Lecture 13

Question 1

how sustainably are we using the Earths resources?

Answer 1

we use 50% more resources than the planet can renew

• were depleting things at a much faster rate than the earth can renew
• and as developing world (diets etc) develop it will worsen

Question 2

sustainable agriculture needs to deliver food more efficiently with __

Answer 2

less inputs and less waste

Question 3

the value we place on agriculture

Answer 3

is tiny, we undervalue it

– undervaluing farmers they are forced to exploit the land

Question 4

UK dependent on imports?

Answer 4

• yes, as our farmers are not rewarded for what they do

- cant afford it

Question 5

farmers: how many

Answer 5

• in 1841 over 1/5 workers worked in agriculture or fishing, in 2011 less than 1/100
• 58% of UK farms in hands of over 55s
• average age is 58 in UK

Question 6

social reasons why people don’t go into farming

Answer 6

• estate of farmers is v high
• from marriage and divorce, the estate gets split
• so farmers reluctant to hand over land to younger individuals

Question 7

farmers income:

Answer 7

• grazing livestock rely on subsidies to make profit
• cereals and mixed farming also often make loss
• year to year incomes vary by 20-30%

Question 8

if we want to protect soils we need to reward and incentivise __

Answer 8

farmers

Question 9

horticulture farmer average salary

Answer 9

> 60% earn less than £25,000

Question 10

low wages in other countries drives down prices of food products and makes it cheaper to import examples

Answer 10

apples

Question 11

HM Government ‘A green future: Our 25 year plant to improve the environment’

Answer 11

plan made my government to help create a more sustainable world

Question 12

Key issues were trying to solve: sustainability

Answer 12

Feeding the world without destroying the earth

• not reliant on non-renewable inputs
• protecting ecosystem services - soil, water, air, climate
• protecting profits & viable farming communities

Question 13

Life cycle analysis importance

Answer 13

breaks down misunderstanding,

Question 14

how do we measure sustainability?

Answer 14

• Life cycle analysis
• GHG footprints?
• carbon, water, nutrients, energy, soil footprints?
• ecological footprints?

Question 15

current ‘alternatives’ to conventional intensive agriculture:

Answer 15

1) “sustainable intensification”
2) precision agriculture
3) integrated crop management & conservation tillage
4) organic
5) biodynamic
6) permaculture
7) Agro-forestry
8) kitchen gardens, allotments, and urban agriculture

Question 16

sustainable intensification

Answer 16

• some parts of the world suitable for this
• parts of Africa, middle east
• as at the moment they have low inputs or poor management systems, not reaching yields (closing yield gaps)
• by improving soil quality, crop genetics, better biological controls of pests/diseases, smart crop rotations, rock dust fetiliser

Question 17

crops fed to animals & fuels

Answer 17

a lot of crops (north america) used for animals or for fuels (bioethanols)

Question 18

__ crops provide most of human food

Answer 18

12

-many cases yields are lower than they need to be

Question 19

precision agriculture:

Answer 19

• cost saving
• improving optimal production: often tho used for optimal production (economic sustainability) rather than sustainability

Question 20

integrated farming system

Answer 20

• between organic and conventional farming
• ‘best of both worlds’
• conventional systems moving into this direction due to failures (pesticide resistance)
• ecological approach whilst attaining productivity
• i.e reduced tillage etc

Question 21

globally a lot of food is produced off

Answer 21

small farms
50% of the worlds food comes from small to medium sized, traditional, low-input farms
-industrialised farming is minority however this seems to be the focus of a lot of schemes (grant & research money goes to industrial)

Question 22

organic:

Answer 22

• public believe this is synonymous with sustainability but is this true?
• Soil Association focuses on HEALTH
• types of chemicals used on conventional farming don’t actually have effect on humans
• fear of ‘chemicals’ and genetic modification
• some aspects are correct, to remove harmful unsustainable inputs but integrated farming probs covers this

Question 23

Biodynamics:

Answer 23

• revitalise nature, grow nourishing food & advance the physical and spiritual health of humanity
• each farm considered as an organism
• grow crops linked to astrology
• Astrology, anthroposophy, & homeopathy
• no significant evidence Carpenter-Boggs et a 2000 is successful

Question 24

Permaculture:

Answer 24

• recycling of nutrients and long term sustainability
• could be built into integrated farming
• Bill Mollison:
• -care of the earth
• • care of people
• -setting limits to population and consumption

Question 25

Agro-forestry

Answer 25

• combine Timber, Fruits, Nuts and legume trees (nitrogen fixing and enhanced P cycling)

Question 26

Kitchen gardens and allotments:

Answer 26

• more than half the worlds pop live in cities
• many of these interested in reconnecting with nature
• in UK often linked to ‘Transition town’ communities, concerned with oil depletion, food security and food safety
• 800 million people are involved in urban agriculture world-wide
• in 1990’s 15-20% of world food production occured in urban and peri-urban agriculture (Some health risks)
• promiment in Niger

Question 27

allotments in UK:

Answer 27

Not all in cities, over 300,000

• yield over 36 tonnes of food per hectare per year
• waiting list for these
• root veg, some fruits we cant grow, but apples we can but choose to import

Question 28

Abundance project

Answer 28

• set up in sheffield, hugely successful not national

- waste fruit, is then collected and given out/used

Question 29

Farming up the city: the rise of urban vertical farms

Answer 29

• leafy greens and high value crop yes,
• no soil
  but cereals, potatoes or root crops no