Download Increasing Food Supply and Sustainable Agriculture

Increasing food
supply &
sustainable
agriculture
FOR
AGAINST
Video Clips
Store Wars
•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfTQergr29M
Meatrix
•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEkc70ztOrc
Strategies to Increase the World’s Food Supply?
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•
•
•
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Often an issue in LDCs
Increase exports from countries with surpluses
Expand land used for agriculture
Expand fishing
Increase productivity of land now used for agriculture
We need more food –
What are the challenges
• Desertification due to overused land – excessive crop planting,
animal grazing, tree cutting
• Excessive water can threaten drier lands
• Urbanization reduces agricultural land – loss of prime
agricultural land
• Overfishing – some fish species harvested faster than they
could reproduce
Top picture-aquaculture (fish farming)
in Thailand
Right-fishing, one of the most dangerous
occupations in the world, is vital to many
countries (Iceland, Japan, etc.), but fish
stocks are running low due to over
fishing in many parts of the world
Food shortages is not
just a problem in LDCs
• Food deserts in the US
▫ Urban neighborhoods and rural towns without
ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
4Jly-ofG_zE
• http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finle
y_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_ce
ntral_la?language=en
Third Agricultural Revolution
Since 1960s
- hybridized grains for better yields (“Green Revolution”)
with the goal of reducing hunger (New varieties of wheat, corn & rice)
- genetically engineered crops (GMO’s)
- greater reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
- Increased mechanization
- vertical integration of ownership (e.g., Cargill, ConAgra, ADM)
- globalization of production
A partial list of ConAgra’s brands
Swiss Miss
Hunt’s
Van Camp’s
Marie Callender’s
Wesson
Hebrew National
Slim Jim
Egg Beaters
Rosarita
Chef Boyardee
ReddiWip
Pam
Peter Pan
Orville Redenbacher’s
Healthy Choice
Banquet
“Green Revolution” –
1960s -1980s
Rice - staple food for 2.5 billion
Asians - provides 2/3 of calories
for Asians with rice-based diets
Green Rev – Raised yields
•Improved rice strains
Rice
plant
Sources: FAO, IRRI (research
organization devoted to
rice) – part of global CGIAR
effort at improving yields of
staple crops worldwide
* Increase use of irrigation
Asia’s rice production grew at
annual rates of 3.0% until 1980s
Yield growth rate exceeded high
pop. growth rates of the time
Biotechnology
• Manipulation and management
of biological organisms



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Recombinant DNA techniques
Tissue culture (cloning)
Cell fusion
Embryo transfer
• Positive: high yielding, disease
resistant “super” plants
• Negative: periphery excluded by
distance and cost + concerns
about safety
Traditional plant breeding
DNA is a strand of genes,
much like a strand of
pearls. Traditional plant
breeding combines many
genes at once.
Traditional donor
Commercial variety
New variety
(many genes are transferred)
X
=
(crosses)
Desired Gene
Desired gene
Plant biotechnology
Using plant biotechnology,
a single gene may be
added to the strand.
Desired gene
Commercial variety New variety
(only desired gene is transferred)
=
(transfers)
Desired gene
Traditional breeding involves exchanging all genetic material
between two related plants.
Genetic engineering usually only involves moving one or two
genes and can cross the species barrier.
Green Revolution Positives:
•
Countries self-sufficient in rice or even
exporters (Thai, Viet).
•
Poor people benefited as yield
increases caused real price of rice to
drop.
•
Reduced uncertainties in agriculture
•
Greater global exchange of ag
products
• Reduced famines due to crop failure,
now most famines are due to political
problems
“Post-Green Revolution”
(since 1980s)
Four crops accounted for nearly all of
the global biotech crop area in 2002
Soybeans
62%
Corn
21%
Cotton
Canola
12%
5%
Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
Four countries accounted for 99 percent*
of the global biotech crop area in 2002
United States
66%
Argentina
Canada
China
23%
6%
4%
*Australia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, South
Africa, Spain and Uruguay accounted for the remaining 1 percent of biotech crop acres.
Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
Increase in Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.
More than 50 biotech food products
have been approved for commercial
use in the United States
Canola
Corn
Cotton
Papaya
Potato
Soybeans
Squash
Sugarbeets
Sweet corn
Tomato
Some
Benefits of
Genetically
Modified
Foods
Some Concerns about Genetically
Modified Foods
Possible adverse effects on human health
Introduction of new allergens
Antibiotic-resistant genes in foods
Production of new toxins
Concentration of toxic metals
Enhancement of toxic fungi
Environmental impacts
Dangers not yet identified
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/
Opposition argues Green Revolution
has led to:
vulnerability to pests
Soil erosion
Water shortages
Dependency on chemicals for production such as
pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers.
Increased foreign debt
Increased dependence on fossil fuels
Less global diversity of food products
Opposition to the Bio-Revolution
Genetically engineered crops are yielding some ethical
problems. In the semi-periphery, farmers typically
keep seeds from crops so that they can plant the seeds
the next year. Companies that produce genetically
engineered seeds do not approve of this process;
generally, they want farmers to purchase new seeds
each year.
Many semi-periphery farmers can not afford the new
seeds, fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.
Some of the poorest areas of the world have benefited
the least from this Revolution-especially Africa.
Small farms can’t take advantage of the innovationsIndia 4 acres, Bangladesh 1.8 acres, China ½ acre
The Next Stage: Bio-Revolution
Proprietary considerations: genes, cells, plants, animals
patentable as well as techniques to produce them
Affects potentially all crops; vegetables, fruits, etc.
Includes pesticides, animals products, pharmaceuticals,
processed food products, energy, mining, warfare.
Includes all areas, nations, locations, even marginal lands.
Technology is largely in private sector, especially corporations;
R&D in billions.
Tissue culture crop propagation produces exact genetic copies;
even more vulnerability
Crop substitution replacing Third World exports; herbicide
tolerance; increasing chemical use
Unintended consequence: Engineered organisms may affect
environment later in unknown ways.
What are some solutions in LDCs?
• A Norwegian Company is Transforming Deserts
Into Farmland
• Ending Poverty and Hunger with Heifer
International
• The Future of Sustainable Fish Farming
• Vertical Farming - Singapore's Solution to feed
the urban population