Agriculture: An Introduction to Our TopicIf you were to search for a topic which is of great priority for all human beings to enrich themselves in, the study of agriculture is one of the first that would come to mind. As beings who coexist within the world around us, agriculture represents the essential (yet fragile) relationship we share with the land. The rise of civilization as we know it can be linked directly to the evolution of agriculture itself. From the era when ancient civilizations first settled based upon their farming practices, till past the Industrial Revolution, which changed how we view crops as a resource, agriculture has determined the well-being of the entire human race.
Sustainable Food Production for a Growing Population is our first subtopic, which examines the sustainability of agricultural practices. Our world's population is on a drastic rise, concentrated in developing nations. This poses very important questions and tasks for a world that has always faced an unequal distribution of the wealth of resources. Food production is a topic at the core of this issue; how will nations be able to sustain hungry populations? In an analytical way, GMOs and Organics are compared and contrasted to one another, in an attempt to get to the root of this issue. Use of Technology in modern agriculture/food production is our second subtopic, which observes the progression and expansion of the use of technology in commercial agriculture, where food production is done usually at a massive scale. Today advanced technology is common throughout the agricultural/food production business right from the farmer to the consumer.
The Impacts of Modern Agriculture on the Environment and Future Technological/Methodological Prospects for Sustainable Agriculture is our last subtopic. This may sound like a mouthful, but what it really means is taking a closer look at what we are doing now and how it will affect our present and future environment, as well as looking at new methods or technologies that can be used in our future to advance the industry of agriculture and promote smarter, more sustainable, and less damaging food production. Every year there are several new ideas coming out about how to change food production, and across the world different strategies are constantly being employed to help push food production to a sustainable level around the world. |
About Our GroupNobu Chern-Warwick: Greetings! My name is Nobu Chern-Warwick and I am currently a Grade 11 MaST Student at Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute. Taking CGR4M1 as a course goes beyond fast-tracking for me. As a concerned young person, I want to enrich my knowledge concerning the environment and how we interact with it. This works perfectly in conjunction with my future aspirations; including a possible career in Environmental Law and an ideal career in Politics, where an informed view about this all-important topic will be essential.
Quinton Fiering: Hello! My name is Quinton Fiering, and I am a Grade 12 MaST Student at Danforth CTI. I take an interest in all sciences and maths, and a particularly great interest in environmental sciences and biology. I wish to enter the field of environmental science academically in the next year, and pursue a career in that field. Prasad Srikugathasan: Hi everyone! My name is Prasad Srikugathasan, and I am a Grade 11 MaST Student at Danforth CTI. I am interested in chemistry and Earth Sciences such as biology and environmental science. I took this course to explore a variety of options for the years ahead, and I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental aspect of many world issues. |
Sustainable Food Production for a Growing Population
By: Nobu Chern-Warwick,
September 30th, 2013
September 30th, 2013
For the first time in recorded history, the human civilization is more concerned with self-preservation as opposed to conquest. With the rise of technology, leading to globalization, our separate societies have become intertwined and now rely on each other in a web of sustainability. However, these new trends bring with them their own sets of issues. According to a UN Press Release (embargoed until June 13th, 2013), the world population is now projected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, with most growth occurring in LDCs (least developed countries), especially on the African Continent. This growth of population is largely due to high fertility rates, but as well technological advancements which will raise the average life expectancy over the next century.
Yet the question is at hand; with a population set to drastically rise over the following century, how will we feed these people in a sustainable way, which will allow for the survival of a larger population than we have ever seen? The field of Agriculture is centric to this issue because it is the working human model for feeding a population. No longer do we have agricultural practices for smaller populations that have been sustainable for our environment for the course of history. The advent of global warming is not a fluke; it can be directly attributed to our unsustainable practice of agriculture, because of a growing population, as one of many human-made problems that have been catalysts for climate change.
Yet the question is at hand; with a population set to drastically rise over the following century, how will we feed these people in a sustainable way, which will allow for the survival of a larger population than we have ever seen? The field of Agriculture is centric to this issue because it is the working human model for feeding a population. No longer do we have agricultural practices for smaller populations that have been sustainable for our environment for the course of history. The advent of global warming is not a fluke; it can be directly attributed to our unsustainable practice of agriculture, because of a growing population, as one of many human-made problems that have been catalysts for climate change.
