Activity 3.1 – Agriculture 10
I. History of Agriculture
Pre-Modern Agriculture
1. Humans need basic nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and elements such as vitamins
2. Early humans were hunter and gatherers that moved across the land in search of food.
3. The transition from a nomadic lifestyle to more complex structures with cultivation took place 10,000 or more years ago.
a. Planting of crops might have first occurred in Southwest Asia around 9,500 B.C.
1) Plant species that are the founding crops for humans were emmer and einkorn wheat, hulled barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chick peas, and flax.
b. By 7,000 B.C., the Persian Gulf, around the Nile River called "Fertile Crescent", and China, had created successful crop production.
2) Sheep, goats, and ox were the main domesticated animals.
c. South America in 3,000-2,700 B.C..
3) Potato, tomato, pepper, squash, and several varieties of bean, were developed.
5. Humans settled in various regions.
a. Larger population density.
6. The establishment of armies protected domesticated animals and crops.
7. Humans were able to specialize in ag methods such as
a. Crop rotation
b. Terraced rice fields
c. Natural fertilizers
d. Irrigation systems
e. Plowing fields
8. Colonization of the New World led to slave trade and the expansion of
European powers into the Americas.
9. 1800’s and continued
a. Breeding techniques allowed for higher animal and crop yield.
b. Greenhouses, storage silos, and grain elevators allowed for greater production and storage of food.
c. Nitrogen and phosphorus were found to be great crop fertilizers and vitamins for livestock led to the mass production of new chemicals for agricultural purposes.
d. fossil fuels & the tractor
e. Use of monocultures made agricultural systems vulnerable.
II. Moving Towards Modern Agriculture: The Green Revolution.
A. Green Revolution
1. It took a hundred years for agricultural production to double, 30 years for production to double during and after WW II, 15 years to double after that and then, 10 years to double again after that.
2. Industrialization of the agricultural industry.
a. Genetic engineering
b. Antibiotics
c. Vitamins
d. Containment of animals
e. Chemicals
Limitations of industrialization of Agriculture
1. Production does not increase
a. Land degradation
b. Social and political conflicts
c. Economic market volatility
2. Consequences
a. water pollution
b. pesticide resistance in pests and weeds
c. changing conditions for crops.
3. Rachel Carson writes “Silent Spring” which is about DDT.
III. Issues of Modern Agriculture
A. Water Pollution from fertilizers
1. Negative Effects of Nitrates
a. Contributes to plant growth in water bodies which reduces the amount of oxygen available for other living organisms.
b. Nitrates in groundwater that are consumed by animals and people can cause blue baby syndrome.
2. Negative Effects of Phosphorus
a. Phosphorus is not very water soluble, so it gathers in larger bodies of water
b. Causes Eutrophication throughout bodies of water, which reduces the oxygen levels and harms ecosystems.
3. Fertilizers create algal blooms which are a serious concern in Lake Erie.
IV. Pesticides and Pesticides Resistance
1. Weeds
a. Include plants not planted by the farmer or seeds from the previous year’s crop that grow together with the crop that was planted.
b. Grow quickly.
c. Compete with crops for sunlight, space, and nutrients.
2. Pesticides (Herbicides)
a. Sprayed onto the crops & weeds while they are young.
3. Genetically Modified Plants
a. Most common genetic modification is to the herbicide glyphosate.
1) Kills different types of weeds.
4. Issues with the wide adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops that are resistant to glyphosate
a. Glyphosate-resistant weeds
b. Newly grown crops are also resistant to glyphosate.
5. Herbicide resistant weeds are a huge problem in Canada and other countries.
V. Climate Change
Agricultural activities that contribute to climate change
a. Cultivation of soil releases carbon dioxide from nitrogen fertilizers, which release nitrous oxide emissions.
b. Methane is released by livestock gas release during digestion and from decomposing manure.
1. Agricultural sequestration
a. Plant roots and organisms in the soil can hold onto carbon and nitrogen preventing them from entering the atmosphere.
2. Climate change and agriculture Opportunities
a. Longer growing season in the north.
b. Greater crop yield in areas due to favorable conditions.
3. Climate Change and Agriculture Challenges
a. Conditions are more favorable for pests and disease.
b. Damage to crops due to severe weather changes.
c. Higher temps and droughts result in lower crop yield.
