1. Since 1950 a modern type of agriculture has resulted in the tripling of crop yields. During the same time population has doubled. Thus the modern methods of agriculture have kept up with population growth. However, these new methods of farming have led to increased soil degradation and pollution of soil and water. What are the "new" methods?
2. What is the effect of a carcinogen?
3. What is a pesticide? Why are they used? What happens to pesticides after spraying? What organisms are affected? Why?
4. What percentage of the fruits and vegetables in the U.S. are grown in the Central Valley of California? Does this mean that the pesticides and herbicides used there may affect us?
5. At Old Sturbridge Village they are putting into practice farming techniques of the last century. Compare these farming procedures to those used by modern agribusiness.
6. The Green Revolution resulted in a threefold increase in grain yield in the developing countries. It was especially effective in south Asia where increases in crop yields farm have kept up with population growth. What factors made up the Green Revolution?
7. Why are some countries considering reintroducing some of the more traditional methods of farming?
8. What is integrated pest management?
9. Are farmers in south Asia interested in learning about what is happening in their fields?
10. Australia sets a record in soil management. What is this record?
11. If it moves, ______ it. If it doesn’t, ____ it _____.
12. What factors have resulted in the extensive soil erosion shown in northeastern Australia? Most ranchers blame the weather. Is this necessarily true?
13. How is the rancher in the video planning to better manage his land?
14. Where and what was the "dust bowl". What effect did it have on U.S. agricultural practices? Have these practices continued to the present?
15. The newer agribusiness practices in the U.S. substitute ______ for ______ of soil.
16. What is topsoil? Is its loss of any significance for sustainable agriculture in the U.S.? Why?
17. What methods did the farmers in the Sahel (the area immediately south of the Sahara Desert that periodically suffers droughts) do to improve productivity and prevent soil erosion.
18. How does the water that is captured in the reservoirs supply groundwater during the dry season?
19. Why did the farmers in the Sahel not use fertilizer?
20. For the North Dakota farmer what were the symptoms that the soil was suffering as a result of modern farming?
21. What did this farmer do to implement organic farming? What are the advantages and disadvantages of switching to organic farming?
22. What are organic vegetables? What percentage of garden farms is organic? Is this percentage changing? Why?
23. Is the organic vegetable producer an environmentalist? Why did he switch to organic farming?
24. What are some of the techniques that he is using to replace modern farming practices?
25. What is biotechnology? How may it help to produce more food for the growing world population? Is everyone in favor of biotechnology? Why or why not?
26. What is the likelihood that the rate of growth in food production will keep up with population growth? What factors are affecting the rate of growth of food production?