Feeding the world in 2050
The above video is info-graphic based. Using an x axis which shows the extremity of climate change and a y axis showing how much food we produce through agricultural practices, the video places where our planet sits on this graph, to highlight the unsustainable trends we are progressing towards. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjtIl5B1zXI
Civilization, based on current trends in the agricultural industry, is progressing towards a state of being that will see into being the complete demise of a sustainable world. This will be a reality if we cross three certain thresholds. Firstly, our maximum food threshold will be curving down as climate change becomes more extreme and the affects will lower crop yield; especially in places with already low-food security. Secondly,our global food need will be curving up as climate change becomes more extreme; we will require more food to make up for an increase in crop losses. Finally, the last curve represents the effects of increasing food production on climate change; the impact upon our climate will increase sharply as we utilize the same methods we do currently to create food for more and more people.
Because of the current unfair distribution of food across the globe, 842 million people currently suffer from chronic hunger and cannot conduct an active life. In fact on the opposite side of the spectrum, roughly 1/3rd of all food produced for human consumption is squandered. Our planet is currently not in a "safe space" on this graph of agricultural means and we need to move within this space in order to sustain life as we know it. So this is how it can be done. By moving towards diets that require less meat, eliminating the amount of food we waste and making the access to food more equitable, we can lower the food needed globally. As well, by investing in agricultural research, we can increase our maximum food threshold (the amount of food we grow). Lastly, the impact that the food system has on climate change can be altered by sustainable intensification of production on land that is already used in agriculture (countering deforestation)!
Because of the current unfair distribution of food across the globe, 842 million people currently suffer from chronic hunger and cannot conduct an active life. In fact on the opposite side of the spectrum, roughly 1/3rd of all food produced for human consumption is squandered. Our planet is currently not in a "safe space" on this graph of agricultural means and we need to move within this space in order to sustain life as we know it. So this is how it can be done. By moving towards diets that require less meat, eliminating the amount of food we waste and making the access to food more equitable, we can lower the food needed globally. As well, by investing in agricultural research, we can increase our maximum food threshold (the amount of food we grow). Lastly, the impact that the food system has on climate change can be altered by sustainable intensification of production on land that is already used in agriculture (countering deforestation)!
Can non-genetically modified food feed the world?
There is a huge ongoing movement to label GMOs (genetically modified foods), occurring currently down South. The European Union already has enacted mandatory GMO labelling, as a consumer's right to know enshrined within the law. What may be very alarming to a consumer is that around 60-70% of processed foods sold in The U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients. Essentially, GMOs have be altered in terms of their genetic structures to enhance a desired and beneficial trait. This in turn can create crops which are more resistant to disease and environmental factors, which will increase crop yield.
As another growing food movement, the organic food business has began to boom. Organic foods do not involve biotechnology, artificial pesticides and fertilizers and animals raised with the organic method often are allowed to freely roam and eat organically grown feed. Some studies actually show that organics are healthier for you, in terms of a higher nutritional content, in the absence of lingering pesticides which can prove toxic. Organic methods of production are also better for the environment, reducing erosion and conserving energy expenditures.
When looking at the three thresholds which determine the sustainability of our agricultural practices, a combination of genetic bioengineering and sustainable organic practices go hand in hand to combat our issue of food security. GMO technology helps increase crop yield because these crops will be more suited to resist the environments which they are in. By coupling this technology with the methods of organic farming, which will help lessen the impact of food production upon climate change, the global food need will be a manageable factor. Because of the ingenuity of mankind, we may once again be able to advert destruction at our own hands.
As another growing food movement, the organic food business has began to boom. Organic foods do not involve biotechnology, artificial pesticides and fertilizers and animals raised with the organic method often are allowed to freely roam and eat organically grown feed. Some studies actually show that organics are healthier for you, in terms of a higher nutritional content, in the absence of lingering pesticides which can prove toxic. Organic methods of production are also better for the environment, reducing erosion and conserving energy expenditures.
When looking at the three thresholds which determine the sustainability of our agricultural practices, a combination of genetic bioengineering and sustainable organic practices go hand in hand to combat our issue of food security. GMO technology helps increase crop yield because these crops will be more suited to resist the environments which they are in. By coupling this technology with the methods of organic farming, which will help lessen the impact of food production upon climate change, the global food need will be a manageable factor. Because of the ingenuity of mankind, we may once again be able to advert destruction at our own hands.
