Sustainable Agriculture Challenges

Sustainable Agriculture Food Nutrition

• Presented by Mante, Jake; Secretaria, Beverly May; Paringit, Frankie Sophia; Sumaganday, Mark Anje; Palacios, Rev Arthel

Objectives

• Negative Environmental Impacts of Agriculture
• Types of Pesticides
• Environmental Impacts on Agriculture
• Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture
• Advantages and Drawbacks of Sustainable Agriculture
• Food and Nutrition Security

What is Agriculture?

• Agriculture is the science and art of growing plants and other crops, and raising animals for food, other human needs, or economic gain.

Negative Impacts of Agriculture on the Environment

• Land Transformation: Due to the use of land to yield goods and services. Examples include clearing forests to make way for parks or gardens.
• Land Degradation: The long-term decline in ecosystem function and productivity. Examples include soil erosion, soil exhaustion, and soil salinization.

Types of Pesticides

• Organophosphates are among the most abundantly used synthetic pesticides.
• Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (organochlorines) are highly toxic and persistent to sensitive organisms
• Fumigants are small molecular compounds, like ethylene dibromide, methylene bromide, and carbon tetrachloride.
• Inorganic Pesticides are compounds made from toxic elements such as copper, sulfur, arsenic, and mercury.
• Natural Organic Pesticides (botanicals) are extracts from plants like nicotine from tobacco and pyrethrum from Chrysanthemum.
• Microbial Agents and Biological Controls use living organisms or toxins extracted from them as replacements for pesticides.

Impacts of Environment on Agriculture

• Global warming
• Heavy rainfall and flooding
• Acid Rain
• Wind Erosion
• Landslides

Why Sustainable Agriculture Matters

• Contributes to Environmental Conservation by protecting natural resources (soil, water, air) ensuring healthy ecosystems.
• Prevents Pollution by minimizing harmful chemicals and promoting organic farming methods, leading to cleaner ecosystems.
• Reduces Costs by lowering input costs through reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, leading to greater economic efficiency.
• Keeps Biodiversity by encouraging the preservation of diverse plant and animal species, enhancing ecosystem stability and resilience.
• Respects the Environment by emphasizing harmony with nature, promoting ecological balance, and protecting natural habitats
• Profits Farmers Economically by focusing on sustainable practices, tapping into niche markets for organic and locally-sourced products, leading to higher profit margins
• Preserves Social Equity by supporting fair labor practices and equitable access to resources, fostering community development and social justice.

Drawbacks of Sustainable Agriculture

• Limited use of land to produce large quantities of food, mass production is not possible.
• Uses more labor and less automation
• Shorter shelf life due to faster decomposition
• Less fertile lands because of decreased use of fertilizers.
• Lower farmer income due to land used sparingly.

Food and Nutrition

• Despite dire predictions about food shortages, world food supplies have outpaced population growth for centuries. Poverty is a greater threat to food security than limitations in food supply
• Food security occurs at multiple scales.

Conclusion

• Sustainable agriculture protects the environment and ensures future food production.
• Traditional agriculture causes land degradation, deforestation, and pollution
• Pesticides harm wildlife and ecosystems, though useful.
• Climate change and environmental issues make farming more challenging
• Food insecurity is mainly due to poverty, not food scarcity
• Sustainable farming methods can mitigate the crisis, but need support to combat issues of hunger and poverty