how can all of the people in the world be fed?. food distribution problems
TRANSCRIPT
How can all of the people in the world
be fed?
Food Distribution Problems
WarFamine often accompanies war or involves criminality-Somalia Warlords 1991 (clips: YouTube - Somalia Behind the Headlines Somalia) YouTube - 8 minute crash course about SomaliaYouTube - Black Hawk Down - Trailer
Not able to plant crops – too dangerousRelief resources only available during ceasefiresSometimes the resources are taken by the government or military powers to feed the soldiers rather than the civilians
DebtMany countries owe the IMF or World Bank and therefore sanctions are imposed on their countriesForced to grow “cash crops” for profit – coffee, cotton, tea, sugar cane, peanutsLess land for subsistence food crops Means cutting spending on health, education, and housing leading to greater poverty and the cycle continues
Technology
Green RevolutionSuper seeds require more water, fertilizer and pesticidesPoor countries can’t afford to grow foodContaminates waterGenetically modified foods
Natural CausesNot as large a factor as the 3 mentioned aboveDrought (China Great Leap Fwd.-Mao’s Fault/sparrows Ireland 1850s, Ethiopia 1980sPoor soil qualityFloodingClimate
The Green RevolutionThe introduction and rapid spread of high yield wheat and rice. First large use of chemical pesticides and high yield varieties of crops
Achieved by crossing of the different strains of major food crops to greater and larger yields that were more resistance to drought and disease. When: mid 1960’sPurpose: To meet the food needs of the developing world.
The Results….led to greater grain and rice productionhigher food outputs for LDC’sHelped stave off catastrophic famines!Self-sufficiency for some countries (Pakistan-wheat exporter, India-11 m tonnes to 27 m tons from 1965 to 1972, Mexico- double wheat yields, Philippines and Indonesia-rice previously imported)Planting dates become more flexible
Rich farmers and factory farms have the resources for fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation water, machinery, storage and transportation (gap between rich and poor farmers widen). This has hurt smaller farms all over the world and even in rich countries. FARM AID
http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.6236707/k.8E86/About_the_Concert.htm
Colour, texture and tastes of new rice not well received.More difficult to raise output of rice with biotechnology due to precise water control. high yield varieties more costly to produce Many HYVs require more labour than the traditional counterparts (irrigation and fertilization)Contamination of watersheds by nitrates and phosphates, long term destroyed soilLoss of biodiversity-4 strains of wheat produce 3/4 of Canada’s crop.If farmers only rely on a few strains of a plant, a new disease can wipe out a large portion of the harvest
Criticisms of the Green Revolution
FACT
Some African countries import wheat due to the trend to consume “western foods”. Also, it is cheaper because governments have kept down the price of imported cereals. Thus, local farmers produce CASH CROPS for export rather than food crops for local consumption.
Solutions…Maintain genetic Banks where seeds from a great diversity of plants can be frozen and stored.Control populationGenetically modified foods (GM) Get from the Sea…
The Blue Revolution
The Blue Revolution/Aquaculture
Modern technology has allowed us to obtain food from the sea in many fish varietiesincreased seventeen fold in the last fifty yearsAquaculture, or the growing or harvesting of marine plants and animals for human consumption, is predicted to overtake the traditional wild fisheryCooke Aquaculture Videos
What it can do… Protein source for the one billion chronically malnourished people worldwideRelieve pressure on land AND OVERFISHINGWho had cod for dinner? - CBC ArchivesTobin says seals slow down cod recovery - CBC ArchivesCourt backs Canada's seizure of trawler during 'turbot war' - Canada - CBC NewsCanada and Spain Face Off Over Fishing Zone - New York Times
The Turbot War of 1995 was an international fishing dispute between Canada, (supported by the United Kingdom and Ireland) and Spain (supported by the European Union) in which Canada stopped a Galician (Spanish) fishing trawler in international waters and arrested its crew. Canada claimed that European Union factory ships were illegally overfishing Greenland halibut, also known as Greenland turbot, on the Grand Banks, just outside Canada's declared 200 nautical mile (370 km) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This was the only military conflict between EU member states to date.
