2 agriculture

SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION FOR
CULINARY PROFESSIONAL
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Part 2: Agriculture
Food from the Soil

Part 2:Agriculture –
Food from the Soil
Road map:
• Current situation: Risks/Benefits of
Industrial and Ecological Agriculture
• Solutions implemented by food service
professionals
• Bringing it Local: How you can help
reduce human health, environmental,
social, and economic impacts of
agriculture
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From Soil To Supper
Connecting Food, Agriculture, and Ecosystems
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Industrial Food System
• Specialization
• Simplification
• Mechanization
• Standardization
• Consolidation
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Monocultures
• Monocultures are inherently risky (“Don’t
put all your eggs in one basket.”)
• Insecticides and Herbicides necessary to
manage risk of monocultures
In a world effected by global
warming, agricultural diversity
may become increasingly important.
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Risk Of Biodiversity Loss
• 90% of global food supply comes from only 15 plant and animal species
• Narrow range of crops destabilizes food supply
• Monocultures are susceptible to devastating epidemics
• Potato Blight caused the great Irish Potato Famine and led
to over one million deaths in the mid-1800s
• Southern Corn Leaf Blight ravaged the U.S. corn crop in
1970
• The Cavendish banana (95% of global exports) is being
devastated by a fungus which may wipe out this dominant
cultivar
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Fertilizer Effects
Nutrient run-off promotes
algal blooms and creates
Dead Zones
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Pesticide Treadmill
As insects and weeds become resistant, more, and more deadly, chemicals are needed to
achieve the desired effect
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Pesticides And Human Health
• Cancers (Prostate, Breast, Childhood Leukemia)
• Endocrine disruption and reproductive harm (sterility, spontaneous
abortions, deformed babies)
• Nervous system impacts
• Acute poisonings
• Death
Minimize Pesticide Exposure
• Purchase organically grown items
• Remove outer layers
• Wash well
1850 -- first synthetic chemical fertilizer
invented (super-phosphate)
1948 – chemical pesticides widely adopted
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Genetic Modification
• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) contain genes
that have been changed using technology
• GMOs were developed to fit into the industrial model of
large acreages devoted to one crop
• Most processed foods contain GM ingredients
• Used to solve issues surrounding hunger, yield, changing
climate
GMO Debate
Proponents say: reduced labor, more convenience,
increased yields, less chemicals needed, improve
nutrition
Opponents say: GMO technology created super-
weeds; GMO safety concerns, chemicals used with
modified plants (e.g. Round-Up herbicide) harm many
organisms in the ecosystem and reduce biodiversity.
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Resource Depletion
Agriculture necessities at risk
• Fertile soil
• Fresh water
• Fossil fuels
• Nutrients
• Stable Climate
• Stable national and international
politics and economics
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Ecological Agriculture
Basic tenants:
– Minimize soil erosion
– Build soil fertility
– Conserve fresh water
– Protect water quality
– Protect biodiversity
– Bio-systems of living organisms
enhancing each other (plants,
animals, microbes)
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Loss Of Farmland
• Mega-cities from Beijing to Brasilia are gobbling up fertile land. In the U.S., 2 acres of farmland are
paved every minute.
• Land-grabs occur when companies buy land farmed for generations by indigenous families, displacing
people and producing grain for export instead of food for local families
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Inter-relationships & Impacts
High price of oil à high price of food
Volatile weather à volatile food prices
Monocropping à pesticide use à decreased biodiversity
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Organic Agriculture
– Builds Soil
– Enhances Ecosystems
– Prohibits:
petroleum-based fertilizers, synthetic pesticides,
sewage sludge, genetic engineering
– Prohibits (in animal agriculture): Hormones, sub-therapeutic antibiotics, other growth-promoting drugs
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Biodiversity And Heirlooms
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Local/Regional Food Systems
• Pros
– Direct producer-consumer relationship;
fresher food produced, possibility for
flavorful heirlooms without the need for
durability; support local economies;
possible lower number trasportation inputs
• Cons
– Higher costs, seasonal availability, difficulty
in sourcing, distribution
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Seasonality
• In-season produce often tastes
best
• To meet consumer demand for
out of season produce
• Global sourcing
• Greenhouses
• Hydroponic
• Aquaponics
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Food Transportation
– Industrial consolidation in processing,
transportation, and distribution
– Local and regional food systems
– “Food Miles”
– Loss of taste and nutrition over time
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Comparing Systems
Industrial Agriculture
Costs: possible health implications;
environmental degradation; social
injustice; animal welfare decline
Ecological Agriculture
Costs: Food less uniform; more
human labor needed; often, final
food cost is often higher
Agricultural systems are not necessarily either/or. There is room for systems that exist between industrial
and ecological. The challenge is to be able to sustain a greater population’s needs while not damaging the
environment that will support future generations.
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Benefits: increased food production,
less human labor, uniform food
size/color/shape; lower food prices
Benefits: more jobs, lower
toxic inputs, greater biodiversity,
better taste

WhatYou Can Do
• Don't fear technology and what is new. Instead, be
informed.
• Grow your own food
• Limit packaging
• Feature foods could are produced locally. Get to know
the producers and their commitment to sustainable
agriculture
• Find trustworthy producers who seek out local,
sustainable products—and are fair to the growers
• Help spark change by creating demand for these
products
• Create menus that feature and call out local
agriculture. Educate your clients.
• Beware of always looking to buy the most inexpensive
products. Paying more for unique and well-raised
produce can help marketing and attract customers.
• Seek out a diversity of products
• Ask questions about commodity foods that you are
purchasing. Be informed.
• USEYOUR CHEF SKILLS TO FEATUREVEGETABLES
AND FRUITS...make them the stars!
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2 agriculture

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