An intor to agribusiness and asociated env impacts

1. Environmental issues of food
production systems for global
agribusiness

2. Syllabus link
Environmental issues linked with the global
shift of industry:
• food production systems for global
agribusiness

3. Parts of the food production system

4. What are some impacts of food
production on the environment?
There are a number of important issues in
agricultural food production and consumption that
have significant impacts on the environment
including :
• soil bio diversity
• desertification
• water use and water pollution
• energy consumption
• climate change
• chemical pollution

5. What is agribusiness?
Agribusiness is: An
industry engaged in the
production operations of
a farm, the manufacture
and distribution of farm
equipment and supplies,
and the processing,
storage, and distribution
of farm commodities.

7. What was the green revolution?
The Green Revolution refers
to a set of research and the
development technologies
and techniques that increased
agricultural production
worldwide (particularly in the
developing world)
The green revolution really
took off in the 1960’s

8. What was the green revolution?
The initiatives resulted in the adoption of new
technologies, including:
• HYV seeds
• Chemical fertilizers
• Pesticides
• Improved water supply (irrigation, pumps etc)
• Mechanization
• New cultivation techniques

9. Agribusiness has taken the technologies and
techniques of the green revolution and made
them into businesses.

10. Initial benefits
of the green
revolution and
agribusiness
Technological
Innovations
Fertilizers &
Pesticides
Mass production and
monoculture by
‘agribusinesses’ (TNCs)
Improved
knowledge
Improved
transport
Farm subsidies
More land cultivated
Benefits of the green
revolution & agribusiness

11. The role of
‘agribusiness’ in
increasing food
supplies
HOW?
WHAT
IMPACTS?

12. The role of
‘agribusiness’ in
increasing food
supplies
Branching out into
biotechnology (and
patenting)
Control of agrochemical
market (fertilizers, pesticides)
Control of all stages of
production (‘farm to
fork’) including the farm,
storage, transport,
supermarket chains –
“economies of scale”
HOW?
WHAT
IMPACTS?
Environmental – loss of
biodiversity through
monoculture, heavy use
of agrochemicals, oil
dependent.
Farmers sell to a smaller
number of packers &
processors demand
for lower prices fall in
farm income bankrupt
More farmers work under
contract for an agribusiness
risk is shifted from the company
to the producers (= farmers)
Concentration of the supply of
inputs (machinery, agrochemicals,
seeds, etc) in the hands of a few
TNCs higher dependency

13. Activity
• Create an infographic to show the
environmental impact of the globalization of
agribusiness.