Territorial seas have changed over time, having begun with a 3 nautical mile (6 km) "cannon shot" territorial sea, followed by the long standing extension to a 12 nautical mile (22 km) standard. The economic control of the waters surrounding nations to a two hundred nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) became recognised internationally on November 14, 1994, after having been agreed at the conference on the Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982. As a self-governing colony and dominion, Newfoundland's foreign policy, just as Canada's, was established by the British government until the Statute of Westminster 1931. During the 1950s to the 1970s, the domestic and foreign fishing fleets became increasingly industrialized, with massive factory freezer trawlers fishing out of Newfoundland ports – foreign fleets were based in Newfoundland and could fish 12 NM offshore, while domestic fleets could fish in both the territorial sea and the offshore.
By the 1970s the overfishing by industrial vessels in the waters of eastern Canada was evident, although each federal government continued to ignore the problem and even contributed to it by using the issuance of fishing licenses for more inshore and offshore domestic vessels. Also, many nations worldwide declared 200 nautical mile (370 km) EEZs, including Canada and the United States. The EEZ boundaries became a foreign policy issue where overlapping claims existed, as was the case between Canada and the United States in the Gulf of Maine and Canada and France in the case of St. Pierre and Miquelon.But on the whole, the EEZ was very well received by fishermen in eastern Canada for it meant they could fish unhindered out to the limit without fear of competing with the foreign fleets. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Canada's domestic offshore fleet grew as fishermen and fish processing companies rushed to take advantage. It was also during this time when it was noticed that the foreign fleets now pushed out to 200 nautical miles (370 km) offshore and excluded from the rich Canadian waters, were increasing their harvest on the small areas of the Grand Banks that were outside the area of the EEZ.
By the late 1980s the smaller catches of Northern cod were being reported throughout Newfoundland and eastern Canada as the federal government and citizens of coastal regions in the area began to face the reality that the domestic and foreign overfishing had taken its toll. Scientists have also subsequently pointed out that global climate change may have also played a complementary role. In the end stocks of cod in and around Canada's EEZ were severely depleted. Reluctant to act at a time of declining political popularity, the federal government was finally forced to take drastic action in 1992 when a total moratorium was declared indefinitely for the Northern Cod. The immediate impact was felt most in Newfoundland, followed by the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. Cod which only 5–10 years previously was being caught in record numbers, had vanished almost overnight to the point where it was considered for endangered species protection.
The economic impact in coastal Newfoundland was unprecedented. Newfoundland and coastal Nova Scotia’s population shrunk as communities began to experience an out-migration on a scale not seen in Canada since the prairie dust-bowls of the 1930s. The anger at federal political figures was palpable and with the wholesale rejection of short-term Prime Minister Kim Campbell, incoming prime minister Jean Chrétien's Liberals were going to face the ongoing wrath of voters whose entire livelihoods had been decimated as a result of decades of federal neglect and mismanagement, and whose communities, property values, net worth, and way of life were declining rapidly.
In the years since the cod moratorium, federal fisheries policy makers and scientists had scrambled to attempt to find a replacement species that could at least reinject economic stimulus into the affected regions. The ground fishery, while a fraction of what it had been during the cod years, did have some bright spots – one of which was the Greenland halibut commonly known in Canada as turbot. Canada was not alone in recognizing the growing value of the turbot, and foreign fishing fleets operating off the 200 NM EEZ were beginning to pursue the species in increasing numbers. By 1994, Canada and NAFO had tracked about 50 violations of boats crossing the 200 nautical mile (370 km) EEZ limit to fish illegally within Canadian waters, as well as recording use of illegal gear and overfishing outside Canadian waters.
The new federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Brian Tobin, directed the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), along with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) to begin a very aggressive dialogue with the European Union over the presence of its fishing fleet and its practices, particularly the use of illegal trawl nets just outside the Canadian EEZ while fishing for turbot. In the winter of 1995, Tobin directed DFO to establish a legal argument which could be made for the seizure of a foreign vessel in international waters using the premise of conservation.The DFO was then directed by minister Tobin and the federal cabinet to demonstrate Canadian resolve on the issue by "making an example" of a European Union fishing vessel. On March 9, an offshore patrol aircraft detected the Spanish stern trawler Estai in international waters outside Canada's 200 nautical mile (370 km) EEZ. Several armed DFO fisheries patrol vessels, along with Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Navy support, intercepted and pursued the Estai, which cut its weighted trawl net and fled after an initial boarding attempt, resulting in a chase which stretched over several hours and ended only after the Canadian Fisheries Patrol vessel Cape Roger fired a machine gun across the bow of the Estai. A Canadian Coast Guard Ship used high-pressure fire-fighting water cannon to deter other Spanish fishing vessels from disrupting the operation. Finally, armed DFO and RCMP officers boarded the vessel in international waters on the Grand Banks.The DFO contracted a ground fish trawler to drag for the Estai's trawl. On the first attempt it was able to successfully retrieve the Estai's net which had been cut. It was quickly determined that the Spanish vessel had been using an illegal net, with openings that were far smaller than international regulations allowed for turbot fishing. The Estai was escorted to St. John's, arriving with great fan-fare across the province and region — and the country. Canada's federal court processed the case and the charges against the crew while Spain and the European Union protested vehemently, threatening boycotts against Canada and wishing to have the case heard at the International Court of Justice.
