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Section D
Intergenerational Equity and Food Production Impacts
Intergenerational Equity and the Future Food System
n
Environmental changes first occurred with the rise of simple
agricultural practices
n
Industrialization of food production and the goal of providing cheap
food for a growing human population has significantly increased
pressure on land and water resources
-  Interruption of soil and nutrient cycles we are dependent on for
food production
n
Changes may be long-term or irreversible
-
-
-
-
Land and soil degradation
Water use and degradation
Drug resistance to medically important antibiotics
-
-
Loss of biodiversity
Climate disruption
Depletion of fish stocks and increasing reliance on intensive
aquaculture
3
What Is Meant by “Industrialization” of Food Systems?
n
A system for agriculture based on the principles of the industrial
revolution of the 19th century—mechanization, efficiency, speed,
uniformity, and standardization
n
In agriculture: monocropping, heavy use of inputs (fertilizers,
water), reliance on fossil fuels
n
Definition of industrial agriculture by the Union of Concerned
Scientists
-
Industrial agriculture views the farm as a factory with
“inputs” (such as pesticides, feed, fertilizer, and fuel) and
“outputs” (corn, chickens, and so forth). The goal is to increase
yield (such as bushels per acre) and decrease costs of
production, usually by exploiting economies of scale.
4
Industrialization of Our Food
n
Factors leading to the current “industrialized” food system
-
-
Post–World War II fertilizer production has increased yields, but
also nitrogen and phosphorous pollution
Not accounting for “externalities”


-
-
-
High resource use (soil, water, energy, etc.)
Environmental consequences (water degradation, pollution
by fertilizers and pesticides, soil loss, etc.)
Artificially inexpensive fuel and water
Agricultural subsidies (the Farm Bill)
USDA has dueling roles
  Promote US agricultural products

Nutrition education
5
Land and Water for Agriculture
n
Food production depends on good agricultural land and adequate
rainfall
n
Global rainfall is uneven and does not coincide with population or
where crops are grown
Source: FAO.
6
Water Use for Agriculture
n
1,000 kg water is used to produce 1 kg of grain
n
Worldwide, agriculture accounts for 70% of total water use and 93%
of water depletion (FAO)
n
Direct relationship between the availability of water and the
world’s ability to meet the nutrition requirements of the population
(Stockholm 2004 International Water Institute)
7
Irrigation
n
Approximately two-thirds of water
use worldwide is devoted to
irrigation
n
Worldwide, aquifers are being
depleted for irrigation faster than
they can be replenished (e.g.,
Ogallala Aquifer, the northern
plain of China, etc.)
n
Irrigated areas in developing
countries are expected to increase
by 40 million hectares (20%) by
2030
n
Currently, only 20% of arable land
in developing countries is
irrigated, but produces about 40%
of all crops and 60% of cereals
Sources: USDA; Earth Policy Institute (Lester Brown); and FAO.
8
Fertilizers, Pesticides and Pollution
n
27 million metric tons* (mmt) of chemical fertilizers used worldwide
in 1960; 141 mmt in 2000; global demand ~220 mmt by 2020
n
Crops absorb only one-third to one-half of the nitrogen applied to
farmland (Tilman)
n
Over 1,600 chemicals used in the manufacture of pesticides—most
have not been tested
n
Worldwide, more than 6 million metric tons of pesticides per
year
n
Pesticide residues from industrial agriculture enter our bodies
through food, water, and air, and they raise risks for certain cancers
as well as for reproductive and endocrine system disorders
-
-
1 billion pounds (0.5 mmt) of pesticide per year in the US
5 billion pounds (2.3 mmt) of pesticide per year worldwide
*Note: a metric ton = 1,000 kg; a “US” ton = 907 kg, or 2,000 pounds
9
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds. Available at www.weedscience.org
10
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
11
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
12
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
13
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
14
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
15
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
16
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
17
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
18
Where Weed Killer Won’t Work
Farmers’ wide use of Roundup, also known as glyphosate, a popular herbicide, has led
to the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds across the country. At least 10 species of
Roundup-resistant weeds have infested millions of acres in 22 states since 2000.
Source: International survey of herbicide-resistant weeds.
19
Energy Use by Agriculture
n
The average US farm uses 3 kcal of fossil energy to produce 1 kcal
food energy
-
For feedlot cattle, fossil energy input is 35 kcal for the
production of 1 kcal of beef protein
20
Energy Use by Agriculture
n
Fuel for Food: Energy Use in the US Food System (USDA, 2010)
-
-
-
In 2007, the US food system accounted for almost 16% of the
Nation’s energy budget
Between 1997 and 2002, over 80 percent of the increase in
annual US energy consumption was food related
Population growth, higher per capita food expenditures, and
greater reliance on energy-using technologies boosted foodrelated energy consumption
21
Energy Inputs for Processing Foods
Canned fruits and vegetables
575 kcal/kg
Frozen fruits and vegetables
1,815 kcal/kg
Breakfast cereals
15,675 kcal/kg
Chocolate
18,591 kcal/kg
22
GHG Emissions from Food
23
Industrial Agriculture and Biodiversity
n
Paleolithic record shows background species loss of one to two
species per year
n
Current rate of loss is ~1,000 species per year, a rate of loss not
seen since extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago
n
Industrial agriculture and other human development reduces
biodiversity by …
-  Clearing land for agriculture (or houses)
-
-
-
-
Degrading habitat by pollution
Contributing to climate change
Overfishing—loss of fish species
Reducing and fragmenting species habitat
24
Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon, 2000–2005
Source: Mongabay.com.
25
Deforestation of the Amazon for Agriculture
n
On the southern margin of the Amazon, in Brazil, huge expanses of
rainforest are being cleared by industrial soybean, sugar cane, and
maize producers
Source: NASA.
26
Loss of Biodiversity Threatens the Food Supply
n
Monocropping with hybrid plants reduces biodiversity of cereals and
vegetables
-
More susceptible to pests and catastrophes
n
Intensification of livestock production is a primary factor in loss of
genetic biodiversity among livestock
n
Species extinction removes plants and animals that are potentially
beneficial to humans
n
Ecosystem disturbances allow new pathogens to emerge
n
Balance of species is most important in controlling pests
-  Crop rotation uses this principle
27