Lecture 16 Flashcards
nitrogen fertiliser uses large amounts of finite and polluting ___ energy
fossil fuel
phosphorous fertiliser uses large amounts of finite___ that are running
rocks
need to provide __ rewards to farmers for ecosystem service benefits
financial
—subsidies linked to effective agri-environment schemes improved on the precious implementation of EU farm payments
moral dimension:
- humans are realising we have to take responsibility
- pressure on scientists as the know more, however important scientists don’t come to conclusions that are wrong
connection with plants and soil throughout year s
became urbanised, loss of touch with soil and land and plants etc
lost __% of the worlds productive topsoils in the past 40 years
33%
tragedy of commons:
herdsmen and shared and and sheep
- b of adding sheep more than c of less grazing land as this is shared
- but everyone does this. think of yourself
- must convince people to change behaviour for sustainability
- requires both technical and behavioural changes to achieve optimal solutions, requires altruistic actions
our generation
first generation to realise our actions effect others
- first gen to calculate ecological footprint and to realise its unstable
religion and sustainability:
- confusing messages provided = christianity
farmers incomes are highly dependent on prices competing with __ and rely on
EU countries and rely on EU subsidies and exchange rates
-BREXIT = uncertainty
State of UK dairy industry
2010 received about 29p / l they sold, cost them 30p to produce
- half of britains dairy farmers went out of business from 2000-2010
- we are squeezing the cows too much (ethical issues)
- SOLUTION? cut out middle man, farmers increase profit selling to farmers market not supermarket
- example Our Cow Molly
agroecology:
based on ecological principles such as recycling wastes, minimising energy and water use, max genetic diversity, regenerating soil and increasing it carbon content, integrating livestock and crops
– permaculture element of this (sustainable agriculture)
3 components of permaculture
- care for earth
- care for people
- fair share
investments are where in agriculture at the moment?
big industrial agriculture, small is beautiful (farms and systems)
-not enough in journals about agriculture
only _% of agriculture land in th eUK is used for cultivation of fruits and veg,, but we are ___ self-suffificient in veg
7% of land for F&V
60% s-s
—can grow a lot on not a lot
less than __ of EU crop land used to grow legumes
2%
only __% of nitrogen added globally to crops is taken up by crops
47%
–symbioses nitrogen is not being exploited
intercropping:
intercropping increases gross energy production by___
increases gross incomes by ___
- not got to grips w this yet in UK
- intercropping increases gross energy production by 38%
- increases gross incomes by 33% (often legumes & non legumes productive)
wind farms onshore and solar:
- wind: negligible impacts on food production
- solar on land? no as takes up land. Other places better for them (Disused RAF arifield) , under panels land is poor
can we feed the world wo destorying the earth?
- small mixed farms may be more sustainable than larger enterprises
- farms can provide energy (solar,wind)
- farmers direct sell to public
- red meat/dairy and red waste
technological soultions for permaculture:
- precision agriculture
- -use of aerial surveillance
- -targeted and red pesticide, herbicide and fungicide use
- robotic weeding
- -conservation // 0 tillage
- -crop rotations, trad leys containing legumes to rebuild soils
- diverse & long crop rotations
- add compost / organic matter
- inject animal slurries into soil