VI. Soil Loss
1. Agricultural practices can contribute to soil loss
a. The use of tillage to cultivate the land.
b. Leaving the field bare.
c. Removing fallen trees/plants and other plant materials.
VII. What is Sustainable Agriculture?
Defining Sustainable Agriculture
a. Farming practices that include nutrient cycling, biodiversity, evolution, etc.
b. Promotes systems that are economically viable, environmentally friendly, and safe for public health.
c. Reduces inputs from fossil fuels.
2. Benefits
a. Maintains soil health.
b. Reduces pest and weed issues.
c. Promotes biodiversity.
3. Methods of sustainable agriculture
a. Slash and burn
b. integrated pest management
c. organic farming through intercropping
d. maintenance of biodiversity
VIII. Food Security and Food Safety
1. Food Security
a. Access to nutritious food that fits their dietary needs in order to live a healthy life.
2. Food Scarcity
a. Not enough food, not enough nutritional food.
3. Food Safety
a. The rise of GMO’s creates a concern for food safety.
4. Health Canada is responsible for food safety throughout Canada.
a. Establishes regulations and safety measures for food.
IX. Complexity of the Agricultural and Food Production System
Global Markets and Farmers’ Markets
1. Some producers directly sell their products to the buyers and others are multi- national companies.
a. Six corporations control 75% of the world pesticides market
b. Four corporations control more than 75% of the worlds grain trade.
c. 10 major international corporations earn a daily profit of $ 1.1 billion by controlling most of the world's food.
2. Supporting smaller businesses means buyers know who produces their food and how, and they can support local economies.
B. Decreasing Number of Farms, and Migrant Workers
1. Canadian farmers face agricultural vulnerability
a. High input costs
b. Globalization,
c. Free trade agreements
e. Failure of Canadian governments to develop systematic food related policies.
2. Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP)
a. Workers from Jamaica, Mexico and other Caribbean countries can work on Canadian farms.
b. “Migrant Dreams” directed by Min Sook Leeby shows the story of migrant workers who come to work in Ontario greenhouses.
3. Women in Farming
a. Women play a major role in agriculture.
b. More scholarships are recognizing their importance.
X. Practices in Sustainable Agriculture
Integrated Pest Management
1. Uses environmentally-friendly techniques to control and prevent pests. Requires pesticides only when it is absolutely necessary.
2. Information is obtained through inspection, monitoring, and reporting.
3. Farmers will constantly observe their fields to learn about pests and crop conditions.
4. Pheromones and sticky traps are also used.
5. Combatting the pests
a. Removing conditions that can attract pests like clutter, food, standing water.
b. heat/cold treatments
c. Physical/mechanical removal of pests
d. Pesticide application when everything else fails.
6. Combatting the planthopper in Thailand and Vietnam
a. Planthopper kills rice crops
b. Pesticides are used only once during the peak of planthopper infestation.
c. Encouraging natural predators to kill pests
d. Use of clean and pest resistant seeds.
XI. Organic Farming through Intercropping
1. The management of plant interactions to maximize crop yield.
a. cultivating multiple crops in the same field within the same growing season.
b. Use natural resources and water more efficiently and produce a more stable yield.
2. Intercropping methods
a. Temporal intercropping
1) planting different crops in temporal succession, so that the crops do not have to be sown or harvested at the same time, but they should be grown simultaneously for a larger part of their growth periods.
b. Spatial intercropping
1) arrangement of the crops on the field can be determined by different factors. The degree of spatial and temporal overlaps in the component crops can differ.
3. Advantages
a. Yield stability.
b. Reduced crop losses from weeds, pests or disease.
c. Erosion control.
d. Less leaching of nutrients.
e. Soil fertility maintenance.
f. Balanced distribution of labor.
g. Higher economic returns compared to monocultures.
h. Competition between species may be reduced.
4. Organic Certification and Legislation in Canada
a. Farmers must choose certification bodies to use.
b. Land must be suitable for organic production.
c. Create ‘buffer strips’ around their crops to protect them from pesticide sprays and other substances.
a. organic products have to be certified according to the Canadian Organic Standards if they will be moved across borders, or if the farmer wants to use the Canada Organic logo on their product.
