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Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants, animals and other life forms. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. [Site] United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture encompasses many subjects, including aquaculture, agronomy, animal husbandry, and horticulture. Each of these subjects can be further partitioned: for example, agronomy includes both sustainable agriculture and intensive farming, and animal husbandry includes ranching, herding, and intensive pig farming. Agricultural products include food (vegetables, fruits, and cereals), fibers (cotton, wool, hemp, silk and flax), fuels (methane from biomass, ethanol, biodiesel), cut flowers, ornamental and nursery plants, tropical fish and birds for the pet trade, both legal and illegal drugs (biopharmaceuticals, tobacco, marijuana, opium, cocaine), and other useful materials such as resins. Recently, crops have been designed to produce plasticMarketwatch (2007) Plastics are Green in More Ways Than One. as well as pharmaceuticals.BIO (n.d.) Growing Plants for Pharmaceutical Production vs. for Food and Feed Crops. [News] Computers speed agriculture inspection process The history of agriculture is a central element of human history, as agricultural progress has been a crucial factor in worldwide socio-economic change. Wealth-building and militaristic specializations rarely seen in hunter-gatherer cultures are commonplace in agricultural and agro-industrial societies—when farmers became capable of producing food beyond the needs of their own families, others in the tribe/village/City-state/nation/empire were freed to devote themselves to projects other than food acquisition. Jared Diamond, among others, has argued that the development of civilization required agriculture. [Image] As of 2006, an estimated 45 percent of the world's workers are employed in agriculture (from 42% in 1996). However, the relative significance of farming has dropped steadily since the beginning of industrialization, and in 2006 – for the first time in history – the services sector overtook agriculture as the economic sector employing the most people worldwide.International Labour Organization Key Indicators of the Labour Market 2007, chapter 4 p. 6 Despite the fact that agriculture employs over one-third of the world's population, agricultural production accounts for less than five percent of the gross world product (an aggregate of all gross domestic products). [Video] Agricultural Land for sale in Borovetz, Dolna Banya
OverviewIt has played a key role in the of human civilization—it is widely believed that the domestication of plants and animals allowed humans to settle and give up their previous hunter-gatherer lifestyle during the Neolithic Revolution. Until the Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of the human population labored in agriculture. Development of agricultural techniques has steadily increased agricultural productivity, and the widespread diffusion of these techniques during a time period is often called an agricultural revolution. A remarkable shift in agricultural practices has occurred over the past century in response to new technologies. In particular, the Haber-Bosch method for synthesizing ammonium nitrate made the traditional practice of recycling nutrients with crop rotation and animal manure less necessary. Synthetic nitrogen, along with mined rock phosphate, pesticides and mechanization, have greatly increased crop yields in the early 20th century. Increased supply of grains has led to cheaper livestock as well. Further, global yield increases were experienced later in the 20th century when high-yield varieties of common staple grains such as rice, wheat, and corn were introduced as a part of the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution exported the technologies (including pesticides and synthetic nitrogen) of the developed world out to the developing world. Thomas Malthus famously predicted that the Earth would not be able to support its growing population, but technologies such as the Green Revolution have allowed the world to produce a surplus of food.New York Times (2005) Sometimes a Bumper Crop is Too Much Of a Good Thing[Auction] Farming For Us All, Practical Agriculture & The Cultiva Many governments have subsidized agriculture to ensure an adequate food supply. These agricultural subsidies are often linked to the production of certain commodities such as wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, and milk. These subsidies, especially when done by developed countries have been noted as protectionist, inefficient, and environmentally damaging.New York Times (1986) Science Academy Recommends Resumption of Natural Farming In the past century agriculture has been characterized by enhanced productivity, the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, selective