Download Environmental Science Name: Food and Agriculture Goal: The

Environmental Science
Name: ______________________________
Food and Agriculture
Goal: The student will identify the major causes of malnutrition and compare the environmental costs of
producing different types of food.
Vocabulary:
1. Diet
2. Yield
Chapter 9.1: Feeding the World
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Ethiopa, 1985; people were ___________________________ (lack of rain, soil degradation, war); when rain
came, it ______________________ away millions of tons of soil into the rivers; resulted in 6,000 sq. mi. of desert
Events like this present frightening pictures of how difficult it is to ____________ the Earth’s growing population
______________________ agricultural practices provide most of the world’s population with _______________
food to survive; however, efforts by us to _____________________ more people in this world are causing this
environmental damage, making it ___________________________ to grow crops to feed all the people
Humans and Nutrition
• We must consume _______________________ compounds in order to survive (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids);
we also need ____________________ and ________________________ to help our bodies function properly
• __________________ is used as a source of energy and for building and maintaining our bodies; __________of
enough food will result in sickness or death; ____________________________ people die from disease that our
bodies cannot fight off; __________________________ is a result of not eating enough of the necessary nutrients
Sources of Nutrition
 A person’s ______________________ is the type and amount of food a person eats.
 Healthy diets are ones that maintain a ____________________ of the right amounts of nutrients, minerals and
vitamins.
 Most parts of the world, people eat ________________ amounts of foods high in carbohydrates (rice, potatoes,
break); foods produced in the greatest amounts are ______________________ (plants whose seeds are rich in
carbohydrates); aside from grains, most people eat fruits, vegetables and small amounts of meats, nuts and other
foods _______________ in fats and proteins.
Diets Around the World
 Worldwide, people generally consume the same major __________________________ and eat the same basic
kinds of foods; however ________________ can vary from region to region.
 More ___________________________ countries tend to eat more food and larger proportions of proteins and fats
than people in less developed countries. ex: In US, almost half the calories consumed come from meat, fish and
oil; In Japan, their diet traditionally consists of a ______________ of rice, vegetables and seafood.
The Ecology of Food
 As human populations _________________________, farm land replaces forests and grasslands
 Feeding all the people of the world and still maintaining natural ecosystems is becoming more
__________________
 Different types of agriculture present different environmental ______________________ and different levels of
efficiency
Food Efficiency
 The measure of the quantity of ______________________ produced on a given area of land with limited inputs of
energy and resources
 An ideal food crop would be one that efficiently produces a _________________________ amount of food with
as _____________________________ negative impact on the environment as possible.
 More energy, water and land are used to produce food from ________________________ than food from plants;

__________________________- are used to feed the animals who produce food for humans; less energy is
available at each level of the food chain (____________ is stored in the animals), therefore more food can be
produced for _______________________when it is used for humans rather than for feed for animals
One reason why diets around the world are largely based on _______________________ (it is more efficient and
more can be produced per acre); however, meat from animals provides more nutrients per gram than most food
from _________________________
Old and New Foods
• Researchers are investigating _________________________ plants and looking at new varieties of plants
• Looking for plants betters adapted to different climates and produce___________________ yields without large
amounts of fertilizers, pesticides and fresh water
• Studying ________________________ that have not been widely used for food in the past but may be useful
• Ex: Amaranth – sacred food of the Aztecs and Glasswort – can be grown in ______________________ soil
Lesson Reflection:
Learn how to read food labels. Each student will select a different food label and answer questions
regarding the food label they have chosen.
Assessment:
1. Identify the major causes of malnutrition.
2. Compare the environmental costs of producing different types of foods.
Lesson Extension (Technology/Application/Connection to Real World):
Food Label Activity: Nutrition Label Comparison
Students will be comparing nutrition label for four types of potato products. They will determine
what happens to the raw product when it is processed in various forms.