1. 3.5 Food Resources

2. Food Issues MEDC / LEDC

3. Food Production and Distribution

4. Imbalance in food distribution
Over 1 billion people are living in poverty and starving in LEDC countries
MEDC Average Caloric Intake = 3314
LEDC Average Caloric Intake = 2666
Causes:
Unequal distribution
Lack of access to clean water
Poor harvesting / farming practices (overgrazing/ overfishing)

5. Undernourishment worldwide

6. Food Waste FLIPCAST— Introduction to systems thinking
3.5.3 Compare and contrast the inputs and outputs of materials and energy (energy efficiency), the system characteristics, and evaluate the relative environmental impacts for two named food production systems.
The systems selected should be both terrestrial or both aquatic. In addition, the inputs and outputs of the two systems should differ qualitatively and quantitatively (not all systems will be different in all aspects). The pair of examples could be North American cereal farming and subsistence farming in some parts of South-East Asia, intensive beef production in the developed world and the Maasai tribal use of livestock, or commercial salmon farming in Norway/Scotland and rice-fish farming in Thailand. Other local or global examples are equally valid.
Factors to be considered should include:
• Inputs—for example, fertilizers (artificial and natural), irrigation water, pesticides, fossil fuels, food distribution, human labour, seed, breeding stock
• System characteristics—for example, selective breeding, genetically engineered organisms, monoculture versus polyculture, sustainability
• Socio-cultural—for example, for the Maasai, cattle equals wealth and quantity is more important than quality
• Environmental impact—for example, pollution, habitat loss, reduction in biodiversity, soil erosion
• Outputs—for example, food quality and quantity, pollutants, soil erosion.
FLIPCAST— Introduction to systems thinking
CASE STUDY— Biosphere II
CASE STUDY— Biosphere II

7. Terrestrial vs. Aquatic Food Production Systems

8. Aquatic Food Production
Food is harvested from high tropic levels due to human preference (ex. salmon).
Photosynthesis is less efficient by producers due to light reflection of water

9. Terrestrial Food Production
Most food harvested from low tropic levels (producers / herbivores)
Energy conversions less efficient on land

10. Food Production affects the Environment
Biodiversity
Soil
Water
Air
Human Health

11. Increasing food production output
GMO- Genetically Modified Organisms
Change genetic make up of living things to make them look, feel, and taste different
Pesticides- chemicals used to kill pest organisms
Herbicides- chemicals used to kill weeds
Fertilizers- chemicals used to grow larger crops
Irrigation- canals used to bring in more water
Antibiotics/ Growth Hormones- used to grow healthier and larger animals

12. Biodiversity Loss
Loss of grasslands forests and wetland for cultivation
Loss of genetic diversity (wild crops replaced with monocrops)

13. Soil Erosion Loss of fertility Salinization Desertification
Increase soil pH

14. Water
Waste water produced
Aquifer depletion from increased irrigation

15. Air
Large fossil fuel use in farming equipment causes release of greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, and CH4)
Pesticide sprays

16. Human Health Nitrates in Drinking water Pesticides
Blue baby
Pesticides
Bacterial contamination of meat (E. coli)

17. North American Cereal Farming vs. Asian Subsistence Farming

18. Comparison Pair #1 North American Cereal Farming
Asian Subsistence Farming
Inputs: Fertilizers, pesticides, fossil fuels, labor, sunlight, water equipment
Characteristics: Heavy use of fossil fuels, lots of farming technology, monocrops (only one crop)
Socio- Cultural: Fast production, large amounts, lots of waste
Environmental impact: loss biodiversity
Outputs: Air pollution , water pollution, wheat/corn, lots of income ($$)
Inputs: lots of human labor, water, sunlight
Characteristics: grow only enough to eat to feed family & community, low tech
Socio- Cultural: mostly LEDC, poor
Environmental impact: maintains biodiversity, reduces pollution
Outputs: Usually mixed crops; corn, beans and squash (all in same field)

19. Intensive Beef Production vs. Maasia Tribal Livestock

20. Comparison Pair # 2 MEDC- Intensive Beef Production
LEDC- Maasai Tribal Livestock
Inputs: Hormones, antibiotics, labor, cattle feed (corn), breeding stock of cattle
Characteristics: Many cattle in crowded area
Socio- Cultural: Fast production, large quantities, lots of waste/death
Environmental impact: disease, waste
Outputs: Air pollution, water pollution, beef, lots of income ($$)
Inputs: Labor, Cattle feed/ grazing grass
Characteristics: large herds of cattle, used as only food source “Nomadic Herding”
Socio- Cultural: Cattle are THE source of life (even used as currency)
Environmental impact: overgrazing, nomadic behavior
Outputs: meat, milk, blood

21. Salmon Farming in Norway vs. Rice-Fish Farming in Thailand

22. Comparison Pair # 3 Inputs: antibiotics, fish food, cages, labor
Salmon Farming in Norway
Rice-Fish Farming Thailand
Inputs: antibiotics, fish food, cages, labor
Characteristics: fish raised in large quantity
Socio- Cultural: MEDC, employs large number of workers
Environmental impact: growth of algae, water pollution
Outputs: salmon, water pollution
Inputs: labor, seed
Characteristics: fish and rice grown together in same, self sustaining ecosystem (fed by natural food chain)
Socio- Cultural: LEDC countries,
Environmental impact: reduces waste maintains biodiversity
Outputs: rice, fish, income

23. Slash and Burn/ Shifting Cultivation

24. Slash and Burn / Shifting Cultivation
Input: Labor, plow, oxen, seed
Characteristics: Tropical forest set on fire to clear the land & ash fertilizes soil. After land is used farmers repeat this process
Socio-cultural: Typically harvested food is sold in community, low population density
Environment: Loss of biodiversity, fertility, ecosystem production decreases
Output: Monocrop, air pollution, income

25. kg grain required to produce 1 kg of meat

26. GMO

28. Become more sustainable