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Environmental issues and Economics in Food Production > Environmental issues > Flashcards

Environmental issues Flashcards

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1
Q

Custodiuan definition

A

Someone who is responsible for taking care of something

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2
Q

Name the 5 features of the environment important in Food Animal Management

A
  1. Soil
  2. Water
  3. Air
  4. Energy
  5. Biodiversity
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3
Q

Name 3 economic factors important in Food Animal Management?

A
  1. Sustainable
  2. Profitable
  3. Lawful
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4
Q

Name 4 health and welfare features important in food animal management?

A
  1. ‘life worth living’
  2. 5 freedoms
  3. Expectation of consumers
  4. Vet as custodian
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5
Q

How much pollution is agriculture responsible for?

A

20%

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6
Q

What % of GHG does farming produce?

A

18%

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7
Q

What % Carbon dioxide does farming produce?

A

9%

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8
Q

What % CH4 does farming produce?

A

37%

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9
Q

What % of N20 does farming produce? (nitrous oxide)

A

65%

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10
Q

What % of ammonia does farming produce?

A

64%

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11
Q

Where is all of the nitrous oxide from?

A

fertilisers

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12
Q

What three factors affect soil quality?

A
  1. pollution
  2. compaction and erosion (dairy,pigs)
  3. biodiversity and ecology
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13
Q

What pollutes soil?

A
  1. Agriculture chemicals, fertilisers, disinfectants
  2. Veterinary medicines (avermectins, coccidiostats, anibiotics)
  3. Heavy metals from feed concentrates e.g. Zn and Cu
  4. Pathogens (faecal indicator organisms - E.coli, viruses, cryptosporidium)
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14
Q

What is the outcome of soil compaction and erosion?

A
  1. reduced water infiltrationWha
  2. Increased run-off and flood-risk
  3. Effect of producing feed crops e.g. maize - increases compaction
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15
Q

What affects the biodiversity and ecology of soil?

A

1, avermectins and invertebrates (in soil >180 days)
2, antibiotics and anthelmintics
3, survival of animals in compacted soil

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16
Q

Name 4 issues with soil waste management?

A
  1. waste disposal
  2. recycling of nutrients (slurry on land)
  3. eutrophication in riparian (river banks) and terrestrial ecosystems
  4. processing options are limited
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17
Q

How many tonnes of manure produced each year and how much from cattle?

A

90 million tonnes, 80% from cattle.

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18
Q

Where does the majority of ammonia from agriculture come from?

A

80% from manure and fertiliser

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19
Q

what is the issue with applying slurry to land?

A

has a positive effect, but excess nutrients cause harm

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20
Q

What is eutrophication and name 4 things that it causes?

A

Eutrophication are blooms of phytoplankton and zooplanton.

  1. depletion of dissolved oxygen
  2. release of toxins
  3. reduced biodiversity
  4. decreased aesthetic value of the water body
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21
Q

name four processing options for soil-waste?

A
  1. spread on land
  2. dump at sea (not allowed)
  3. landfill (expensive)
  4. incineration (pollution and requires energy)
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22
Q

What % of withdrawn freshwater is used in agriculture?

A

70%

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23
Q

how much water do irrigation systems waste?

A

50% of water through evaporation, also leading to salinisation of soil

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24
Q

why is there no incentive to use water efficiently?

A

it is an inexpensive resource.

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25
Q

what is a major issue of water on farms?

A

leaching of nitrates and phosphates.

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26
Q

which types of farming requires the most water?

A

beef > sheep > pork > chicken

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27
Q

What is the EU nitrates directive?

A

An EU directive to reduce water pollution from agriculture

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28
Q

Who fell into Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs)?

A

All areas of land draining to waters affected by nitrate pollution.

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29
Q

what does the NVZ require farmers to do?

A
  • plan and record the application of nitrogen to each field
  • not exceed the nitrogen loading limit per year
  • calculate the amount of nitrogen and phosphate produced by livestock
  • produce a risk map for the farm
  • produce a risk assessment for the application of nitrogen
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30
Q

Is the energy consumption high or low for agriculture?