breeding, mechanization, water contamination, and farm subsidies. Proponents of organic farming such as Sir Albert Howard argued in the early 1900s that the overuse of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers damages the long-term fertility of the soil. While this feeling lay dormant for decades, as environmental awareness has increased recently there has been a movement towards sustainable agriculture by some farmers, consumers, and policymakers. In recent years there has been a backlash against perceived external environmental effects of mainstream agriculture, particularly regarding water pollutionThe World Bank (1995) Overcoming Agricultural Water Pollution in the European Union, resulting in the organic movement. One of the major forces behind this movement has been the European Union, which first certified organic food in 1991 and began reform of its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2005 to phase out commodity-linked farm subsidiesEuropean Commission (2003) CAP Reform, also known as decoupling. The growth of organic farming has renewed research in alternative technologies such as integrated pest management and selective breeding. Recent mainstream technological developments include genetically modified food. [Post] The State of Food and Agriculture 2008 As of late 2007, several factors have pushed up the price of grain used to feed poultry and dairy cows and other cattle, causing higher prices of wheat (up 58%), soybean (up 32%), and maize (up 11%) over the year. New York Times (2007 September) At Tyson and Kraft, Grain Costs Limit Profit Forget oil, the new global crisis is food Food riots have recently taken place in many countries across the world. Riots and hunger feared as demand for grain sends food costs soaring Already we have riots, hoarding, panic: the sign of things to come? Feed the world? We are fighting a losing battle, UN admits An epidemic of stem rust on wheat caused by race UG99 is currently spreading across Africa and into Asia and is causing major concern. Millions face famine as crop disease rages {{cite journal | url = http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19425983.700-billions-at-risk-from-wheat-superblight.html [Book] Ancient Agriculture: From Foraging to Farming (Ancient Technology) Runestone Press
PracticesAgricultural practices lie on a spectrum dependent upon the intensity and technology of the methods. At the one end lies the subsistence farmer who farms a small area with limited inputs and produces only enough food to meet the needs of his or her family. At the other end lies intensive agriculture which includes traditional labor intensive farming (e.g. South-East Asia rice paddies), and modern agriculture which includes industrial agriculture, organic farming and sustainable farming. Industrial agriculture involves large fields and/or numbers of animals, high resource inputs (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.), and a high level of mechanization. These operations achieve economies of scale and require large amounts of capital in the form of land and machinery.[Site] New Jersey Department of Agriculture The twentieth century saw changes in agricultural practice, particularly in agricultural chemistry and in mechanization. Agricultural chemistry includes the application of chemical fertilizer, chemical insecticides (see pest control), and chemical fungicides, analysis of soil makeup and nutritional needs of farm animals. [News] Africa: Women in Agriculture - the Critical Food Producers Mechanization has increased farm efficiency and productivity in most regions of the world, due especially to the tractor and various "gins" (short for "engine") such as the cotton gin, semi-automatic balers and thresher and, above all, the combine (see agricultural machinery). According to the National Academy of Engineering in the United States, agricultural mechanization is one of the 20 greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century. Early in the century, it took one American farmer to produce food for 2.5 people. By 1999, due to advances in agricultural technology, a single farmer could feed over 130 people. [Image] Other recent changes in agriculture include hydroponics, plant breeding, hybridization, gene manipulation, better management of soil nutrients, and improved weed control. Genetic engineering has yielded crops which have capabilities beyond those of naturally occurring plants, such as higher yields and disease resistance. Modified seeds germinate faster, and thus can be grown on an accelerated schedule. Genetic engineering of plants has proven controversial, particularly in the case of herbicide-resistant plants. [Video] Always Coca-Cola en France Madame Sarkozy Carla Bruni It has been suggested that genetic engineers may some day develop transgenic plants which would allow for irrigation, drainage, conservation, sanitary engineering, and maintaining or increasing yields while requiring fewer fossil fuel derived inputs than conventional crops.