14.2 Producing food

• Biologie
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 3

14.2 Producing food

14 Sustainable lifestyle

14.2 Producing food

• Welcome!
  
• Learning objectives
• Instruction

• Assignments
• End of class

Learning objectives

You will learn how farmers produce food and why they have to adhere to certain rules.

Who produces our food?

Crop farmers

Horticulturists(growers)

Stock farmers

More than half of the Netherlands' surface area is used for food production

Historically

Mixed farm = growing of crops as well as raising livestock

- closed cycle

It has changed because of an increase in:

• inhabitants
• export

Modern agricultural companies

1. Producing one single product in large volumes

   - monoculture

   - intensive farming 

2. Increasing profits

   - manure =mest (extra minerals)

   - concentrate feeds (extra minerals and proteins)

lack of minerals = lower yield

Modern agricultural companies

3. Preventing illnesses and damages

   - infestations= organisms that cause damage to crops

   - pesticides

   - good hygiëne

4. Growing mega crops and mega cattle

   - cross breed = improving the characteristics of plants by cross-pollination and of animals by selective breeding programmes.

  

Strict laws and regulations for farmers:

1. Rules for producing and using manure
2. Rules for pesticides
3. Rules for animal welfare

1. Rules for producing and using manure

Manure surplus = producing more manure than needed to fertilise the fields

Over-fertilisation = When more fertiliser is used on the fields than the plants need

Eutrophication = when too many minerals end up in the soil and in surface water

• Algal bloom = rapid growth of algae and duckweed in ditches and ponds due to increased levels of fertiliser minerals

1. Rules for producing and using manure

Acidification

Ammonia = a foul-smelling gas that is released from organic manure; in the soil and in the air it is converted into nitric acid which acidifies the soil

Mineral bookkeeping

Manure injection

2. Rules for pesticides

• Selective: only kills pests or infesting weeds and not many other species
• Biodegradable: can be broken down by fungi and bacteria

Toxic accumulation =increase of the amount of toxic substances in organisms in a food cycle due to the passing on of toxic substances within the food cycle

3. Rules for animal welfare

As much natural behavior as possible

Animal welfare requirements include:

A minimum amount of light and space is required

What?	Make: 14.2 assignments 4, 5, 7-11, 13-16, 18, 19
How?	Work in your book. You may consult in a whisper.
Help?	Ask your neighbour first. Then raise your hand to ask me.
Time?	10 minutes
Finished?	Check your answers. Study for the big test.