Industrial Agriculture
Industrial agriculture has become the dominant way of producing food. It is modern farming where genetic technology is used to produce large amounts of food but it has little concerns for the environment, animal welfare or food safety. It involves the help of machinery, chemicals and genetic technologies to produce the food that we eat. This method is very destructive, but the production is cheap. The organisms are fed chemicals and antibiotics to induce maturity to quicken their development. Thus, they are likely to carry diseases. Also, the production causes pollution, health hazards and can possibly lead to extinction. Although, it means cheap and plentiful food, it also means extinction, reduction in genetic diversity, and likely to be hazardous to you.
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is the ethical and moral way of producing food. It is both philosophy and a system of farming. This method works with natural processes to minimize waste and conserve resources, while maintaining and improving farming profitability. Sustainable agriculture uses existing resources to produce uncontaminated and nutritious food, while preserving the environment. This system has become a second choice because industrial agriculture meets the population’s demand quicker and is cheaper. But is industrial produce really cheaper than sustainable produce. From the statistics of animals slaughtered and disruptions in the environment from industrial agriculture, it seems that organic food is the better buy.
Biodiversity
Industrial agriculture mass produces the organisms that are in high demand quickly. Thus, those organisms are highly productive livestock breeds and crop varieties. The continuous production of these animals reduces the genetic diversity. As these animals become our daily meals, the others that are less productive become endangered and then extinct. Also, once an organism from a food chain is extinct the other organisms within the food chain will become extinct, not long after. The biodiversity on Earth is depleting.
Industrial agriculture has caused more than enough problems on Earth. It has pushed animals into extinction and has spread many diseases and hazards, itself. Furthermore, sustainable agriculture should be regarded as the number one method to produce food. The production is in harmony with nature. Moreover, our food sources would be healthier and clean if most of our produce comes from sustainable farm. Cost or Life?
Difference between Industrial and Sustainable Agriculture
References:- http://www.thenhf.com/article.php?id=431
- http://altalert.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/factory-farming-pros-cons/
- http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm
- http://eap.mcgill.ca/sustain.htm
- http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions#MassiveExtinctionsFromHumanActivity
- http://scienceblogs.com/worldsfair/Ind%20v%20Sust%20re-marked%20reduced.jpg
- http://greenpeacecorps.org/images/industrial_agriculture.jpg
Jess, really good blog. I also do believe that sustainable agriculture should be regarded as the number one method to produce food. Industrail farming depends on expensive inputs such as pesticides and fertilizer, which also causes harm to the environment and this isn't right. But, sustainable farming on the other hand, produces foods without excessive use of pesticides and other hazardous chemical inputs. It is healthier for us and doesnt cause species to become extinct. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteJessica, I like how your bioblog is "to the point." It is loaded with facts about this topic so it is very obvious that you put time and effort into getting good research. I really like the image that you had at the bottm that directly compared industrial agriculture to sustainable agriculture. It shows how the realisty of the situation; they really are polar opposites.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think about it, even in industrial agriculture, in the end the production of livestock comes down to the same price as sustainable agriculture. Because of the worse-than-favourable conditions that the animals are produced in, more anti-biotics are needed to keep them from getting diseases because in these conditions they are even more susceptible to disease.
This just proves that if you look closely, there are even more negatives with industrial agriculture than you think! Which leads to another puzzling question; if all of these facts exist, why do people still try to choose cost over life? I have a feeling that this is linked directly to human biology and the way that we think than simply to animal biology.
I definately think that sustainable agriculture is the way to go. I think that it is more healthy and more easy. Also it has all the effects which people are trying to gain right now. If we let things work out naturally, everything will happen by itself. We need to think about the biodiversity because all species are connected and what happens to one species will affect all species. Also biodiversity means a diversity of products which we all need.
ReplyDeleteHey Little J,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, the human race is increasing. I liked your facts you used. I also loved how you decided to use the picture that says differences between industrial and sustainable agriculture.
I do believe that sustainable agriculture is teh way to go. We need to realize what is important and not what is cheaper in price. Industrial agriculture can be prone to diseases where we can get sick by, I would rather spend more money for food rather than a hospital bill.
Overall great job Jess!
I definitely agree with the opinions you put forth in this bioblog. It's hard to argue with the facts presented when it comes to the superiority of sustainable agriculture to industrial agriculture. I like the emphasis you put on biodiversity and its role in industrial agriculture, as well as the corresponding images and their relevance to the topic being discussed.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job presenting your views on this environmental and social issue!
Hey Jessica!
ReplyDeletei think your blog was very insightful, and i absolutely agree with your opinions stated above, ecspeically with the idea of sustainable agriculture. Industrial agriculture has dominated the nature of farming, however i feel that we have no choice due to the rapid increasing human population. As you expressed above, sustainable agriculture is the moral method of producing food, an opinion which i surely agree with. It is the better way in maintaining our environment and reducing chemical harzards, along with preserving the biodiverstiy on earth. As humans we should further acknowledge the signifigance of sustaining our environment and keeping it healthy. Overall, great blog Jess!
Hey Jessica,
ReplyDeleteOur human population is definitely growing, and it seems as though the agricultural industry is keeping up with the growth rates – for now, anyways. I find it horrible that people just assume that our human population cannot be fed using sustainable agriculture. Why not? In fact, researchers from the University of Michigan have done a study regarding whether or not the yields gained from sustainable agriculture would be sufficient enough for us. From this research, they have estimated that with our current scientific knowledge, organic, sustainable agriculture could provide almost as much food on average at a global level as is produced today! I think sustainable agriculture should be given a chance, as the pros to it are great for not only us, but the environment. I completely agree with your view on this topic. The industry should really think about the long run as opposed to profit for once!