XII - Food Resources

Question 1

Industrialized agriculture

Answer 1

Uses large amounts
of fossil fuel, water,
commercial fertilizers,
& pesticides to
produce huge
quantities of single
crops or livestock.

Question 2

Types of traditional agriculture

Answer 2

Traditional subsistence

Traditional intensive

Question 3

Traditional subsistence

Answer 3

Uses primarily
human labor
& draft animals
to produce
enough crops or
livestock for a
family’s survival.

Question 4

Traditional intensive:

Answer 4

Increased inputs
of labor, fertilizer,
& water to achieve
higher yields for
sale.

Question 5

Generalized Map of Food Production

Answer 5

Developed countries tend to use industrialized agriculture
Central SA & Africa are shifting cultivation
Northern Africa, Middle East, Northwestern China - nomadic herding
Southeastern China - Intensive traditional agriculture

Question 6

Green Revolution

Answer 6

An agricultural system that produces more food on
less land (increased yields per unit area of cropland)

Question 7

Main components of Green Revolution

Answer 7

1) developing & planting monocultures of genetically
engineered, high–yield varieties of crops;
2) growing & protecting crops with large inputs of
fertilizer, pesticides, & water;
3) increasing the intensity & frequency of cropping

Question 8

Global grain production has

Answer 8

Increased during the 20th century

Question 9

Do we produce enough food to feed the world?

Answer 9

There is currently enough food produced to feed

all people, but it is unevenly distributed.

Question 10

What causes the uneven distribution of food?

Answer 10

Many people in developing countries are undernourished or malnourished & many people in developed countries are overnourished &
waste large amounts of food.

Question 11

Carry capacity of the Earth is dependent on

Answer 11

• the cultural carrying capacity per person;
• the sustainability of future food production;
• the percentage of the population eating meat.

Question 12

Food production per capita

Answer 12

Slowing in early 2000s

Constant since then

Question 13

What factors caused slowing?

Answer 13

• world population increasing;
• increasing demand for food, especially meat;
• degradation & loss of cropland;
• water supply for irrigation limited;
• declining fertilizer use.

Question 14

How to increase crop yields

Answer 14

By increasing inputs of water, fertilizer, & pesticides

Genetic engineering

Question 15

Increasing inputs of water, fertilizer, & pesticides

Answer 15

eventually these additions produce no additional

increase in crop yields

Question 16

Genetic engineering

Answer 16

• raise the share of photosynthetic product in the seed;
• develop strains of plants that are resistant to disease,
  insects, & drought.

Question 17

New types of food comes from

Answer 17

• cultivation of less
widely known plants;
• cultivation of
perennial plants
reduce inputs of
water, fertilizer, &
energy – reduce soil
erosion;
• yummy insects

Question 18

First green revolution

Answer 18

occured in developed countries
Canada
US
Most of Europe

Question 19

Second green revolution

Answer 19

occured in developing countries
Mexico
China
India
Parts of Pacific Islands

Question 20

Cultivating more land

Answer 20

Clearing tropical forests

Irrigate arid lands

Question 21

clear tropical forests

Answer 21

- nutrient–poor soils will
likely make agriculture
unsustainable;
- removal of valuable
carbon sink;
- loss of biodiversity.

Question 22

irrigate arid lands

Answer 22

• expensive dams;
• depletion of groundwater
  supplies.

Question 23

What percent of global land is used for agriculture?

Answer 23

40%

Question 24

world population increase will

Answer 24

demand greater

food production

Question 25

further application of green revolution techniques

will

Answer 25

increase food production, but these techniques

have limitations & environmental consequences

Question 26

industrialized agriculture has a

Answer 26

greater harmful
impact on air, soil, water, & biodiversity resources
than any other human activity

Question 27

Consequences of industrialized farming includes…

Answer 27

Biodiversity loss
Soil degradation
Water pollution
Air pollution
Human Health

Question 28

Biodiversity loss

Answer 28

Loss & degradation of habitat from clearing natural landscape
Fish kills from pesticide
Killing wild predators to protect livestock
Loss of genetic diversity from monoculture

Question 29

Soil degradation

Answer 29

Erosion
Loss of fertility
Salinization
Waterlogging
Desertification

Question 30

Air pollution

Answer 30

Greenhouse gas emission
Air pollutants from fossil fuel
Pollution from pesticide sprays

Question 31

Water pollution

Answer 31

Aquifer depletion
Increased runoff & flooding
Sediment pollution from erosion
Surface & groundwater pollution
Over Fertilization of water sources from nitrates & phosphates runoff

Question 32

Human health

Answer 32

Nitrates in drinking water
Pesticide residues in drinking water, food, & air
Contamination of drinking & swimming water with disease organism from waste
Bacterial contamination of meat

Question 33

Env’tal impact from meat production

Answer 33

• more than 1/2 of the world’s cropland is used to
produce livestock feed;
• overgrazing is the major cause of desertification of arid
& semi–arid lands;
• cattle produce methane (CH
4), a greenhouse gas;
• cattle crowded into feedlots require large doses of
antibiotics.

Question 34

Some methods used in sustainable agriculture increases

Answer 34

• reduce water waste in irrigation;
• increase use of organic fertilizers;
• emphasize biological pest control & integrated
pest management;
• increase use of soil conservation techniques.

Question 35

Maximum sustainable yield

Answer 35

Maximum amount of fishes that can be caught without compromising env’tal health given constant conditions

Question 36

How many of the major oceanic fishing areas have been fished at or beyond their estimated maximum sustainable yield for commercially valuable species & are in a state of decline?

Answer 36

11 of the world’s 15

Question 37

Why is this happening?

Answer 37

• growing demand for seafood;
• efficient, large–scale industrial fishing fleets;
• degradation & destruction of coastal wetlands;
• pollution of coastal waters.

Question 38

Aquaculture is also known as

Answer 38

blue revolution

Question 39

Benefits to fish farming/ ranching

Answer 39

• produce high yields in a small volume of water;

* increase yields by crossbreeding & genetic engineering.

Question 40

Aquaculture limitations

Answer 40

• conversion of coastal wetlands to fish farms;
• genetic pollution of natural fish populations by escapees;
• contamination of nearby waters with waste & chemicals