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11/4 Bellringer: Conventional Agriculture

What is agriculture?What is the #1 crop produced in the U.S.?What are the positive results of large scale agriculture?What are the negative impacts of industrial agriculture. 1 Conventional Agriculture

2 The History of AgricultureAgriculture is the raising of crops and livestock for food or for other products that are useful to humans.Began over 10,000 years agoThis period was called the Agricultural RevolutionPrior to humans were primarily hunter-gatherersAgriculture allowed human population to grow at unprecedented rates

http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-agriculture-1

Where did agriculture start?3 Origins of AgricultureFarming was first used in the Middle East, in a region running from present-day Turkey to Iraq and Israel, called the Fertile Crescent.Barley and wild wheat were abundant and flood river plains were used.

4 Spread of Agriculture

5Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course (1:05-6:45)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yocja_N5s1I 6 Agricultural RevolutionPlants we grow and eat (domesticated) today are descended from wild plantsTeosinte: ancestor of modern cornFarmers collected seeds from plants that exhibited the qualities they desiredSeeds were planted and harvested again and again

Evolution of Corn

Teosinte vs. Zea Mays

Do you think our crops always looked like they do now?Te-o-sin-tee7 Agriculture ModelsSubsistence agriculture: growing food for consumption by farmers family

Commercial (modern) agriculture: growing food for sale off the farm, heavy use of machinery, fossil fuels, and technology

Sustainable Agriculture

Small acreage Crop rotationCo-planting Fallow fieldsRegionally-appropriate cropsLocally eaten and soldModern Agriculture

Large acreageMonocultureExtensive use of fertilizersExtensive use of pesticides IrrigationSubsidies to overproduce Selection of cash crops following subsidiesCrop selection for animal feed8 Agricultural RevolutionDestruction of habitatsGrasslands, forests, and wetlands were replaced with farmlandReplacement of forestSoil lossFloodsWater shortages

In order to get more land for growing crops, many other ecosystems were destroyed9Farmland Drainage

Over a period of 200 years, the lower 48 states lost an estimated 53 percent of their original wetlands.10 AgribusinessAgribusiness is a term that encompasses all the businesses involved in agricultural food production, including farming, contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales.One of the largest and most diverse industries in the US. Estimated 2012 revenue = $2.4 trillionMajor industry stakeholdersMonsanto, Cargill, ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), etc.

What do we mean by agribusiness?Mosanto, Cargill-seedsADM-herbicides and seeds11 U.S. Crop ProductionU.S. farmers produce roughly $100 billion worth of crops and about $100 billion worth of livestock each year. (EPA 2012)In 2010, 335 million acres of land were used for crop production. (Census 2012)USDA Land Use Survey in 2002, 442 million acres (20%) were used for crop land587 million acres (26%) were used for grassland pasture and range land. If you combine crop and rangeland, thats nearly of the United States!

12 U.S. Crop ProductionMajor agricultural crops produced in the United States in 2000 (excluding root crops, citrus, vegetable, etc). CropHarvested Area (million acres)Cash Receipts from Sales ($ billion)Corn (grain)72.715.1Soybeans72.712.5Hay 59.93.4Wheat53.05.5Cotton13.14.6Sorghum (grain)7.70.82Rice3.01.2http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/cropmajor.html13Farmers in the U.S.In 1935, the number of farms in the United States was 6.8 million. In 2007, the number of farmers was down to 2.2 million.The need for human labor has also declined as evidenced by the increase in agricultural labor efficiency over the the past century.Average age of farmers is 54 years old in 1997. Average age of farmers is 57 years old in 2007. Average age of farmers is increasing.

Earl Butz and SubsidiesEarl Butz was the head of the Department of Agriculture in the 1970s. His major change was that he promoted bigger farms and encouraged get big or get out. He was responsible for creating direct payments to grow corn = subsidies.

