Chap. 3 Food Flashcards
What can food security be limited by?
Population growth, environmental degradation, climate change
Food security
When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe nutritious food to a healthy and active lifestyle
Environmental degradation
Agriculture land may become overworked, removes topsoil and reduce productivity of the land
Hunger
Is typically the result of an inability to access food
Domestication
Partly drove productive agriculture systems
- plants : saving and replanting seeds
- animals: keeping seperate from wild pop.
Green revolution
Hybrid seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, new machinery , monocultures
Pros :
Increased crop yields,food surplus
Cons: soul erosion, depleted water sources, exposure to toxic Chem
Genetically modified organisms
GMO’s
Insertion of genes from one organism to another produce altered genetic material
Bt gene in corn. Acts a pesticide
Issues: Bugs and other species over time become resistant to the Bt gene
Can contaminate other non Bt crops
Potential for health and allergen issues
Tillage/tilling the soil
One of the first steps of growing a crop
-can make it easier for plant roots to dig into ground as they grow
- can incorporate left over plant matter from previous harvests - returns nutrients to soil
- can interfere with weed growth
Cons:
- rob soil of vital nutrients ex. Carbon, nitrogen
- can result in souls erosion
Soil erosion
When tilled, nutrient rich topsoil is broken up into smaller particles that can be carried away by wind or water
Aquifers
Areas of porous rock below ground were water collects
Why is the rainforest shrinking?
Getting Cut and burned down to create pasture lands for cattle
Three main crops
Wheat corn and rice
Malnutrition
Is the result of poor nutrition
Can result from insufficient, excessive of unbalanced diet or inability to absorb foods
- excess of nutrients that causes bodily harm
Food security results when all three of what conditions at satisfied
- Food is avaliable
- All people have acess to it
- Food can fulfill nutritional needs
Poverty
-unable to afford
Factors
- landownership
- use of agriculture land
Farmland grab
Wealthier countries seek land outside their borders in order to produce food for their citizens
- buy land for low prices
- best farmland
- bought in poor countries
Agriculture land use
Land may be changed from food (rice) to non-productive uses like tobacco
- shifts in production
- pressure form international lending organization
Geographic constraints
Drought
Poor soil
Ex
Unsustainable farming practices
Soils once fertile now depleted
Energy prices
Cost of food
Time cost
Oil influences food prices
Cost of food
Depend on Availability of water Price of equipment Cost of pesticides oil price - transport. Growing. Processing.
Sustainable farming practices
Persevere topsoil - reduced plowing , crop rotation
Incorporeal ing nitrogen fixing legumes and trees
Hydroponics
Technique used to grow plants using nutrient rich water (instead of soil)
Aqua phonics
Combine hydroponics With fish farming
Incorporating solid waste from fishes info the waters nutrients
-sustainable : waste into resource
