Agriculture

What is agriculture?

• It is the business of cultivating soil, raising livestock and producing crops for human need

• Can be called farming or husbandry

• Products of agriculture are fruits, vegetables and livestock

Agriculture and soil

• Soil covers much of the land on Earth Soil covers much of the land on Earth

• It is made up of minerals, air, water, and It is made up of minerals, air, water, and organic materialorganic material

• Soil provides a place for plant roots to Soil provides a place for plant roots to anchor anchor

• Source of food for plants Source of food for plants

• Home for many animals Home for many animals

• It is made up of many layersIt is made up of many layers

Soil Layers

• Layers are called horizons

• O-is mainly organic material

• A-is topsoil• B-is subsoil• C-is parent material

Agriculture and the U.S.

•Agriculture is America’s largest industryAgriculture is America’s largest industry

-$100-billion-plus livestock and -$100-billion-plus livestock and poultry industrypoultry industry

-$100-billion-plus crop industry-$100-billion-plus crop industry

•About 18% of all American jobsAbout 18% of all American jobs

•13% of the nation’s gross domestic product13% of the nation’s gross domestic product

Agriculture and the U.S. cont.

• Wheat• Corn• Soybeans• Rice

• Beef cattle• Chickens/turkeys• Cows• Goats/sheep

Agriculture in Pa.

Top 5 agriculture commodities, 2001Top 5 agriculture commodities, 2001

CommodityCommodityValue of Value of

receiptsreceipts

thousand $thousand $

Percent of Percent of

state totalstate total

farm receiptsfarm receipts

Percent of US Percent of US

valuevalue

1.     Dairy products1.     Dairy products 1,791,8041,791,804 40.240.2 7.37.3

2.     Cattle and calves2.     Cattle and calves 418,208418,208 9.49.4 1.01.0

3.     Mushrooms3.     Mushrooms 351,898351,898 7.97.9 58.258.2

4.     Greenhouse/nursery4.     Greenhouse/nursery 331,608331,608 7.47.4 2.42.4

5.     Chicken eggs5.     Chicken eggs 303,676303,676 6.86.8 2.42.4

  

All commoditiesAll commodities 4,454,9794,454,979    2.22.2

Agriculture and pests

• Gypsy moth

• Fungus

• Grasshoppers

• Other insects

• bacteria

New Threat-Agroterrorism

Any criminal act that:-Introduces hazards to plant, animal, and

human health

-Erodes public confidence in U.S. food supply and safety

-Damages agricultural commerce and economy, including international trade

-Causes social unrest

Why agroterrorism?

• There are some reasons why terrorists might use livestock or crop diseases:– The agents are easy to introduce into the environment– They do not need a weapon to transmit them– This makes it safer for the terrorist to use them, and – The agents are widely available

• Things that can be used in agroterrorism: viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites

How could this happen to our food supply?

• Average domestic food product moves 1,518 miles.• Average imported food product moves 2,242 miles.• We have the world’s safest food supply but in December

2003 we questioned that. – Thousands fell ill & 3 died from eating green onions in PA, TN,

GA & NC. • We had a single sick cow in Washington State and 30

nations responded with bans on imports or other sanctions.

• As food travels from farm to table, there are many points along the way where acts of terrorism and contamination could potentially occur

• USDA and FDA work hard to ensure the safety of our food supply