Tobin and his department ignored the controversy and instead had the huge illegal trawl net which the Estai had cut free salvaged. The Estai was using a liner with a mesh size that was smaller than permitted (larger mesh sizes permit juvenile fish to escape and grow) by the Canadian Laws, but not the EU laws which don't have a restriction about the mesh size. The net was shipped to New York City where Tobin called an international press conference onboard a rented barge in the East River outside the United Nations headquarters. There, the net from the Estai was displayed, hanging from an enormous crane, and Tobin used the occasion to shame the Spanish and EU governments, pointing out the small size of the holes in the net which are illegal in Canada. Spain never denied that the net was from the Estai but continued to protest Canada's use of "extra-territorial force." The Spanish government asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands for leave to hear a case claiming Canada had no right to arrest the Estai. However, the court later refused the case. Later, Canada released the Estai's crew. On the same day that Tobin was in New York, the United Kingdom blocked an EU proposal to impose sanctions on Canada.
Tobin claimed that Canada would not enter negotiations as long as illegal fishing continued, and demanded the withdrawal of all fishing vessels in the area as a precondition. On March 15, the owners of the Estai posted $500,000 bond for the vessel, and it was returned to Spain. Later, Spanish fishing vessels subsequently returned to Grand Banks. The Spanish Navy deployed the patrol boat P-74 Atalaya to protect them. Canadian ships soon cut the nets of the Spanish trawler Pescamero Uno. The Spanish Navy responded by deploying a second patrol boat. Canadian Navy warships and patrol planes in the vicinity were authorized by the Prime Minister of Canada to open fire on Spanish vessels that exposed their guns. Direct negotiations between the EU and Canada eventually restarted, and a deal was reached. Spain, however, rejected it, demanding better terms. After Canada threatened to forcibly remove Spanish fishing vessels, the EU pressured Spain into finally reaching a settlement. Canada reimbursed the $ that had been paid for the Estai's release, A new international regime to observe EU and Canadian fishing vessels was created. The dispute raised Brian Tobin's political profile.
Although Spain got political support from the EU, the United Kingdom and Ireland supported Canada. The then prime-minister John Major risked his status within the EU community by actively speaking out against Spain. Because of this, some British fishing boats took to flying Canadian flags to show their support. This brought the conflict to European waters when a UK fishing boat, the Newlyn, then flying the Canadian flag was beset by a French ship that believed it to be Canadian. This dragged Britain from its position of passive backing into full support of the Canadians. Overnight, Canadian flags began to fly from all manner of British and Irish vessels, irking the Spanish. The rest of the EU rallied behind France and Spain, but hesitated to make any mobilizations against the British, Irish or Canadians. Court backs Canada's seizure of trawler during 'turbot war' - Canada - CBC News
Concerns about aquaculture
Exploitation of the traditional wild fisheryBoundary disputesAquaculture destroys land along coastsWater pollutionWetland lossSpread of disease
Food Dumping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charity is not always straightforward. Sometimes countries give food instead of cash. Often, it's food that the government is
holding off the market to support domestic prices.
There is a cost to recipient countries of this food. A chicken farmer trying to make a living in an African country tries to sell his chickens...but wait! No matter what he charges, his prices can't beat the free chicken pieces that are coming from the US or the EU. So foreign charity has put the struggling farmer out
of business.
Wherever there are price supports, someone's going to have to pay. And as a result, the unnamed African country remains
dependent on foreign aid.
What About the TermsGenetic Engineering/Genetically Modified?
Genetic engineering involves:
Isolating genes Modifying genes so they function better Preparing genes to be inserted into a new species Developing transgenes
Genetic engineering is the basic tool set of biotechnology
What is a transgenic?