{{cite journal|publisher=The Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry|volume=7|page=2993-3014|date=June, 2008|author=Srinivas et al|title=REVIEWING THE METHODOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING|url=http://ejeafche.uvigo.es/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=363}} Such developments would be particularly important in areas which are normally arid and rely upon constant irrigation, and on large scale farms. These possibilities are questioned by ecologists and economists concerned with unsustainable GMO practices such as terminator seeds,{{cite journal [Auction] International Trade Rules And Agriculture Sector by Na The processing, packing and marketing of agricultural products are closely related activities also influenced by science. Methods of quick-freezing and dehydration have increased the markets for many farm products (see food preservation and meat packing industry). [Post] MSU School of Agriculture invites community out for Fall on the Farm Animals, including horses, mules, oxen, camels, llamas, alpacas, and dogs, are often used to help cultivate fields, harvest crops, wrangle other animals, and transport farm products to buyers. Animal husbandry not only refers to the breeding and raising of animals for meat or to harvest animal products (like milk, eggs, or wool) on a continual basis, but also to the breeding and care of species for work and companionship. [Book] Sea Energy Agriculture Acres USA Airplanes, helicopters, trucks, tractors, and combines are used in Western (and, increasingly, Eastern) agriculture for seeding, spraying operations for insect and disease control, harvesting, aerial topdressing and transporting perishable products. Radio and television disseminate vital weather reports and other information such as market reports that concern farmers. Computers have become an essential tool for farm management. [Site] @griculture Online .]] [News] Local agriculture programs prepare students for rodeo In recent years, some aspects of intensive industrial agriculture have been the subject of increasing debate. The widening sphere of influence held by large seed and chemical companies, meat packers and food processors has been a source of concern both within the farming community and for the general public. Another issue is the type of feed given to some animals that can cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle. There has also been concern over the effect of intensive agriculture on the environment. [Image] ]] [Video] www.greenhectaresonline.com The patent protection given to companies that develop new types of seed using genetic engineering has allowed seed to be licensed to farmers in much the same way that computer software is licensed to users. This has changed the balance of power in favor of the seed companies, allowing them to dictate terms and conditions previously unheard of. The Indian activist and scientist Vandana Shiva argues that these companies are guilty of biopiracy. [Auction] 1921 United States Dept Agriculture YEAR book report nr Soil conservation and nutrient management have been important concerns since the 1950s, with the most advanced farmers taking a stewardship role with the land they use. However, increasing contamination of waterways and wetlands by nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are concerns that can only be addressed by "enlightenment" of farmers and/or far stricter law enforcement in many countries. [Post] A Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture Increasing consumer awareness of agricultural issues has led to the rise of community-supported agriculture, local food movement, "Slow Food", and commercial organic farming. [Book] Science in Agriculture: Advanced Methods for Sustainable Farming Acres U.S.A.
EtymologyThe word agriculture is the English adaptation of Latin agricultūra, from ager, "a field",http://catholic.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookup.pl?stem=ager&ending= and cultūra, "cultivation" in the strict sense of "tillage of the soil".http://catholic.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookup.pl?stem=cultura&ending= Thus, a literal reading of the word yields "tillage of a field / of fields".[Site] Agriculture in the Yahoo! Directory
