Agriculture (feeding the world) Notes

What are the types of farming?

-

Livestock and poultry: meat, dairy, and eggs; utilizes rangeland.

Agriculture: growing one crop (monoculture) or many crops (polyculture)
Aquaculture: raising aquatic organisms for food.

How did the Green Revolution change farming?

-

Goals:
o Stop hunger
o Increase crop yield
o Minimize crop losses/failure
Methods:
o New, high-yield grain varieties
o Pesticides
o Fertilizers
o Better management practices
o More technologically advanced machinery
Vision:
o Treat agriculture as a business (agribusiness). Plant a large amount of
a single species (mono-cropping)
Drawbacks:
o Too expensive
o Air, soil, and water pollution due to toxic chemicals
o Uneven distribution- poorer countries still cant transport food.
o Pesticide resistance.

Two styles of Farming

-

Conventional farming:
o Maximize output high energy
o Minimize space
o Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOS)
o Genetically Modified Crops (temperature and chemical resistance)
o Heavy equipment (fossil fuels)
o Chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers)
o Tillage
o Benefits:
Lower food costs
Fast production times (more growing seasons in a given year)
Meets increased demand
o Risks:
Biodiversity/habitat degradation
Soil, water, and air pollution
Erosion/desertification
Energy and water loss

Contamination of human foods

Pesticide and antibiotic resistance
Sustainable Farming
o Sustainable output
o Takes more space
o Pasture/rangeland feeding
o Incorporates more human and animal labor
o Minimize chemical usage (biochemical)
o POLYCULTURE
o Low till or no till
o Benefits:
Healthier for humans and organisms alike
Higher quality foods (in terms of energy)
Conserves energy and water resources
Lower biodiversity/environmental impact
o Risks:
Higher food costs
Low yield
Decreased availability
More susceptible to storms, pests, changes in environment, etc.