References:
http://esa.un.org/wpp/Documentation/pdf/WPP2012_Press_Release.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjtIl5B1zXI
http://www.fao.org/publications/sofi/en/
http://www.unep.org/wed/quickfacts/
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/gmfood/labelling_en.htm
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-safe-to-eat
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=organic-farming-yields-and-feeding-the-world-under-climate-change
http://esa.un.org/wpp/Documentation/pdf/WPP2012_Press_Release.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjtIl5B1zXI
http://www.fao.org/publications/sofi/en/
http://www.unep.org/wed/quickfacts/
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/gmfood/labelling_en.htm
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-safe-to-eat
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=organic-farming-yields-and-feeding-the-world-under-climate-change
Use of Technology in modern agriculture/food production
By: Prasad Srikugathasan,
September 25th 2013
Today, some farmers choose to use the latest technologies and equipment for farming most likely because they are farming on a commercial scale. For larger land areas greater technology reduces human effort and saves time, while producing a steady profit. However, some farmers choose to use less technology, and may not use chemicals or the latest equipment. Generally, their farms are called sustainable agriculture farms. There are also many farmers in between who use different levels of agriculture technology.
The factors such as crop size, land fertility and many others leave farmers the generalized option to choose either sustainable agriculture or farm using the latest technological developments. Farmers who are concerned with saving the environment and preventing the use of strong chemicals and powerful machinery on delicate soil tend to choose sustainable agriculture. Many farmers choose this type of farming so that the land will be suitable for farming in the future. Sustainable agriculture farms are generally a lot smaller in size and in crop yield with fewer inputs, but concentrate on producing high quality crops. These organic farmers never give their livestock any non-organic feed or additive drugs past a certain age. Most organic farmers choose this way of farming because they don't have to pay for the chemicals and they get higher prices for their products (if grown to be certified organic). Also, not using harmful chemicals prevents the risk of illness and in fact, 300,000 farm workers a year suffer from pesticide related illness in the United States according to the United Farmworkers of America.
Agricultural technologies have developed to the point where farmers are using them in order to grow more crops and make a higher profit. A new method of technological farming is Precision Farming. It is similar to the process of how some television stations use satellite signals to send television waves. As they receive a signal from space, television satellite dishes transform them into the channels that appear on our televisions. To receive a signal from a space satellite, farmers use an antenna and it is usually connected to a computer on the farmer's combine. The point of this, is so that the computer tells the farmer using the satellite signal exactly where the combine is on the field. This method allows for more efficiency and precision.
By: Prasad Srikugathasan,
September 25th 2013
Today, some farmers choose to use the latest technologies and equipment for farming most likely because they are farming on a commercial scale. For larger land areas greater technology reduces human effort and saves time, while producing a steady profit. However, some farmers choose to use less technology, and may not use chemicals or the latest equipment. Generally, their farms are called sustainable agriculture farms. There are also many farmers in between who use different levels of agriculture technology.
The factors such as crop size, land fertility and many others leave farmers the generalized option to choose either sustainable agriculture or farm using the latest technological developments. Farmers who are concerned with saving the environment and preventing the use of strong chemicals and powerful machinery on delicate soil tend to choose sustainable agriculture. Many farmers choose this type of farming so that the land will be suitable for farming in the future. Sustainable agriculture farms are generally a lot smaller in size and in crop yield with fewer inputs, but concentrate on producing high quality crops. These organic farmers never give their livestock any non-organic feed or additive drugs past a certain age. Most organic farmers choose this way of farming because they don't have to pay for the chemicals and they get higher prices for their products (if grown to be certified organic). Also, not using harmful chemicals prevents the risk of illness and in fact, 300,000 farm workers a year suffer from pesticide related illness in the United States according to the United Farmworkers of America.
Agricultural technologies have developed to the point where farmers are using them in order to grow more crops and make a higher profit. A new method of technological farming is Precision Farming. It is similar to the process of how some television stations use satellite signals to send television waves. As they receive a signal from space, television satellite dishes transform them into the channels that appear on our televisions. To receive a signal from a space satellite, farmers use an antenna and it is usually connected to a computer on the farmer's combine. The point of this, is so that the computer tells the farmer using the satellite signal exactly where the combine is on the field. This method allows for more efficiency and precision.
Another significant technological development in recent farming is the use of telematics. It is basically the integrated use of telecommunications or informatics. It is the technology of sending, receiving and storing data via telecommunication devices. With a map on a mobile computer, farmers are able to see where all their vehicles are operating and their fuel levels, how much crop harvested, etc. This mobile technology is possible with telematic products that allow navigation, location and other data to be easily transferred to and from farm machinery.
