Mid Term 1 Flashcards
Drivers of food insecurity
Population displacement
- Conflict and social disruptions
- Climate related shocks
- Economic shocks
Overview - trends of world agriculture
World population is high and gonna increase
Number of undernourished people dropping
Overall production of crops increasing
Food insecurity is conceding where population density is high
World Kcal/person is static or increasing slowly
Distribution problem
Wealthier have better access to better and increased food choices
And the means to purchase the food
Obesity
Has tripled since 1975
Most live in countries where obesity kills more than undernourishment
Is preventable
Livestock and obesity trends
Obese and overweight pop is increasing
Meat production is increasing
Livestock is using 33% of grain production
Why can’t we feed everyone, we have enough food
Equitable distribution
Economics
Food production paradox
A majority of the resources in the world (land, crop inputs, and labour) are used to produce food for a wealthier minority, who are increasingly overweight
How and why do we produce so much grain?
Three things
- Government Policy
- Scientific Advances
- Economics
Government Policies for producing grain
Ensures stable environment for crop production
National agriculture departments
Agriculture insurance
Public research
Coordination with agribusiness
Regulations - environmental, trade, health
Scientific Advances for producing grain
Increasing yield per acre
Better agronomy
Better storage and handling
Better transport
Green revolution
Economics for producing grain
Macro economics
- International trade deals
- Global food demand
- Humanitarian aid/food security
Micro economics
- Import/export regulations
- Price supports/ farm subsidies
- Labour availablity
Green revolution
Development of high-yielding semi-dwarf varieties of corn, wheat and rice
Widespread adoption of existing tech
- Irrigation
- Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer
- Synthetic pesticides
What countries do we export to the most
United States
China
Japan
Mexico
What do we export the most
Canola
Wheat and flour
Hogs
Where do most of our imports come from
USA
Summary of farms in Manitoba
Farms are increasing in size
Absolute number of farms decreasing
More rented land
Farm inputs becoming more expensive
Fertilizer use is increasing
Pesticide use is steady
Summary of financial trends in Manitoba farms
Farms higher gross income but are more expensive to operate
Farm net income is stagnant
Crop prices fluctuate constantly
Off farm income increasing
What are implications of the trends that farms are changing in Manitoba
Farms are becoming bigger as farm population declines
Less rural labour available
More knowledge per acre needed
Less time per acre (increased reliance on costume work and on larger machinery)
Decreased economic diversity of individual operations
Less land owed by farmers —> more rented land which means decreased responsibility for integrity/environmental quality of land
What is the state of commodity production in Western Canada
Net income is relatively the same
Little subsidy support
Highly variable commodity prices
Many new input technologies
Mixture of old and new production techniques
Increasing higher land prices
Little unbiased info and research support
Increased industry consolidation and merges
The problem in agriculture in Canada
It is challenging to produce consistent economic returns in commodity production in western Canada
What can we do about the problem with agriculture in western Canada
Chang commodity prices and/or returns to farmers
Maximize production efficiency
Adopt new farming models
How to change commodity prices and/or returns to farmers
Subsidies
Different marketing options (direct marketing) (increase in farm storage for price changes)
Value added chains (eg add seed cleaning business to farm)
New generation co-ops
How to maximize production efficiency
Reduce time spent in field
Reduce fuel usage
Reduce fertilizer use
Reduce pesticide use
Precision fertilizer
Diversify cropping options and change risk
Use resources more efficiently to produce more of the same product
How to adopt a different model for your farm
Diversify economically (grow specialty crops or livestock)
Adopt new tech (cost reduction tech)
Adopt more complex rotations
Adopt alternative cropping strategies(cover crops)