Food from the land Flashcards
What is difference between the following terms associated with hunger? Famine Malnutrition Undernutrition Starvation
Famine: The temporary situation in which a country or region does not have enough food to feed its population. Causes for famine are when not enough food can be grown, or the distribution system can’t get the food to the people. Natural causes are droughts, floods, or plant disease and human causes are civil war, greed, and transportation problems.
Malnutrition: Is a condition in which health is damaged by an unbalanced diet, This could include too much or too little of essential nutrients over a period of time. Obesity and high blood pressure can be associated with this.
Undernutrition: Is when a person’s diet is lacking one or more vital nutrients that is needed to function.
Starvation: Is the extreme form of hunger in which people suffer from a serious or total lack of energy and essential vitamins and minerals.
What is cash-crop farming? Be able to give some examples
Farmers that specialize in a few products. They produce a lot of one product in order to make money. Ex. strawberry u-pick, grain farm
What is subsistence-based farming? Be able to give some examples
Farming that meets the needs of a small group. Very common in developing countries. Ex. a garden, very small farm.
What is intensive agriculture? Provide an example
Agriculture that uses a small amount of land using a large amount of labour. It is high yielding. Ex. vineyard
What is extensive agriculture? (give example)
Use large amounts of land with little labour. It is lower yielding. Ex. cattle ranch
Be able to explain the following diseases associated with undernutrition: rickets scurvy beriberi pallagra
Rickets: Deficiency: Vitamin D/Calcium Characteristics: fragile bones, delayed growth Countries: Africa, Asia Scurvy: Deficiency: Vitamin C Characteristics: anemia, debility, exhaustion, spontaneous bleeding, pain in the limbs, and especially the legs, swelling in some parts of the body, and sometimes ulceration of the gums and loss of teeth. Countries: Afghanistan Beriberi Deficiency: Vitamin B1 Characteristics: swelling of lower legs, enlarged heart, coma, death Countries: Asia Pellagra Deficiency: Vitamin B3 Characteristics: diarrhea, depression, dementia, dermatitis Countries: Americas, India
Why has the development of agriculture been so important for human culture?
If we didn’t have agriculture:
No steady food supply
Everyone would have the same job (hunter/gatherer)
Civilization and our notion of ‘advancing’ would not have occurred.
Where did the first evidence of agriculture arise?
Originated in river valleys throughout the world and spread.
Who was Norman Borlaug and what did he do?
He was a plant breeder scientist. He used selective breeding to replace wheat in Mexico to increase yields. They introduced wheat varieties that would resist the disease and accelerated the growing process. It was not native to Mexico but did cross breed with some native species. The new plants became top heavy and fell over (lodging). Then they breede semi-dwarf wheat with shorter, stronger stocks. Because of this, developing countries like Mexico, India, and Pakistan became self sufficient.
What was the Green Revolution? Be able to argue the positive and negative aspects of this movement.
Can be thought of as the second ag revolution. This revolution occurred when hybrid, high yielding crops were brought in to replace native crops throughout countries in the developing world. The Green Revolution was funded by United Nations in an attempt to solve famine problems through the world.
What are some of the modifications/adaptations human do to the natural environment in order to increase productivity of the land?
If the growing season is too short, plant faster maturing seeds.
If there is too little moisture in the soil, use irrigation systems.
If the soil is deficient in nutrients or decayed matter, use fertilizer or manure.
If the land is not level, do terrace farming or create slopes for drainage.
What are terminator crops?
Are plants created by companies that kill its own seeds. Although they may produce high yields, farmers will have to purchase new seeds every single year bc’s the seeds are sterile.
What are GMO’s? What issues do they bring about for people?
Crops that release toxins to kill certain insects may only create a new type of superbug that are resistant to all pesticides.
GMO technology is more about making money then solving world famine issues
farmers are charged royalties for hybrid seeds
the companies that produce these seeds also tend to produce the herbicide that their seed is resistant to
What were the 9 different methods or developments that have occurred throughout the history of agriculture that has allowed humans to increase the productivity of the land. Be able to explain these!
Improved plows
Plows allowed seeds to be planted with minimal human labour (rather than using sticks)
More effective use of animals
Horse collars and harnesses so horses don’t choke.
Industrialization
Steam power leads to technology developing such as threshing machines and tractors. This allows farms to become much larger, producing more per hectare of land.
Introducing new crops to parts of the world where they don’t grow
Ex. wheat was brought to NA from europe, and it was brought to europe from the middle east (although it wasn’t native to the area the climate was ideal to grow it)
Selective breeding of crops and animals
First done just farm to farm, eventually scientists and universities got involved. Ex. choosing the best looking plant/animal, cows that produce the most milk will produce offspring that will produce the most milk
Increased emphasis on cash crop farming
Farmers today tend to produce more of one crop rather than a wide variety of agricultural products. By specializing in one crop, farmers will naturally grow more over time.
The green revolution
Can be thought of as the second ag revolution. This revolution occurred when hybrid, high yielding crops were brought in to replace native crops throughout countries in the developing world. The Green Revolution was funded by United Nations in an attempt to solve famine problems through the world.
Development of GMOs
Described as being the second Green Revolution. Highly controversial topic.
Increased corporate ownership of farms
Larger, higher-volume producing farms, owned and operated as a business. These can naturally produce more compared to small privately owned farms.