This video shows the productivity of Mobile Farm Manager: a telematic application that allows for the transfer of wireless data between many farming machinery. It shows the uses of this type of technology and its significance for farming efficiency and productivity. Video from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYjUH2uKXQ
References:
http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/farmschool/future/techbhms.htm
http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/farmschool/future/techtvms.htm
http://farmindustrynews.com/precision-farming/20-technologies-changing-agriculture#slide-2-field_images-45641
http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/farmschool/future/techsams.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYjUH2uKXQ
http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/farmschool/future/techbhms.htm
http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/farmschool/future/techtvms.htm
http://farmindustrynews.com/precision-farming/20-technologies-changing-agriculture#slide-2-field_images-45641
http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/farmschool/future/techsams.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYjUH2uKXQ
The Impacts of Modern Agriculture on the Environment and Future Technological/Methodological Prospects for Sustainable Agriculture
By: Quinton Fiering,
Totallynot - thedaybefore - it'sdue
Totallynot - thedaybefore - it'sdue
Resource and Environmental Issues in Agriculture
The map you see above is a map of the vulnerability of soil to erosion from water in different regions around the world. Water erosion is a form of land degradation through the erosion of soil, which is a major environmental impact that the practice of agriculture has on certain lands. When we farm, we clear a vast area of all vegetation and plant solely our own crops. What happens when those crops are removed and the land is plowed is the soil is turned loose, leaving it vulnerable to erosion from water. Erosion from water can come from many places, there are techniques like irrigation that can easily move soil, to simple rain! That's right, even when it rains on a field with loose soil, the soil can still be swept away! As you can see in the map above, the two most noticeable highlights of the map are the gray and blue areas. The grey represents dry land (i.e the Sahara Desert in northern Africa, and most of the country of Australia) and the blue represents land that is too cold to farm in (i.e northern Canada and much of northern Russia). Our country has a mix of all of the regions and levels of vulnerability. We are lucky to have much depositional land (land where soil and sediment is deposited) and few spots where there is high vulnerability, although the prarie regions and mountain regions have some risk in them.
Water erosion is just one of the many examples of land degradation occurring as a result of our agricultural practices. Another one of the best examples of land degradation by agriculture is soil degradation. When one certain crop is planted in a field, it requires a specific set of nutrients, and it really takes a lot of those nutrients to fully grow. Since our the way we farm is largely through mono-culture (the growing of only one crop over and over again in the same space) those plants we grow draw out almost all of the nutrients the soil has to offer, giving it no time to replenish. The degradation of soil results in the inability to plant the species of crop again after a number of times, as well as a degradation in the quality of the soil.
Land degradation is a complex issue, among water erosion and soil degradation there are many other risks to the integrity of our farmland. We can see that these risks to our land are a large environmental issue, and not only do they affect us now as we loose land to desertification and soil to erosion, but in the future we may see the full extent of the degradation in the form of economic effects like food insecurity and even adverse health effects and
Water erosion is just one of the many examples of land degradation occurring as a result of our agricultural practices. Another one of the best examples of land degradation by agriculture is soil degradation. When one certain crop is planted in a field, it requires a specific set of nutrients, and it really takes a lot of those nutrients to fully grow. Since our the way we farm is largely through mono-culture (the growing of only one crop over and over again in the same space) those plants we grow draw out almost all of the nutrients the soil has to offer, giving it no time to replenish. The degradation of soil results in the inability to plant the species of crop again after a number of times, as well as a degradation in the quality of the soil.
Land degradation is a complex issue, among water erosion and soil degradation there are many other risks to the integrity of our farmland. We can see that these risks to our land are a large environmental issue, and not only do they affect us now as we loose land to desertification and soil to erosion, but in the future we may see the full extent of the degradation in the form of economic effects like food insecurity and even adverse health effects and
![Picture](/uploads/2/1/2/0/21203468/4359585.jpg?300)
Another resource issue surrounding agriculture is the loss of biodiversity. The loss of genetic diversity in crops contributes to disease spreading and the increased risk of harm by various pests. Biodiversity and genetic diversity is an aspect of all life and can be looked at as a resource when considering food security. The more bio-diverse our crops are and our farmland is, then the more security we can have in our food production. The issue with this now is that biodiversity is being lost and crop yields are suffering because of this.
Future Technological and Methodological Prospects for Sustainable Agriculture
![Picture](/uploads/2/1/2/0/21203468/2501394.jpg?346)
The image to your left is a group of students from McGill University in Quebec who won the the Hult Prize. The prize is one million dollars and it is awarded to the group who can propose the best way to secure food stability in urban slums around the world. The team included several MBA students each of whom specialized in a different area (i.e finance, biology, economics, law) as well as business.
