2/17 Bellringer: Conventional Agriculture
1. What is agriculture?2. What is the #1 crop produced in
the U.S.?3. What are the positive results of
large scale agriculture?4. What are the negative impacts of
industrial agriculture.
Conventional Agriculture
The History of AgricultureAgriculture is the raising of crops and livestock
for food or for other products that are useful to humans.◦ Began over 10,000 years ago◦ This period was called the Agricultural Revolution◦ Prior to humans were primarily hunter-gatherers◦ Agriculture allowed human population to grow at
unprecedented rates
http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-agriculture-1
Origins of Agriculture Farming was first used
in the Middle East, in a region running from present-day Turkey to Iraq and Israel, called the Fertile Crescent.
Barley and wild wheat were abundant and flood river plains were used.
Spread of Agriculture
Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course (1:05-6:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yocja_N5s1I
Agricultural Revolution• Plants we grow and eat (domesticated) today are
descended from wild plants• Teosinte: ancestor of modern corn
• Farmers collected seeds from plants that exhibited the qualities they desired
• Seeds were planted and harvested again and again
Evolution of Corn Teosinte vs. Zea Mays
Agriculture ModelsSubsistence agriculture: growing food for
consumption by farmer’s family
Commercial (modern) agriculture: growing food for sale off the farm, heavy use of machinery, fossil fuels, and technology
Sustainable Agriculture
•Small acreage •Crop rotation•Co-planting •Fallow fields•Regionally-appropriate crops•Locally eaten and sold
Modern Agriculture
•Large acreage•Monoculture•Extensive use of fertilizers•Extensive use of pesticides •Irrigation•Subsidies to overproduce •Selection of cash crops following subsidies•Crop selection for animal feed
Agricultural RevolutionDestruction of habitats◦ Grasslands, forests, and
wetlands were replaced with farmland
Replacement of forest◦ Soil loss◦ Floods◦Water shortages
Farmland Drainage
AgribusinessAgribusiness is a term that encompasses all the
businesses involved in agricultural food production, including farming, contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales.
One of the largest and most diverse industries in the US. Estimated 2012 revenue = $2.4 trillion
Major industry stakeholders◦Monsanto, Cargill, ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), etc.
U.S. Crop ProductionU.S. farmers produce roughly $100 billion worth
of crops and about $100 billion worth of livestock each year. (EPA 2012)
In 2010, 335 million acres of land were used for crop production. (Census 2012)
USDA Land Use Survey in 2002, 442 million acres (20%) were used for crop land◦ 587 million acres (26%) were used for grassland
pasture and range land. If you combine crop and rangeland, that’s nearly ½ of the United States!
U.S. Crop ProductionMajor agricultural crops produced in the United States in 2000 (excluding root crops, citrus, vegetable, etc).
Crop Harvested Area (million acres)
Cash Receipts from Sales ($ billion)
Corn (grain) 72.7 15.1
Soybeans 72.7 12.5
Hay 59.9 3.4
Wheat 53.0 5.5
Cotton 13.1 4.6
Sorghum (grain) 7.7 0.82
Rice 3.0 1.2
http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/cropmajor.html
Farmers in the U.S.In 1935, the number of farms in the United
States was 6.8 million. In 2007, the number of farmers was down to 2.2 million.
The need for human labor has also declined as evidenced by the increase in agricultural labor efficiency over the the past century.
Average age of farmers is 54 years old in 1997. Average age of farmers is 57 years old in 2007. Average age of farmers is increasing.
Earl Butz and SubsidiesEarl Butz was the head of the
Department of Agriculture in the 1970’s.
His major change was that he promoted bigger farms and encouraged “get big or get out.”
He was responsible for creating direct payments to grow corn = subsidies.
Corn (Zea mays)Corn is the most heavily subsidized
crop by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Corn is the major source of food in the American diet◦ Almost everything Americans eat
contains corn: high fructose corn syrup, corn-fed meat, and corn-based processed foods are the staples of the modern diet.
One bushel of industrial corn requires ¼ to 1/3 gallons of oil for production (Pollan, Omnivore’s Dilemma) ◦ = 50 gallons of oil/acre of corn
Issues with Conventional Agriculture
MonoculturesGrowing a single crop or plant
species over a wide area for many years.◦ ex. lawns, corn fields, tree farms
Widely used in industrial agriculture for large crop yields with little labor input.
However, they can lead to quicker spread of disease or use more soil nutrients.
Livestock, Dairy, & PoultryDomesticated animals raised for product
output or slaughtered for consumption.Animal products account for over half of the
value of U.S. agricultural products, often exceeding $100 billion per year. (USDA 2012)
Issues include overcrowding to maximize profit in large-scale operations, disease spread in monocultures, use of antibiotics, excessive waste output, and treatment.
Dairy CowsTrace amounts of hormones, blood, and pus
can be found in milk from industrial processes
Poultry FarmsChickens are often “debeaked” to prevent
damage and cannibalism at crowded farms
Energy Inputs vs. OutputsKilocalories of fossil fuel input per kilocalorie of protein output
Feed lot beef
Free range beef
Pigs
Broiler Chicken
Sheep
Vegetables
Fish FarmsIssues include over
crowding (does not occur in the wild) - can cause disease, stress, and pollution, and local habitat destruction
Dead or diseased fish are often ground up and fed to live fish
Sea lice
Slash and BurnAgricultural technique which involves cutting
and burning of forests to create fields◦ commonly used practice in the Amazon
Typically used in subsistence farming since it needs little technology or tools
Environmental Impacts of AgricultureHigh use of fossil fuels and
pesticides◦ Air pollution◦ Pressures on non-renewable
resourcesUntreated animal wastes and
agricultural chemicals◦ Water pollution◦ Harms fisheries
Insects, weeds, and disease-causing organisms developing resistance to pesticides◦ Contaminate food supply
Pesticide Application Abundance
Highest LowestApples Asparagus
Bell peppers Avocados
Celery Bananas
Cherries Broccoli
Imported grapes Cauliflower
Nectarines Corn (sweet corn)
Peaches Kiwi
Peas Mangos
Potatoes Onions
Red Raspberries Papayas
Spinach Pineapple
Strawberries Peas (sweet)
Released 10/21/2003 by EWG
Pesticides Residue on Produce
Environmental Impacts of AgricultureLand degradation◦ Decreases future ability of land to
support crops or livestockHabitat fragmentation◦ Breakup of large areas of habitat
into small, isolated patchesCultivating marginal lands◦ Irrigating dry land◦ Cultivating land prone to erosion
Genetic Engineering Manipulation of genes by taking specific gene from a cell of
one species and placing it into the cell of an unrelated species
Solutions to Large Scale Agriculture
Your Assignment:On a separate sheet of paper:◦Draw (with labels) an IDEAL Sustainable Farm
that doesn’t have all the problems that Conventional Farming does.
Modern AgricultureExit Slip