EE Chapter 14 Feeding The World

Feeding the World

Chapter 14

Feeding the WorldFeeding the WorldChapter 14Chapter 14

14.1 Human Nutrition• Macronutrients – provide energy to body.

– Ex. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

• Micronutrients – provide the body with small amounts of chemicals needed for biochemical reactions.– Kcal – kilocalorie – unit of measurement for

macronutrients.– Humans are omnivores (plant and animal)– Human diets should include more vegetables than

meats.– Humans need energy to carry out their life processes.

Nutrition

• There are 8 Essential Amino Acids that must be obtained by food.

• Carbohydrates – provide the body with the quickest source of energy.– EX. Bread, grain, or veggies

• Foods with complex carbohydrates are starches.

Malnutrition

• Caused by the lack of a specific nutrient.

• A healthy vegetarian diet includes protein from a combination of grains and legumes (soy, bean, peanuts).

• Foods that come from plants usually lack some essential amino acids.

14.2 World Food Supply

• More food is available per person than at any point in history.

The Green Revolution• Development of new strains of wheat and rice,

the two main foods of the world.• Faster growth, resistance to disease, climate

diversity.• Crop yields can increase as much as 4 times the

normal yield.• Fertilizers and Modern Machinery.• Poor farmers can’t afford these advances so they

don’t make as much money for their product.

Cash Crops

• A crop grown for the purpose of sale.

• Developing countries would rather export crops for livestock than provide food for their starving nation.

• Money is used to support government (weapons and political leaders).

Food from the Water

• Increased harvesting of ocean fish has led to endangerment of fish species.

• Aquaculture involves the controlled commercial production of fish and mollusks.

• An alternative to fishing in the open oceans for food is to raise fish in confined pools.

Fish Farm

Fish Farm

Lettuce

Lettuce

Catfish CagesCatfish Cages

14.3 Modern Farming Techniques• Large pieces of farm equipment using fossil

fuels replaced human powered tools.• Industrialized Agriculture

– Highly efficient and productive.

• Ex. Modern farming 1 farmer can feed 78 people, 1850 1 farmer could feed 5.

• IA uses large amounts of energy, pesticides, and fertilizers.

• Agribusinesses – Farms run by large corporations.

Modern Farming Techniques• Agribusinesses have several stages of food

production, packaging, and transport.• Monoculture – growing one or two crops

instead of a variety.• Overusing pesticides has lead to insect

resistance.Problems: Plants are vulnerable to the same diseases, mineral depletion from the soil, soil ability is reduced which decreases the crop yield.

Modern Farming Techniques

Modern Farming Techniques

Modern Farming Techniques

Farming Techniques

14.4 Sustainable Agriculture

• Sustainable Argriculture – crop rotation, reduced soil erosion, integrated pest management, and a minimal use of soil addiditives.

• Agricultural Problems: Soil Erosion, Deforestation, Desertification, Hunger, War, and Environmental Damage.

Sustainable Agriculture

• Crop rotation – changing crop on a regular cycle.

• 1 – 6 Years to prevent the minerals from becoming depleted from the soil.

• Cover Crops – nonfood plants grown between growing seasons.

• Return nitrogen and prevent erosion.

Reducing Erosion

• Natural process by which valuable topsoil and nutrients are carried away.

• Drip irrigation delivers small quantities of water at the root, reducing erosion by water.

• Reduced tilling can increase crop yields.

• Extensive tilling is beneficial to the soil, but it increases erosion from water and wind.

Erosion

Pest Management

• IPM – Integrated Pest Management

• Reduces pesticides by as much as 90%.

• Natural Predators – Wasps, ladybugs, and a variety of viruses and bacteria.

• Insects were becoming immune to insecticides and crops were suffering.

• Farmers using IPM have higher crop yields.

Natural Predators