Their proposal was a great way of creating sustainable, plentiful, and high volume/low commodity food, but there was a little catch... The proposal was to use crickets (that's right, crickets) as a substitute for conventional sources of nourishment. The idea is that crickets require very little feed to to grow and take care of; they are very low maintenance. Crickets also produce more protein per gram of feed that beef, and to
Photo source: http://publications.mcgill.ca/reporter/2013/09/
desautels-mba-team-wins-2013-hult-prize-competition/
produce on mass, crickets are MUCH more inexpensive.
For people living in urban slums who are living in poverty as well living with very little income, crickets would not only provide a great source of nourishment, but they would also provide a job opportunity and a new market to work in. The team has invented several ways to make different kinds of food out of crickets, and has also invented start-up kits to promote people living in slums to grow and even sell their own crickets for a source of income. Growing crickets is done in Canada by many people who own reptilian pets, and it is incredibly easy, and require very low maintenance, making it perfect for an application in an area of the world that is less privileged than our own. The target for this is, or course, areas that already consider crickets a source of food, because for others it may seem... icky.
This is a prime example of a very new and very radical methodological prospect of food production that could have very promising impacts in areas of the world that really need a change in their systems.
Their proposal was a great way of creating sustainable, plentiful, and high volume/low commodity food, but there was a little catch... The proposal was to use crickets (that's right, crickets) as a substitute for conventional sources of nourishment. The idea is that crickets require very little feed to to grow and take care of; they are very low maintenance. Crickets also produce more protein per gram of feed that beef, and to
Photo source: http://publications.mcgill.ca/reporter/2013/09/
desautels-mba-team-wins-2013-hult-prize-competition/
produce on mass, crickets are MUCH more inexpensive.
For people living in urban slums who are living in poverty as well living with very little income, crickets would not only provide a great source of nourishment, but they would also provide a job opportunity and a new market to work in. The team has invented several ways to make different kinds of food out of crickets, and has also invented start-up kits to promote people living in slums to grow and even sell their own crickets for a source of income. Growing crickets is done in Canada by many people who own reptilian pets, and it is incredibly easy, and require very low maintenance, making it perfect for an application in an area of the world that is less privileged than our own. The target for this is, or course, areas that already consider crickets a source of food, because for others it may seem... icky.
This is a prime example of a very new and very radical methodological prospect of food production that could have very promising impacts in areas of the world that really need a change in their systems.
![Picture](/uploads/2/1/2/0/21203468/7786433.jpg?350)
The picture seen here is of something called an aquaponics system built by the University of the Virgin Islands. This is an example of what would be a technological prospect for sustainable agricultural techniques. In greenhouses or certain farming setups, hydroponics are used to circulate water through soil, drain it, and recirculate it again. This technique combined with aquaculture (the raising of fish) creates a cyclic farming technique now known as aquaponics. The raising of fish (low maintenance) causes waste to be produced, but the waste from the fish can be broken down by micro bacteria in the soil that produce nitrites. Nitrites are essential for plant growth and make for very healthy plants.
Aquaponics are an example of a new engineering-technology (that is also methodological) which can make use of waste products and create sustainable and cyclic farming.
Going back to what was covered earlier about soil degradation, this technique actually helps reduce degradation and controls the use of soil! Nitrites going back into the soil help to keep it fertile and usable, proving that there are ideas out there that can help us solve the issues of modern agriculture, and keep our environment and resources in tact and managed.
Aquaponics are an example of a new engineering-technology (that is also methodological) which can make use of waste products and create sustainable and cyclic farming.
Going back to what was covered earlier about soil degradation, this technique actually helps reduce degradation and controls the use of soil! Nitrites going back into the soil help to keep it fertile and usable, proving that there are ideas out there that can help us solve the issues of modern agriculture, and keep our environment and resources in tact and managed.
References:
http://www.growingpower.org/aquaponics.htm
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/24/mcgill-students-awarded-1-million-hult-prize-for-plan-to-transform-insects-into-food-including-lime-cricket-chips/
http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/mapindex/erosh2o.html
http://www.eld-initiative.org/
http://www.who.int/globalchange/ecosystems/desert/en/
http://www.growingpower.org/aquaponics.htm
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/24/mcgill-students-awarded-1-million-hult-prize-for-plan-to-transform-insects-into-food-including-lime-cricket-chips/
http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/mapindex/erosh2o.html
http://www.eld-initiative.org/
http://www.who.int/globalchange/ecosystems/desert/en/