Transgene – the genetically engineered gene added to a species
Ex. – modified EPSP synthase gene (encodes a protein that functions even when plant is treated with Roundup)
Transgenic – an organism containing a transgene introduced by technological (not breeding) methods
Ex. – Roundup Ready Crops (owned by Monsanto, as seen in “Food Inc”)
Concept Based on the Term Transgene
We can develop organisms that express a “novel” trait not normally found in the species
Why are transgenics important?
Extended shelf-life tomato (Flavr-Savr)
Herbicide resistant soybean (Roundup Ready)
Agriculture Transgenics On the Market
Source: USDA
Insect resistant cotton – Bt toxin kills the cotton boll worm• transgene = Bt protein
Insect resistant corn – Bt toxin kills the European corn borer• transgene = Bt protein
Normal Transgenic
Virus resistance - papya resistant to papaya ringspot virus
Source: Monsanto
Herbicide resistant crops Now: soybean, corn, canola Coming: sugarbeet, lettuce, strawberry alfalfa, potato, wheat
Biotech chymosin; the enzyme used to curdle milk products
bST; bovin somatotropin; used to increasemilk production (remember “Food Inc”WAl-MART STOPPED Bst Milk)
Source: Rent Mother Nature
Source: Chr. Hansen
Some Ag Biotech Products Are Discontinued
Poor Quality• FlavrSavr tomatoes (Calgene)
Negative Consumer Response• Tomato paste (Zeneca)
Negative Corporate Response• NewLeaf (Monsanto)
Universal Negative Publicity• StarLink corn (Aventis)
Why???
Next Generation of Ag Biotech Products
Source: Minnesota Microscopy Society
Golden Rice – increased Vitamin A content by adding carotene (effort to fight childhood blindnessbut not without controversy)
Sunflower – white mold resistance
Turfgrass – herbicide resistance; slower growing (= reduced mowing)
Bio Steel – spider silk expressed in goats; used to make soft-body bullet proof vests (Nexia)
Human Applications
• Pharmaceutical products New solutions to old problems • Disease diagnosis Determine what disease you have or may get
• Gene therapy Correcting disease by introducing a corrective gene
Biotechnology and Health
Product Use
Insulin Diabetes
Interferon Cancer
Interleukin Cancer
Human growth hormone
Dwarfism
Neuroactive proteins Pain
The genes for these proteins are:
• Cloned• Inserted into bacteria
Environmental Applications
Bioremediation - cleanup contaminated sites; uses microbes designed to degrade the pollution
Indicator bacteria – contamination can be detected in the environment
Tooth decay – engineered Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria that destroys enamel
Future Health-related Biotech Products
Vaccines – herpes, hepatitis C, AIDS, malaria
Edible VaccinesTransgenic Plants Serving Human Health Needs
• Works like any vaccine • A transgenic plant with a pathogen protein gene is developed• Potato, banana, and tomato are targets• Humans eat the plant • The body produces antibodies against pathogen protein• Humans are “immunized” against the pathogen• Examples:
DiarrheaHepatitis BMeasles
A Popular Term We Need To Know
GMOs - Genetically modified organisms
• GMO - an organism that expresses traits that result from the introduction of foreign DNA
• Originally a term equivalent to transgenic organism•Also called GMFs or “Frankenfoods”
The Roundup Ready Story
• Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide• Active ingredient in Roundup herbicide • Kills all plants it come in contact with• Inhibits a key enzyme (EPSP synthase) in an amino acid pathway
• Plants die because they lack the key amino acids
• A resistant EPSP synthase gene allows crops to survive spraying
What is a Genetically Modified (GM) Food?
Foods that contain an added gene sequenceFoods that have a deleted gene sequenceAnimal products from animals fed GM feedProducts produced by GM organisms
Why are foods genetically modified?
Genetic engineering offers a rapid and precise method of altering organisms as compared to traditional methods that are slow and inaccurate.
Common GM Foods Vegetables Tomatoes Potatoes Rice Cheese Meat
How is genetic modification possible?
The components of DNA are the same in all organisms.
Sequences that code for proteins can be moved from one organism to another.
How can DNA be moved from one organism to another?
Its quite simple,
REALLY!!!
How can DNA be moved from one organism to another?
►Find an organism with the desired trait
►Isolate the gene sequence that codes for the desired trait
►Insert the gene sequence into the genome of the plant cell
How can DNA be moved from one organism to another?
►Allow the genetically altered cell to grow into a plant
►Allow the plant to propagate
How can DNA be moved from one organism to another?
