IDEAL “ECOLOGICAL HARMONY”
SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
BIODIVERSITY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FOOD
Biodiversity is the means of growing many species on a plot of land. This concept can also be applied to raising livestock while with growing crops.
Studies proving that organic is more nutrient rich than non-organic foods.
POLYCULTURE Polyculture is agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or monoculture. It includes crop rotation, multi-cropping, intercropping, companion planting, beneficial weeds, and alley cropping.
COMPANION PLANTING Companion Planting is one technique that is often used in a polyculture farm. Using a plant’s inherent traits to attract pests, ward off pests, or attract larger harmless bugs to eat the pests.
FRUIT & VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
VS
A large amount of our crops are fed to livestock.
1 (avg 62.4 46.5 60.4
per lbs. lbs. lbs.
person - per year) of beef of pork of chicken
FOCUS ON BEEF AND DAIRY PRODUCTION
MONOCULTURE
INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS
(They’ve got to eat too)
PRODUCTS & BY-PRODUCTS
AMERICA EATS MEAT.
FOCUS ON CORN PRODUCTION
REALITY
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION (CAFO)
Monoculture is the means of growing one species on a plot of land. Monocultures are often grown on hundreds to thousands of acres to increase production through the use of machinery and chemical applications.
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Because of our consumer demand for protein, Industry has developed a mass- production system relying on quantity and speed to produce enough meat to meet the country’s needs.
Of the 257,000 animal feeding operations in the United States today, about 15,500 are CAFOs.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FOOD
SOIL SYSTEMS
Food means nothing if it is lacking nutritional value. “Not all carrots are equal”
Microbiology is disturbed. Soil Nutrition is depleted
3 Polyphenols presence and importance. Increased presence in Organic foods
In a CAFO, also known as a feedlot, problems arise because of close quarters, but because of their massive size. CAFOs work against nature in ways that confine and prevent animals from behaving naturally.
Stress on soil Stress on Plants
ANIMAL CONDITIONS & TREATMENT Tail Docking (cattle and hogs) Beak clipping (chickens) Creates stress 7
AIR QUALITY
DEPENDENCE ON PESTICIDES & HERBICIDES
DEFORESTATION 3
Carbon Dioxide Emissions CO2 Methane Emissions Ammonium Nitrate
Roundup is America’s first choice for Herbicide.
Methane has 23 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide.
GLYPHOSATE
6 Cattle farming is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions.
WHAT DO THEY FEED THE ANIMALS? Beef and Dairy cattle are fed corn and soy product. These animals are considered “grain fed”, while animals raised on pasture are considered “grass fed”. There is a noticeable nutritional difference between grain and grass fed livestock.
WHY?
Corn is a high-starch, high-energy food and decreases the time to fatten cattle and increases yield from dairy cattle.
America’s cattle in a CAFO consume 60% of corn crop and 47% of soy crop yearly.
Grain 9g fat
VS
Grass 1.3g fat
per pound of meat
CHEMICAL FERTILIZER BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity Definition
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Livestock have the capability to digest grass- this is a capability that humans do not have.. Cattle, horses, sheep, goats and other ruminants are able to digest grass because of thier capacity to digest the cellulose present in grasses. Grasses are essential to ruminants in order to balance acidity within stomach fluids.
ANTIBIOTICS
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOS)
2 FOUR countries grow 99% of GE’d food
To meet the needs of consumers, the biotechnology industry has developed an unprecidented technology that changes DNA traits.
68% United States 22% Argentina 3% China
77%
93%
As a grown stimulant to aid the cow in digestion.
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2
To prevent acidosis Rumensin & Tylosin are administered regulary to all cattle- even if no symptoms exist.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Scientists extract DNA from this soil-dwelling bacterium, a naturally occuring a biological pesticide and insert it into a new genome such as Corn.
OF ALL CROPS % MODIFIED US
Livestock consumes 70% of all antibiotics produced in America.
6% Canada
Through gene splicing, removing a gene from one species and inserting it into a different species, scientists can modify the genetic makeup of to achieve certain characteristics.
WORLD
Anibiotics are administered to fight Acidosis, which occurs because of a PH imbalance in the stomachs of the cattle.Without antibiotics, Cattle would not survive on a diet of corn for more than 3 months.
- glyphosate & glufosinate resistance
26%
86% - glyphosate & glufosinate resistance - Bt inherent variety - Vitamin enriched corn
49%
93% - Pest resistance
--
80% - resistance to papaya ringspot virus
Commercial Failure
21%
- polygalacturase (protein) supressed to lengthen freshness
93% - glyphosate resistance
--
-- resistance to certain pesticides - high sucrose content
9%
95% - glyphosate & glufosinate resistance
Hits market 2013
--
- Beta carotene (Vitamin A) enhanced
13% - resistance to yellow mosaic virus
--
-- resistance to virus
PRODUCTS
Of the 10,000 pounds of corn grown on that one acre. 32% will be exported or turned into ethanol. 490lbs will become Sweeteners like HFCS, More half of the crop will be turned into food for animals (5,500 lbs).
Pesticides and herbicides then run off into water supplies and contaminate groundwater. 1998 10 of the largest seed companies controlled 33% of the global seed market
TODAY 69% of corn & 74% of soy were purchased from just 4 major companies.
Manure is one by-product of livestock. (To be used as fertilizer or stored in the soil.)
WATER QUALITY Nitrate Poisoning “Blue baby syndrome”
Deforestation is a great contributor to CO2 emmisions.
– Pl and root expo stor