HistoryHarvester's sickle, 3000 BCE. Baked clay. Field Museum.]][News] Ala. Agriculture Commissioner Warns About Contaminated Cookies Agriculture was developed at least 10,000 years ago, and it has undergone significant developments since the time of the earliest cultivation. Evidence points to the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East as the site of the earliest planned sowing and harvesting of plants that had previously been gathered in the wild. Independent development of agriculture occurred in northern and southern China, Africa's Sahel, New Guinea and several regions of the Americas. Agricultural practices such as irrigation, crop rotation, fertilizers, and pesticides were developed long ago but have made great strides in the past century. The Haber-Bosch method for synthesizing ammonium nitrate represented a major breakthrough and allowed crop yields to overcome previous constraints. In the past century agriculture has been characterized by enhanced productivity, the substitution of labor for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, selective breeding, mechanization, water pollution, and farm subsidies. In recent years there has been a backlash against the external environmental effects of conventional agriculture, resulting in the organic movement. [Image]
Ancient originspreserved specimen by a modern artist guessing at original colors.Source: http://www.kingtutone.com]] [Video] MeltDown #607 EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION Developed independently by geographically distant populations, systematic agriculture first appeared in Southwest Asia in the Fertile Crescent, particularly in modern-day Iraq and Syria/Israel. Around 9500 BCE, proto-farmers began to select and cultivate food plants with desired characteristics. Though there is evidence of earlier sporadic use of wild cereals, it was not until after 9500 BCE that the eight so-called founder crops of agriculture appear: first emmer and einkorn wheat, then hulled barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chick peas and flax. [Auction] TRACTOR FARM PLOW AGRICULTURE FIELD GRAPHIC DECAL By 7000 BCE, small-scale agriculture reached Egypt. From at least 7000 BCE the Indian subcontinent saw farming of wheat and barley, as attested by archaeological excavation at Mehrgarh in Balochistan. By 6000 BCE, mid-scale farming was entrenched on the banks of the Nile. About this time, agriculture was developed independently in the Far East, with rice, rather than wheat, as the primary crop. Chinese and Indonesian farmers went on to domesticate mung, soy, azuki and taro. To complement these new sources of carbohydrates, highly organized net fishing of rivers, lakes and ocean shores in these areas brought in great volumes of essential protein. Collectively, these new methods of farming and fishing inaugurated a human population boom dwarfing all previous expansions, and is one that continues today. [Post] Poverty in India, Dependency on Agriculture is the main Reason! By 5000 BCE, the Sumerians had developed core agricultural techniques including large scale intensive cultivation of land, mono-cropping, organized irrigation, and use of a specialized labour force, particularly along the waterway now known as the Shatt al-Arab, from its Persian Gulf delta to the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. Domestication of wild aurochs and mouflon into cattle and sheep, respectively, ushered in the large-scale use of animals for food/fiber and as beasts of burden. The shepherd joined the farmer as an essential provider for sedentary and semi-nomadic societies. Maize, manioc, and arrowroot were first domesticated in the Americas as far back as 5200 BCE. [1] The potato, tomato, pepper, squash, several varieties of bean, Canna, tobacco and several other plants were also developed in the New World, as was extensive terracing of steep hillsides in much of Andean South America. [Site] Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture In later years, the Greeks and Romans built on techniques pioneered by the Sumerians but made few fundamentally new advances. Southern Greeks struggled with very poor soils, yet managed to become a dominant society for years. The Romans were noted for an emphasis on the cultivation of crops for trade. [News] Alabamian to lead state agriculture officials -operated reciprocating suction piston pump water-raising machine with a crankshaft-connecting rod mechanism invented by al-Jazari.]] [Image]
Middle AgesDuring the Middle Ages, Muslim farmers in North Africa and the Near East developed and disseminated agricultural technologies including irrigation systems based on hydraulic and hydrostatic principles, the use of machines such as norias, and the use of water raising machines, dams, and reservoirs. They also wrote location-specific farming manuals, and were instrumental in the wider adoption of crops including sugar cane, rice, citrus fruit, apricots, cotton, artichokes, aubergines, and saffron. Muslims also brought lemons, oranges, cotton, almonds, figs and sub-tropical crops such as bananas to Spain.[Video] MeltDown #584 EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION The invention of a three field system of crop rotation during the Middle Ages, and the importation of the Chinese-invented moldboard plow, vastly improved agricultural efficiency. [Auction] Yearbook of Agriculture from 1928. FREE SHIPPING
