Environmental Issues in Food Production

Question 1

What is a public good?

Answer 1

A good which when supplied to an individual is immediately available to others at no charge

Question 2

What is a negative externality?

Answer 2

A cost that is such by a third party as a consequence of an economic transaction
(Spillover effect/external cost)

Question 3

What is ‘one health’?

Answer 3

The collaboration of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment

Question 4

What does food production animals impact?

Answer 4

Air
Soil
Water
Energy
Ecology

Question 5

How do food production animals affect air

Answer 5

Either directly from animals or feed crops used for them
CO2
Methane
N2O
NH3

Question 6

How do food production animals affect soil?

Answer 6

Cattle compacting soil increases water run off and prevent invertebrates burrowing
Feed crops damaging to soil structure - greater erosion
Contamination:
* Pharmaco-active substances in soil
* Pesticides and fertilisers
* Veterinary medicines

Question 7

How do food production animals affect water?

Answer 7

Contamination from agricultural run offs and pesticides
Consumption of water - ruminate drink a lot
Flooding from compacted land
Leaching of nitrites and phosphates

Question 8

How do food production animals affect energy?

Answer 8

Fertiliser production
Machinery
Loss of non-renewables - use fossil fuels

Question 9

How do food production animals affect ecology?

Answer 9

Reduces biodiversity - monocultures due to crops for feed
Landscape degradation
Selective breeding of plants reduces gene pool and increases disease risk - sustainability risk
* Fluctuations in feed and food supply
* Reliance on monocultures

Question 10

Nitrates Directive

Answer 10

Legislation to protect nitrite vulnerable zones
Use less fertiliser to reduce eutrophication

Question 11

Methods for dealing with manure

Answer 11

Spread on your land - may need permit from environment agency
* Stop animals grazing on land for 21 days
Process for sale as fertiliser
* Need APHA approval
transport and store offsite
* ABP Cat 2 facility
* Transport must comply with APHA guidance

Need permit from APHA to burn poultry manure

Question 12

Methods of Waste Disposal

Answer 12

Rendering
Incineration
Pyre buring
Composting
Burial/landfill/mounding
Fermentation

Question 13

What is rendering?

Answer 13

Closed system
Mechanical and thermal treatment - sterilsation

Question 14

Environmental impact of rendering

Answer 14

Energy use

Question 15

What is incineration?

Answer 15

Burning of whole-carcasses
Mobile air curtain
Municipal

Question 16

Environmental impact of incineration

Answer 16

Uses fossil fuels
Particulate and gas emissions
Possible ground/water pollution

Question 17

What is Pyre burning

Answer 17

Openly burning of carcasses on-farm

Question 18

Environmental impact of pyre buring

Answer 18

Air, water and soil pollution
Particulate matter from incomplete combustion

Question 19

Environmental impact of composting

Answer 19

Needs extensive period of time
Pathogen inactivation?
Exposure to wildlife
Run-off

Question 20

Environmental impact of burial/Landfill/Mounding

Answer 20

Contamination of groundwater

*Burial - onsite
* Landfill - commercial site
* Mounding - above ground burial

Question 21

Environmental impact of fermentation

Answer 21

Consumes and produces carbon based fuel (biogas)
Need prior mechanical and thermal treatment before anaerobic digestion