The document discusses several issues relating to global food production and security. It notes that agriculture is one of the largest threats to biodiversity due to practices like pesticide use and soil degradation. Around 850 million people worldwide lack adequate food access. While the Green Revolution boosted yields in Mexico and India, continuing efforts face challenges in Africa. Solutions proposed include organic farming, genetically modified crops, and policies to support smallholder farmers. Overall, whether the world can sustainably feed itself in the future remains an open debate.

1. Food Production Sarah Marshall Honors Capstone

2. 2005 United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment “ Agriculture may be the largest threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function of any single human activity.”

3. World Hunger 12 preschool children in developing countries die every minute from hunger and malnutrition 5 million children under 5 years of age die each year The cost of childhood diseases in developing countries account for 20-25% of their economic budgets

4. World Hunger 850 million people in the world lack adequate food 75% of which are in developing nations African and Asian-pacific nations are the significant leaders

5. Food Security Is the ability of individuals to obtain sufficient food on a day-to-day basis More than 6 million people rely on food grown on 11% of the earth Out of this 11% only 3% is fertile soil

6. Our Agriculture A gallon of oil = one pound of beef 2500 gallons of water = one pound of beef Cows defecate 65 pounds per day 10 pounds of grain yields one pound of cow

7. Our Agriculture 16% of greenhouse gasses come from our agriculture 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year $14 billion a year are given to industrial farmers Farm run-off had poisoned ground water in 17 states and polluted 35,000 miles of rivers

8. Soil 25 billion tons of soil are lost annually in the US alone This is the area size of the US and Canada Renewable, develops from underlying parent material but takes 500 years in order to be useable

9. Soil Solutions Minimum Tillage Leaves crop residues on land Greatly reduces soil erosion Only used on 38% of US cropland Cover Crops Sustainable tools to manage soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, and increasing diversity and wildlife “ Green manures” Leguminous

10. Agriculture Pollution Heating animal homes Fertilizers Fuel and emissions from tractors Fuel to make tractors Fuel used in grain production Fuel used to dry grain Transportation / distribution to supermarkets Driving to supermarkets and driving home Using energy to prepare food for consumption

11. Possible Solutions Organic Farming On the rise Green Revolution Used successfully in Mexico and India Genetically Modified Golden rice

12. Organic Less than 1% of the US is organic farming Can support local demands; buy local Labor intensive: can create jobs Must have special certification Since the early 1900s organic food production has growth rates of 20% a year in developed and developing nations April 2008 organic food accounts of 1-2% food sales worldwide

13. Green Revolution Started after WWII and was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation Worldwide effort to improve the productivity of wheat and rice by selecting the high yield varieties First used in Mexico then India adopted the same strategies Numerous attempts to implement in Africa but unsuccessful due to: Widespread corruption Insecurity Lack of infrastructure Lack of governmental concern Availability of water for irrigation Diversity of soil types Inability to place rice in the farmer’s hands

14. Continuing the Green Revolution by Borlaug in 2007 The Wall Street Journal Tools of biotechnology to meet demands for food, feed, fiber, and biofuels Plant breeders have problems with: Saline conditions Resisting diseases and insects Droughts and water logging Distressed climates

15. Bittersweet Harvest by Hsin in 2002 Harvard International Review Genetically modified (GM) crops Recently FDA reconsidered policies; in the past allergenicity safety tests were not mandated For almost a decade the US government made no distinction between GM crops and organically grown crops Could wipeout hunger; especially in countries such as India where the population grows by 20 million every year Most potent risk of GM crops: uncontrolled breeding and introduction of foreign genes into the natural ecosystem

16. Deflating the World’s Bubble Economy by Brown in 2003 USA Today Magazine Food is the most vulnerable sector National security threats Terrorists treats Worldwide More than 100 countries import wheat and 40 import rice Only 6 countries supply 90% of grain: US, Canada, France, Australia, Argentina, and Thailand World’s poor spends 70% of income on food

17. World’s Bubble Economy Climate change The highest temperatures in 11,000 years Exhausted soils Widespread aquifer depletion Loss of irrigation water unknown to previous generations Natural disasters Destructive storms Deadly heat waves Collapsing fisheries Melting of polar ice caps

18. Will the World Be Able to Feed Itself in the Foreseeable Future? 2006 FAO reported food demand growth will rise 1.5% each year for the next 30 years Future problems include: Producing enough food for 67% of population Ridding of chronic malnutrition to world’s poor

19. Will the World Be Able to Feed Itself in the Foreseeable Future? YES Global food production can keep pace with hunger via policies set in place by governments and organizations NO Decreasing grain harvests, growing populations, dwindling fisheries and the continuing problem of poverty

20. The Great Debate Topic: Universal Standards of Living and Global Sustainability

21. The Great Debate Basic human entitlements should be: Food Water Health Energy

22. The Great Debate Question 1: The effects and influences of technology on human entitlements . Will it save or kill us?

23. The Great Debate Question 1 Pro Is technology the solution? Water Desalination Reverse osmosis Distilment Alternative energy GM food Con Is technology the problem? Pollution Climate change Rain forests Dirty drinking water Garbage in the oceans World hunger

24. The Great Debate Question 2: The incentives for improving human entitlements . Capitalism or intrinsic motivators?

25. The Great Debate Question 2 Pro Better incentives to work toward solutions. Little money now compared to lots of money later War is bad Problems grow and spread Disease to plagues Hunger to starvation Con Are profits the only motivators that will last and truly work? Government and organizational programs come and go Mankind is greedy

26. References Borlaug, Norman, E (2008). Continuing the green revolution. Global Issues , 24 , 39-40. Brown, Lester, R (2008). Deflating the world’s bubble economy. Global Issues, 24, 46-48. Gulnick, Jeanne (2008). Ecology class. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Standish, ME. Hart, J. E. & Lombardi, M. O (2009). Will the world be able to feed itself in the foreseeable future? Taking Sides, 5, 112-127. Hsin, Honor (2008). Bittersweet harvest. Global Issues, 24, 41-43.