Modern eraploughing an alfalfa field]][Post] Why women breakdown; maybe it's agriculture? After 1492, a global exchange of previously local crops and livestock breeds occurred. Key crops involved in this exchange included the tomato, maize, potato, cocoa and tobacco going from the New World to the Old, and several varieties of wheat, spices, coffee, and sugar cane going from the Old World to the New. The most important animal exportations from the Old World to the New were those of the horse and dog (dogs were already present in the pre-Columbian Americas but not in the numbers and breeds suited to farm work). Although not usually food animals, the horse (including donkeys and ponies) and dog quickly filled essential production roles on western hemisphere farms. [Book] Ancient Agriculture: Roots and Application of Sustainable Farming Gibbs Smith, Publisher By the early 1800s, agricultural techniques, implements, seed stocks and cultivars had so improved that yield per land unit was many times that seen in the Middle Ages. With the rapid rise of mechanization in the late 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the form of the tractor, farming tasks could be done with a speed and on a scale previously impossible. These advances have led to efficiencies enabling certain modern farms in the United States, Argentina, Israel, Germany, and a few other nations to output volumes of high quality produce per land unit at what may be the practical limit. [Site] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) In 2005, the agricultural output of China was the largest in the world, accounting for almost one-sixth world share followed by the EU, India and the USA, according to the International Monetary Fund. Economists measure the total factor productivity of agriculture and by this measure agriculture in the United States is roughly 2.6 times more productive than it was in 1948.USDA ERS. Agricultural Productivity in the United States [News] Agriculture sets aside
CropsCrop statisticsSpecific crops are cultivated in distinct growing regions throughout the world. In millions of metric tons, based on FAO estimates.(million metric tons) 2004 data|-| Cereals || align="right" | 2,263|-| Vegetables and melons || align="right" | 866|-| Roots and Tubers || align="right" | 715|-| Milk || align="right" | 619|-| Fruit || align="right" | 503|-| Meat || align="right" | 259|-| Oilcrops || align="right" | 133|-| Fish (2001 estimate) || align="right" | 130|-| Eggs || align="right" | 63|-| Pulses || align="right" | 60|-| Vegetable Fiber || align="right" | 30|-|colspan=2|Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)|}{| class="wikitable" align=middle! colspan=2|Top agricultural products, by individual crops (million metric tons) 2004 data|-| Sugar Cane || align="right" | 1,324|-| Maize || align="right" | 721|-| Wheat || align="right" | 627|-| Rice || align="right" | 605|-| Potatoes || align="right" | 328|-| Sugar Beet || align="right" | 249|-| Soybean || align="right" | 204|-| Oil Palm Fruit || align="right" | 162|-| Barley || align="right" | 154|-| Tomato || align="right" | 120|-|colspan=2|Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)|} [Image]
Crop alterationand Chaser Bin]]Domestication of plants has, over the centuries increased yield, improved disease resistance and drought tolerance, eased harvest and improved the taste and nutritional value of crop plants. Careful selection and breeding have had enormous effects on the characteristics of crop plants. Plant breeders use greenhouses (known as glasshouses or hothouses in some areas) and other techniques to get as many as three generations of plants per year towards the continued effort of improvement.Plant selection and breeding in the 1920s and 1930s improved pasture (grasses and clover) in New Zealand. Extensive X-ray an ultraviolet induced mutagenesis efforts (i.e. primitive genetic engineering) during the 1950s produced the modern commercial varieties of grains such as wheat, corn and barley.[Video] MeltDown #583 EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION For example, average yields of corn (maize) in the USA have increased from around 2.5 tons per hectare (t/ha) (40 bushels per acre) in 1900 to about 9.4 t/ha (150 bushels per acre) in 2001. Similarly, worldwide average wheat yields have increased from less than 1 t/ha in 1900 to more than 2.5 t/ha in 1990. South American average wheat yields are around 2 t/ha, African under 1 t/ha, Egypt and Arabia up to 3.5 to 4 t/ha with irrigation. In contrast, the average wheat yield in countries such as France is over 8 t/ha. Variation in yields are due mainly to variation in climate, genetics, and the level of intensive farming techniques (use of fertilizers, chemical pest control, growth control to avoid lodging).Conversion note: 1 bushel of wheat = 60 pounds (lb) ≈ 27.215 kg. 1 bushel of corn = 56 pounds ≈ 25.401 kg [Auction] SPAIN 