Hazards of Industrial Agriculture
Key: AWL to Study, Low-frequency Vocabulary
What are the hazards of industrial agriculture?
Organic Farming: A Growing Trend
• Consumer demand for organic farming is rising at 20%
per year.
• The highest growth is in Argentina, US, and China.
• People are growing conscious of adverse effects of
industrial agriculture,
where there is a focus on
maximizing profits
at the expense of health
and the environment.
How do you think industrial agriculture contributes to
global warming and water pollution?
Health Risks: Industrial Methods
• Pesticide residues on produce
 remain after washing and peeling.
 have links to cancer.
• Antibiotics we ingest
 from plant and animal sources
 lead to the development of untreatable
superbugs
Do you worry about pesticide residues on or antibiotics in
your food? Explain.
Additional Health Risks
• Plant and animal growth hormones
 disrupt endocrine system.
 lead to early puberty.
• Biological engineering
 Unregulated items are
virtually invisible in stores.
 Manipulation of
genetic code could
impact health.
How do you think genetically modified food might impact
your health?
Environmental Hazards
• Environmental hazards comprise air pollution, global
warming, and other problems.
• Synthetic fertilizers
 largest source of nitrous oxide
emissions
 300 times more toxic than carbon
dioxide gases
 will affect air pollution and intensify
global warming if continued
Are you concerned about air pollution in your country?
Why or why not?
Authorities on Water Pollution
• Animal waste, fertilizers, and pesticides leach into soil.
 They run off through irrigation and contaminate ground water
(large portion of water supply).
 They contain nitrates, which cause permanent damage to
ground water.
Are you concerned about water pollution in your country?
Why or why not?
Dead Zones in Oceans
• Preponderance of nitrogen in fertilizers
 helps crops grow; harms oceans
 generates algal overgrowth
• Algal overgrowth
 depletes oxygen
in water
 no plant or animal
can survive
Unsustainable Soil
• Industrial mono-cropping: one crop is planted
repeatedly on a single field.
 The process relies on the use of synthetic fertilizers.
 Mono-cropping kills microorganisms needed to produce soil
nutrients.
 Infertile soil leads to erosion,
unsustainable farmlands,
and reduced biodiversity.
If mono-cropping is destroying farmlands and
biodiversity, what is the alternative?
Vicious Cycle
• Soil infertility leads to a vicious cycle
of fertilizer use.
 Increasing fertilizer use leads to
environmental hazards.
• Increased use of pesticides
 Only the fittest pests survive.
 Stronger pesticides are then needed.
What are the environmental hazards associated with the
use of pesticides?
Organic Farming
• Organic farming prohibits
the use of synthetic fertilizers
and pesticides, hormones,
antibiotics, and genetically
modified organisms.
• It ensures soil sustainability
and overall quality.
What are the advantages of eating organic food?
Crop Rotation
• Holistic farming techniques




infuse soil with essential nutrients.
ensure different crops are planted every year.
vary the nutrient demand in soil.
create sustainable soil.
How does organic farming affect soil?
Animal Welfare
• Small-scale organic farms are
 less likely to confine livestock
to small spaces.
 against the use of antibiotics.
• Free-range farms
 allow animals to roam freely.
 reduce stress and susceptibility
to disease.
How do you feel about confining animals to small spaces
in order to produce food?