A

low, but disproportionate amount of GHGs produced (~20%)

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31
Q

what is modern agriculture highly dependent on?

A

fossil fuels

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32
Q

what do nitrogen fertilisers use?

A

Large amounts of natural gas and some coal

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33
Q

Is more energy used for animal farming or crops?

A

pastoral farming uses substantially more

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34
Q

what bad practice in terms of energy consumption makes way for arable land?

A

deforestation

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35
Q

name 6 ways in which agriculture causes loss of biodiversity?

A
  1. clearing land for agriculture
  2. soil compaction
  3. degrading habitats by pollution
  4. contributing to climate change
  5. selective breeding in livestock
  6. monocultures.
36
Q

name 3 risks associated with loss of biodiversity?

A
  1. monoculture can increase susceptibility to pests and distort ecosystems - crop rotation is good pest control, however lack of diversity leads to increased susceptibility to disease and more extreme fluctuations in supply.
  2. extinction of species removes plans and animals that are potentially beneficial to humans.
  3. imbalance of ecosystem can encourage new pathogens to emerge.
37
Q

What is the main issue with eutrophication?

A

Stops light and oxygen entering the water - dead zone where no animals can live.

38
Q

What could reduce water usage/ pollution and costs and why is it not always implemented?

A

irrigation - high initial capital costs.

39
Q

what was the Green Revolution?

A

Increased crop productivity

  • feed concentrates
  • Globilisation (export of concentrates)
40
Q

who is the green revolution good for?

A

For high GDP countries (intensive production)

41
Q

Who is the green revolution bad for?

A

Low GDP countries (grain too expensive and needed for human food)

42
Q

What demand is rapidly growing in developing countries?

A

Meat FAO ‘Livestock Revolution’

43
Q

What are the 5 legislations which regulate economics and animal welfare of food production?

A
  1. EU Treaty of Amsterdam (1999) - Animals are ‘sentinent beings’
  2. Animal Welfare act (2006)
  3. Minimum Standard - ‘a life worth living’ - DEFRA FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Committee) 2011
  4. Five Freedoms
  5. Codes of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock
44
Q

What three things does poor welfare impact upon?

A

Productivity, product quality and consumption

45
Q

What is animal suffering?

A

A negative externality

46
Q

Give 4 examples of natural welfare in farming?

A
  1. Shelter
  2. Protection from predators
  3. Better nutrition
  4. Better housing
47
Q

give 3 examples of maximal welfare in farming?

A
  1. Intensification
  2. Pharmaceutical intervention
  3. Genetic selection
48
Q

Give 5 examples of desired/ appropriate welfare in farming (decreasing the welfare)?

A
  1. genetic engineering
  2. further intensification
  3. controlled environment and nutrition
  4. growth promoters
  5. gut microbiota manipulation
49
Q

Define the 4 stages of welfare:

A

A: Natural welfare
B: maximal welfare
c: Desired/ appropriate welfare
D: minimal welfare

50
Q

What is the main factor decreasing farming welfare?

A

Pricing sensitivity - farmers have to indure real costs to provide a free ‘public good’

51
Q

What is the scheme which has improved welfare in farming?

A

RSPCA Freedom scheme - becoming more of a standard than a special product.

52
Q

Who pays for increased welfare?

A

EU and WTO (World Trade Organisation)- improvements not allowed to distort the trade

53
Q

What effect have globalisation and commodity trading had on farming?

A

Reduced profitability and increased volitility.

54
Q

What are the two opposing definitions of welfare?

A

It can be a ‘public good’ or a ‘negative externality’

55
Q

What do higher welfare standards mean (to a point)?

A

Higher productivity

56
Q

What is the issue with welfare and trade?

A

How to assign a value to the environmental and welfare costs?

57
Q

what does it mean if a farm is carbon footprinting?

A

Trying to put environmental damage costs in place.

58
Q

what are the main categories of carbon footprinting?

A

feed,bedding, enteric fermentation, manure management, fuel and energy use, fertiliser management.

59
Q

what is done with carbon footprinting?