1955 AGRICULTURE 1955 CACHETED CHICKEN COVER After mechanical tomato-harvesters were developed in the early 1960s, agricultural scientists bred tomatoes that were more resistant to mechanical handling. These varieties have been criticized as being harder and having poor texture.More recently, genetic engineering has begun to be employed in large parts of the world to speed up the selection and breeding process. One widely used modification is a herbicide resistance gene that allows plants to tolerate exposure to glyphosate, a non-systemic (i.e kills all plants) chemical used to control weeds in a crop such as oilseed rape. Normally, expensive systemic herbicides would have to be applied to kill the weeds without harming the crop. Relatively cheap and safe glyphosate may be applied to the modified crops, efficiently killing weeds without harming the resistant crop. Another modification causes the plant to produce a toxin to reduce damage from insects (c.f. Starlink). This, in contrast, requires fewer insecticides to be applied to the crop. [Post] Rice Experts Say RP Can Be Rice Self-Sufficient by 2010 Aquaculture, the farming of fish, shrimp, and algae, is closely associated with agriculture. [Book] Agriculture: An Introductory Reader: A Collection (Pocket Library of Spiritual Wisdom) Sophia Books Apiculture, the culture of bees, traditionally for honey—increasingly for crop pollination. [Site] Minnesota Department of Agriculture
[News] Agriculture untouched by credit crisis - for now
LivestockThe farming practices of livestock vary dramatically world-wide and between different types of animals. Livestock are generally kept in an enclosure, are fed by human-provided food and are intentionally bred, but some livestock are not enclosed, or are fed by access to natural foods, or are allowed to breed freely, or all three. Approximately 68% of all agricultural land is used in the production of livestock as permanent pastures.FAO Database, 2003[Image]
Environmental impactin a wheat field near Washington State University, US (c.2005)]]Agriculture may often cause environmental problems because it changes natural environments and produces harmful by-products. Some of the negative effects are:
[Video] MeltDown #550 EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION According to the United Nations, the livestock sector (primarily cows, chickens, and pigs) emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to our most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. Livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for agriculture, or 30% of the land surface of the planet. Food and Agricultural Organization of the U.N. retrieved 27 jun 2007It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases—responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalents. By comparison, all transportation emits 13.5% of the CO2. It produces 65% of human-related nitrous oxide (which has 296 times the global warming potential of CO2) and 37% of all human-induced methane (which is 23 times as warming as CO2). It also generates 64% of the ammonia, which contributes to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems. Livestock’s long shadow: Environmental issues and optionsBut studies have shown that a cow is climate neutral since it eats grass,corn. these plants take the CO2 out of the air. [Auction] Boy Scout Agriculture merit badge
BiodiversityGenetic erosion in crops and livestock biodiversity is propelled by several major factors such as variety replacement, land clearing, overexploitation of species, population pressure, environmental degradation, overgrazing, policy and changing agricultural systems.[Post] A Book that Redefines the Importance of Agriculture for Children The main factor, however, is the replacement of local varieties of domestic plants and animals by high yielding or exotic varieties or species. A large number of varieties can also often be dramatically reduced when commercial varieties (including GMO) are introduced into traditional farming systems. Many researchers believe that the main problem related to agro-ecosystem management is the general tendency towards genetic and ecological uniformity imposed by the development of modern agriculture. [Book] New Roots for Agriculture (New Edition) (Farming and Ranching) University of Nebraska Press In agriculture and animal husbandry, the green revolution popularized the use of conventional hybridization to increase yield many folds by creating "high-yielding varieties". Often the handful of breeds of plants and animals hybridized originated in developed countries and were further hybridized with local varieties in the rest of the developing world to create high yield strains resistant to local climate and diseases. Hybridization of local breeds to improve performance may lead to the loss of the local breed over time and consequently the loss of the genetic material that