds” will arise as genes that give crops the ability to kill insect pests or
withstand herbicides find their way into weeds
GM crops will suddenly fail because insect pests will evolve tolerance to built-in
insecticides and because weeds will evolve immunity to herbicides sprayed over
fields of herbicide tolerant GM plants
Developing countries who really need the food are not receiving it because
biotechnology costs too much money