15 Corn (Zea mays)Corn is the most heavily subsidized crop by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)Corn is the major source of food in the American dietAlmost everything Americans eat contains corn: high fructose corn syrup, corn-fed meat, and corn-based processed foods are the staples of the modern diet. One bushel of industrial corn requires to 1/3 gallons of oil for production (Pollan, Omnivores Dilemma) = 50 gallons of oil/acre of corn

16Issues with Conventional Agriculture17 MonoculturesGrowing a single crop or plant species over a wide area for many years.ex. lawns, corn fields, tree farmsWidely used in industrial agriculture for large crop yields with little labor input.However, they can lead to quicker spread of disease or use more soil nutrients.

18 Livestock, Dairy, & PoultryDomesticated animals raised for product output or slaughtered for consumption.Animal products account for over half of the value of U.S. agricultural products, often exceeding $100 billion per year. (USDA 2012)Issues include overcrowding to maximize profit in large-scale operations, disease spread in monocultures, use of antibiotics, excessive waste output, and treatment.

19 Dairy CowsTrace amounts of hormones, blood, and pus can be found in milk from industrial processes

20 Poultry FarmsChickens are often debeaked to prevent damage and cannibalism at crowded farms

21 Energy Inputs vs. Outputs

Kilocalories of fossil fuel input per kilocalorie of protein outputFeed lot beefFree range beefPigsBroiler ChickenSheepVegetables22 Fish FarmsIssues include over crowding (does not occur in the wild) - can cause disease, stress, and pollution, and local habitat destructionDead or diseased fish are often ground up and fed to live fish

Sea lice23 Slash and BurnAgricultural technique which involves cutting and burning of forests to create fieldscommonly used practice in the AmazonTypically used in subsistence farming since it needs little technology or tools

24 Environmental Impacts of AgricultureHigh use of fossil fuels and pesticidesAir pollutionPressures on non-renewable resourcesUntreated animal wastes and agricultural chemicalsWater pollutionHarms fisheriesInsects, weeds, and disease-causing organisms developing resistance to pesticidesContaminate food supply

25 Pesticide Application Abundance

26Highest LowestApples AsparagusBell peppers AvocadosCelery BananasCherries BroccoliImported grapes CauliflowerNectarines Corn (sweet corn)Peaches KiwiPeas MangosPotatoes OnionsRed Raspberries PapayasSpinach PineappleStrawberries Peas (sweet)

Released 10/21/2003 by EWG

Pesticides Residue on Produce27BRAND NEW REPORT based on results of more than 100,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by USDA and FDA between 1992 and 2001.

High rankings given to: highest and average amount of pesticide found in produce ranking of severity of pesticides found by effect number of different pesticides found in individual sample and produce type

Highlights that washing and peeling WILL NOT HELP. While it may help reduce pesticide residues, tests took this into account. Washing does not eliminate pesticides, and peeling may help, but reduces nutritive value. Many pesticides are taken up into produce itself, so best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, choose organic in those produce that are most risky and help to encourage reduction in pesticide use overall Environmental Impacts of AgricultureLand degradationDecreases future ability of land to support crops or livestockHabitat fragmentationBreakup of large areas of habitat into small, isolated patchesCultivating marginal landsIrrigating dry landCultivating land prone to erosion

28 Genetic EngineeringManipulation of genes by taking specific gene from a cell of one species and placing it into the cell of an unrelated species

Corn has been genetically modified in more than one way. Bt-corn is a type of GM corn that is genetically designed to be lethal to insects as they try to eat it.

85 percent of the soybean crops grown in the United States are genetically modified. The number one reason for the DNA modification is herbicide tolerance.

Tomatoes are mainly genetically modified to make them last longer. Because tomatoes rot fairly quickly, crops might go bad before the process of harvesting, processing and shipping is finished.

Papayas are genetically modified to fight a particular virus that can infect and kill crops quickly.

29 Solutions to Large Scale Agriculture

30Your Assignment:On a separate sheet of paper:Draw (with labels) an IDEAL Sustainable Farm that doesnt have all the problems that Conventional Farming does. Modern AgricultureExit Slip32