A

assign environmental damage cost to each activity.

60
Q

Give an example of a holistic model of carbon footprinting (everything interlinked)?

A

EU MODULUS

61
Q

What is an inefficient use of resources?

A

meat production

62
Q

how much land do grazing and food crop production take over?

A

70% agricultural land and 30% earth’s land.

63
Q

How much human edible protein is supplied to livestock?

A

77 million tonnes

64
Q

how much human edible protein is supplied by livestock?

A

58 million tonnes.

65
Q

What would be a solution to this meat inefficient use of resources?

A

Increase vegetarians and vegans in the UK

66
Q

name 3 factors to achieve sustainable footprint on climcate, water and biodiversity by 2020?

A
  1. 7% reduction in GHG
  2. Reduction in water use including local reduction targets for water-stressed areas.
  3. improved farmland biodiversity (soil health, pollinators and off-field biodiversity)
67
Q

How can vets help improve environmental and economic issues?

A
  1. cross species diseases
  2. Animal production systems
  3. Population medicine
  4. Formulate comprehensive farm policy
68
Q

Why is active health planning rare?

A

Lack of money
Percieved lack of benefit to farm
lack of knowledge/ incentive from the vet
lack of communication

69
Q

What can environmental and welfare improvements reduce?

A

medication

70
Q

Name three strategies to reduce ammonia volatilisation from slurry application?

A
  1. slot shallow injection
  2. Trailing shoes
  3. Trailing Hoses
71
Q

Name 5 examples where environmental improvements also have financial benefits?

A
  1. using slurry injection
  2. crusting and covering of slurry storage areas (80%)
  3. Fuel efficient tractors
  4. Anaerobic digestion of cattle and pig slurry - Ch4 as energy source
72
Q

How can dietary manipulation be cost efficient and environmentally friendly?

A
  1. feed cows more starch and less fibre to produce more propionate than acetate/ butyrate in the rumen.
  2. reduced methane emissions
  3. careful rationing of concentrates to reduce leakage of heavy metals, nitrates and phosphates.
73
Q

How to reduce environmental impacts in dairy?

A
  1. use of plate coolers for milk
  2. prevent direct access to watercourses e.g. bufferstrips (reduces erosion, sediment, pathogens and nitrate pollution)
  3. better breeding programmes to increase longevity and fertility (reduce replacement costs)
74
Q

How to reduce environmental impact of pigs?

A

Erosion - establish vegetation before stocking with pigs, and plant species pigs dont like to eat.

75
Q

What are the three E’s of sustainability?

A

Environment, Economics and Ethics (health and welfare)

76
Q

Give an example of a model which can prove to farmers that improving the environment can improve profitability.

A

Dairy Dynamic Management in California.

77
Q

Who pays for the improvements in environment/welfare that do not have an obvious economic benefit?

A

> government action: subsidies, fines, incentive schemes

> industry-led: freedom foods, flat premium on products.

78
Q

State 6 future challenges for farming?

A
  1. Increased human population - 9 billion by 2050
  2. Increased affluence and demand for meat
  3. inevitable shift towards intensive farming
  4. Challenge of maintaining good animal welfare standards in intensive farming
  5. water security - 1 billion have no secure supply
  6. Global warming - affects crop yields, disease patterns, pests and predictability.
79
Q

What happened in 8000BC?

A

Domestication of livestock

80
Q

What happened in the Middle ages?

A

manure used as fertiliser and crop rotation

81
Q

what happened in the 1600s?

A

use of legumes in crop rotation and production of feed crops

82
Q

What happened in the 1700s?

A

Selective breeding of livestock, privitisation of land

83
Q

What happened in the 1800s?

A

Mechanised farm equipment, urbanisation of the population

84
Q

what happened in 1900s?

A

Industrialised livestock production and inorganic fertilisers

85
Q

what happens in 1950s/60s?

A

The ‘Green Revolution’

pesticides and herbicides

86
Q

What happened 1990 to present?

A

Genetic modification

the’ livestock revolution’

Environmental issues and Economics in Food Production (1 decks)

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