A vector can carry DNA. The vector can be a pellet from a gene gun. Viruses and bacteria also can be utilized to transfer genes.
Possible Benefitsof GM Foods
Easing of world hunger Development of crops
that can be grown in marginal soil
Reduced strain on nonrenewable resources Development of
drought resistant crops Development of salt-
tolerant crops Development of crops
that make more efficient use of nitrogen and other nutrients
Possible Benefits of GM Foods
Reduced use of pesticides and herbicides►Development of
pest resistant crops ►Reduced herbicide
use is better for the environment and reduces costs for farmers
Possible Benefits of GM Foods
Improved crop quality Development of frost
resistant crops Development of
disease resistant crops Development of flood
resistant crops
Improved nutritional quality Development of foods
designed to meet specific nutritional goals
Who makes sure GM foods are safe?
Government agencies regulate GM foods GM foods are
required to be labeled only if the nutritional value is changed or a new allergen is introduced.
Possible Risks of GM Foods
Insects might develop resistance to pesticide-producing GM crops
Herbicide-tolerant crops may cross-pollinate weeds, resulting in "superweeds"
Possible Risks for GM Foods
Certain gene products may be allergens, thus causing harm to human health
There may be unintended harm to wildlife and beneficial insects
Photo courtesy of T. W. Davies, Cal. Acad. of Sciences.
Homework Assignment How do you feel about GM foods?
Are they beneficial or harmful? Compare and contrast articles of your
choice from the following web sites. After reading articles from both web sites, use your favorite Internet search engine to find more information on the GM food debate. • www.junkscience.com• www.greenpeace.org
Write a short report on your views about GM foods.
The Golden Rice Story
• Vitamin A deficiency is a major health problem
• Causes blindness• Influences severity of diarrhea, measles
• >100 million children suffer from the problem
• For many countries, the infrastructure doesn’t existto deliver vitamin pills
• Improved vitamin A content in widely consumed cropsan attractive alternative
-Carotene Pathway Problem in Plants
IPP
Geranylgeranyl diphosphate
Phytoene
Lycopene
-carotene(vitamin A precursor)
Phytoene synthase
Phytoene desaturase
Lycopene-beta-cyclase
ξ-carotene desaturase
Problem:Rice lacks
these enzymes
NormalVitamin A
“Deficient”Rice
The Golden Rice Solution
IPP
Geranylgeranyl diphosphate
Phytoene
Lycopene
-carotene(vitamin A precursor)
Phytoene synthase
Phytoene desaturase
Lycopene-beta-cyclase
ξ-carotene desaturase
Daffodil gene
Single bacterial gene;performs both functions
Daffodil gene
-Carotene Pathway Genes Added
Vitamin APathway
is completeand functional
GoldenRice
Final Test of the TransgenicConsumer Acceptance
RoundUp Ready Corn
Before After
Desertification….What is It?
Land degradation in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas due to:
Over cultivationOvergrazingDeforestation Poor irrigation practices
The Earth's drylands are found in more than 110 nations, and moderate to severe land degradation has reduced the productivity of more than 70% of these areas..
Levels of degradation in the world
Consequences…reduces the land’s resilience to natural climate variability.Soil becomes less productiveVegetation becomes damaged or lostSome of the consequences are borne by people living outside the immediately affected areaFood production is underminedDesertification contributes to famineDesertification is a huge drain on economic resources
Africa and Desertification2/3 of the continent is desert or drylands.
affected by frequent and severe droughts.Many African nations are landlocked, have widespread poverty, need external assistance and depend heavily on natural resources for subsistence
few institutional, legal, scientific, technical and educational resources
linked to migration and food security-Sahel zone (southern border of the Sahara Desert )
What about North America?
90% of arid land impacted
overstocking (livestock)- contributes to erosion and desertification. excessive withdrawals of groundwater - resulting in a rapid decline in height of the water table. salinization – from salts left behind on the soil surface after the irrigation water has evaporated.
Is this fair?Food Dumping results in LDCs because of subsidized food being imported from MDCs like Canada driving locals out of business. Poor nations dependence on Cash Crops to be exported for economic survival, food is a commodity with a value that earns profits. It should be a human right. Ironically, we have starvation in a world where wheat rots in Canadian grain elevators because farmers can’t sell it for the price they desire.We have starvation in our world of plenty.YouTube - Band Aid - Do They Know its Christmas 1984