adapted that breed specifically to the local conditions. When viewed across the world as a whole, the consequent loss in genetic diversity and biodiversity could be placing the food supply in jeopardy, as a highly specialized breed may not contain sufficient genetic material to adapt to new diseases or environments even with an intensive breeding program. “Genetic Pollution: The Great Genetic Scandal”; Devinder Sharma can be contacted at: 7 Triveni Apartments, A-6 Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110 063, India. Email: dsharma@ndf.vsnl.net.in. CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURAL MEDIA (CAAM)., [2] [Site] Michigan Department of Agriculture A Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using the genetic engineering techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Genetic Engineering today has become another serious and alarming cause of genetic pollution because artificially created and genetically engineered plants and animals in laboratories, which could never have evolved in nature even with conventional hybridization, can live and breed on their own and what is even more alarming interbreed with naturally evolved wild varieties. Genetically Modified (GM) crops today have become a common source for genetic pollution, not only of wild varieties but also of other domesticated varieties derived from relatively natural hybridization. THE YEAR IN IDEAS: A TO Z.; Genetic Pollution By MICHAEL POLLAN, The New York Times, December 9, 2001 Dangerous Liaisons? When Cultivated Plants Mate with Their Wild Relatives by Norman C. Ellstrand; The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003; 268 pp. hardcover , $ 65; ISBN 0-8018-7405-X. Book Reviewed in: Hybrids abounding; Nature Biotechnology 22, 29 - 30 (2004) doi:10.1038/nbt0104-29; Reviewed by: Steven H Strauss & Stephen P DiFazio. “Genetic pollution: Uncontrolled spread of genetic information (frequently referring to transgenes) into the genomes of organisms in which such genes are not present in nature.” Zaid, A. et al. 1999. Glossary of biotechnology and genetic engineering. FAO Research and Technology Paper No. 7. ISBN 92-5-104369-8 “Genetic pollution: Uncontrolled escape of genetic information (frequently referring to products of genetic engineering) into the genomes of organisms in the environment where those genes never existed before.” Searchable Biotechnology Dictionary. University of Minnesota. [3] “Genetic pollution: Living organisms can also be defined as pollutants, when a non-indigenous species (plant or animal) enters a habitat and modifies the existing equilibrium among the organisms of the affected ecosystem (sea, lake, river). Non-indigenous, including transgenic species (GMOs), may bring about a particular version of pollution in the vegetal kingdom: so-called genetic pollution. This term refers to the uncontrolled diffusion of genes (or transgenes) into genomes of plants of the same type or even unrelated species where such genes are not present in nature. For example, a grass modified to resist herbicides could pollinate conventional grass many miles away, creating weeds immune to the most widely used weed-killer, with obvious consequences for crops. Genetic pollution is at the basis of the debate on the use of GMOs in agriculture.” The many facets of pollution; Bologna University web site for Science Communication. The Webweavers: Last modified Tue, 20 Jul 2005 [News] New ombudsmen to help Solano agriculture industry
PolicyAgricultural policy focuses on the goals and methods of agricultural production. At the policy level, common goals of agriculture include:
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Agriculture and petroleumSince the 1940s, agriculture has dramatically increased its productivity, due largely to the use of petrochemical derived pesticides, fertilizers, and increased mechanization. This has allowed world population to grow more than double over the last 50 years. Every energy unit delivered in food grown using modern techniques requires over ten energy units to produce and deliver. The vast majority of this energy input comes from fossil fuel sources. Because of modern agriculture's current heavy reliance on petrochemicals and mechanization, there are warnings that the ever decreasing supply of oil (the dramatic nature of which is known as peak oil{{cite web|url=http://www.princeton.edu/hubbert/current-events.html |title=Current Events - Join us as we watch the crisis unfolding |date=2007-01-19 |publisher=[[Princeton University: Beyond Oil]] |author=Kenneth S. Deffeyes |language=English}}{{cite web |url=http://raisethehammer.org/article/643/ |title=Yes, We're in Peak Oil Today |publisher=Raise the Hammer |date=2007-10-22 |author=Ryan McGreal |language=English}}{{cite web |url=http://www.energywatchgroup.org/fileadmin/global/pdf/EWG_Oilreport_10-2007.pdf |title=Crude Oil: The Supply Outlook |publisher=Energy Watch Group |date=2007-10 |author=Dr. Werner Zittel, Jorg Schindler |language=English}}{{cite web |url=http://www.aspo-usa.