XII. Enhancing Biodiversity in Agroecosystems
Biodiversity in agricultural fields
1) Increased through
a. Intercropping
b. Polyculture
c. Cover crops
B. Helps the ecosystem be resilient.
C. Helps in carbon sequestration, food production, soil health, and weed and pest control.
XIII. New Trends: Diversified Agroecological Farming
1. Agriculture and over- exploitation is the cause of 75% of plant and animal species that have gone extinct over the past 500 years.
2. Diversification
a. Methods that increase biodiversity on the farm through pesticide-use reduction, the deployment of boundary structures and increasing diversity of crops.
b. Techniques are based off agroecology.
3. Characteristics of agroecological systems
a. Crop rotation
b. Intercropping
c. Use of different species
d. Labor intensive systems
e. Recycling of waste
4. Using soil amendments help with soil health.
a. Organic matter or manure that is composted.
b. Naturally occurring mineral.
XIV. Case study: Drinking Tea in A Healthier Environment
1. Pest damage to tea leaves can reduce its marketability and cause significant crop losses, which leads to the further overuse of pesticides.
2. Increasing pesticide use causes dangerous residue on leaves, and pest resistance issues.
3. China has begun to make their tea farms more environmentally sustainable using various methods.
a. Cover crops
b. Yellow sticky cards to trap pests
c. Release of volatiles that attract pest enemies.
XV. Case Study: But What About Fertilizers?
A. Chemical fertilizers
1. Made of petroleum or rock, and some of them may have organic matter.
2. Advantages
a. Nutrients are readily available.
b. They have the exact ratio of major nutrients needed for plants.
c. Easy to use.
3. Disadvantages
a. Soil and water pollution.
B. Organic fertilizers
1. Manure and compost are most well-the most well known.
2. Organic fertilizers contain more organic matter which reduces erosion, n nutrients are released over time, and they are biodegradable.
3. Microorganisms are needs in the soil.
C. Agrominerals
1. They are naturally occurring rocks and minerals that contain beneficial plant nutrients and can be used to improve the nutrients in soil.
2. The Spanish River in Ontario has agromineral carbonatite.
3. Carbonatite is sold as a liming agent to increase the soil pH, but might be a good fertilizer.
I learned a lot from this reading, but some of the concepts I found most interesting are as follows. The Green Revolution sparked a movement throughout the world which shaped agriculture into what it is today. We began to realize that our agricultural methods effect our environment drastically. Because of this, humans are beginning to practice more environmentally friendly farming practices. The inorganic fertilizers that are used throughout the agricultural community have a major negative impact on our waterways and the food we consume. When the fertilizers eventually end up in various bodies of water, fragile ecosystems are disrupted. Sustainable agriculture is the only way humans can continue to provide for ourselves. Tilling land and using pesticides and fertilizers can no longer be an option when it comes to agriculture. Modern day agriculture is extremely harmful and leads to climate change, soil loss, water pollution, and pesticide resistance. Although no method is perfect, there are other ways to farm that will not hurt the environment or humans. The food system is extremely complex, and it is very sad to see that most of the world's food is owned by a select group of companies. Even though there are many “developed” countries with extensive agricultural practices, food security and food safety are very rare throughout the world. If small businesses were made more important, the food scarcity and safety problem might decrease. It is important to buy from markets and small businesses to ensure that the food you are getting is nutritious and grown the right way. Big businesses just want to make a profit and they are not worried about sustainable agriculture.
Sustainable agriculture includes various methods that are more environmentally friendly compared to industrial agriculture. Integrated Pest Management uses methods such as sticky traps, hot/cold treatments, and pheromones to combat pests. Pesticide is only applied if it is absolutely needed. Similarly, there is a major emphasis on biodiversity increase throughout sustainable agriculture methods. Agroecological Farming aids in diversification of crops by using crop rotation, intercropping, use of different species, and recycling of waste. It is evident that the higher the biodiversity, the healthier the crop yield and environment. An increase in biodiversity helps maintain soil health, recycle and store nutrients, and decreases pests and disease. Modern agriculture decreased biodiversity and makes it easier for soil loss, crop loss, and an increase in pests and disease. Humans need to switch to sustainable agriculture if we want to continue to survive.
References
Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC). (2017). Sustainable agriculture, in Environmental sustainability in practice.
No comments:
Post a Comment