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=243&Itemid=91 |title=The Perfect Storm |author=Dave Cohen |publisher=ASPO-USA |date=October 31, 2007 |language=English}}{{cite web |url=http://peakoil.nl/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/asponl_2005_report.pdf |format=PDF |title=World Production and Peaking Outlook |publisher=[[Peak Oil Netherlands]] |author=Rembrandt H.E.M. Koppelaar |date=2006-09 |language=English}}) will inflict major damage on the modern industrial agriculture system, and could cause large food shortages.(a list of over 20 published articles and books supporting this thesis can be found here in the section: "Food, Land, Water, and Population") [Video] MeltDown #549 EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION Oil shortages are one of several factors making organic agriculture and other sustainable farming methods necessary. This conversion is now occurring, but the reconditioning of soil to restore nutrients lost during the use of monoculture agriculture techniques made possible by petroleum-based technology will take time. Some farmers using modern organic-farming methods have reported yields as high as those available from conventional farming (but without the use of fossil-fuel-intensive artificial fertilizers or pesticides). Realities of organic farminghttp://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag/researchreports/nk01ltar.pdf Organic Farming can Feed The World! Organic Farms Use Less Energy And Water [Auction] 1950s Farming & Agriculture History Pictures Films 2DVD Farmers have also begun raising crops such as corn for non-food use in an effort to help mitigate peak oil. This has contributed to a 60% rise in wheat prices recently, and has been indicated as a possible precursor to "serious social unrest in developing countries." Such situations would be exacerbated in the event of future rises in food and fuel costs, factors which have already impacted the ability of charitable donors to send food aid to starving populations. [Post] New resource published on Gender and Agriculture The state of financial markets following the Subprime mortgage financial crisis increased interest in food commodities from private sectors such as pension funds, as more traditional investment opportunities came to be seen as less favourable. This in turn increased the cost of food worldwide.[4]The Threat of Global Food Shortages - Yale Global Online [Book] Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization North Point Press
Agriculture safety and healthin Haskell County, Kansas in late June 2001. Healthy, growing crops are green. Corn is growing leafy stalks, but Sorghum, which resembles corn, grows more slowly and is much smaller and therefore paler. Wheat is a brilliant gold as harvest occurs in June. Brown fields have been recently harvested and plowed under or lie fallow for the year.]][Site] Tennessee Department of Agriculture United States [News] Heineman talks agriculture in Europe Agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. Farmers are at high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries, work-related lung diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, skin diseases, and certain cancers associated with chemical use and prolonged sun exposure. Farming is one of the few industries in which the families (who often share the work and live on the premises) are also at risk for injuries, illness, and death. [Image]
[Video] The Castelli Romani (the Roman Castles),near Rome, in Italy' Young Workers [Auction] 1947 CARE AND CULTURE OF FARM WOODLOTS WOOD AGRICULTURE Agriculture is the most dangerous industry for young workers, accounting for 42% of all work-related fatalities of young workers in the U.S. between 1992 and 2000. Unlike other industries, half the young victims in agriculture were under age 15. NIOSH [5]. Unpublished analyses of the 1992–2000 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Special Research Files provided to NIOSH by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (includes more detailed data than the research file, but excludes data from New York City). Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, Surveillance and Field Investigations Branch, Special Studies Section. Unpublished database. [Post] Organic Agriculture and Localized Food & Energy Systems for ... For young agricultural workers aged 15–17, the risk of fatal injury is four times the risk for young workers in other workplaces BLS [6]. Report on the youth labor force. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, pp. 58–67. Agricultural work exposes young workers to safety hazards such as machinery, confined spaces, work at elevations, and work around livestock.
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