Why do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

1. Why do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

2. Challenges for Farmers inDeveloping Countries

3. What is subsistence agriculture? Agriculture designed primarily to provide food for direct consumption by the Farmer and the farmer’s family.

4. Issue: POPULATION GROWTH • In order to feed growing families & populations, subsistence farmers are under pressure to increase their yields. Intensive subsistence on the edge of a growing city

5. Yield: The full amount of an agricultural or industrial product

6. Hills being manually TERRACEDto host rice production

7. Using IRRIGATION to expand agricultural lands (desert setting)

8. INTERNATIONAL TRADE In order to increase yields, better technologies and seeds are needed - and currency ($$) is needed to acquire them.

9. To raise$€£¥, developing countries must sell exports to developed countries. This means dedicating more farming area to export crops, at the expense of subsistence crops that feed people GROWING PINEAPPLES IN COSTA RICA FOR EXPORT

10. Turn and Talk! What is the difference between an export or cash crop and a subsistence crop?

11. FOOD CRISIS in AFRICA Parts of Africa, particularly the SAHEL and HORN OF AFRICA, struggle to grow enough food to feed growing populations. The Sahel region (desertification) Horn of Africa (instability, poverty)

12. These regions are too arid for intensive agriculture, and poor national economies mean there is little money available forinvestment in modern agriculture. Every export crop grown comes at the expense of a hungry citizen’s subsistence in LDCs.

13. DRUG CROPS To bring in foreign currency, some countries engage in illicit production & export of crops used for narcotics. Afghan girl attending a poppy field (used for HEROIN)

14. Controlled Substance Derivatives & Main Exporters COCAINE– derived from COCA LEAF Colombia, Peru, Bolivia HEROIN– derived from POPPY PLANT 90% from Afghanistan MARIJUANA– CANNABIS SATIVA/INDICA plant Mexico world’s largest producer

15. Most HEROIN is produced and consumed in the eastern hemisphere; most COCAINE is produced and consumed in the western hemisphere(though much reaches Europe)

16. Challenges for Farmers inDeveloped Countries

17. Issue: OVERPRODUCTION Commercialfarmers produce far more than is actually needed - leading to low prices.

18. FARM SUBSIDIES AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDY is money paid by the gov’t to farmers to either: - NOT grow a crop that is overproduced - To grow a crop even when prices are low (to ensure constant supply on the market)

19. Food Programs Many wealthy states distributesomecrop surplus to other countries to help alleviate food crises. The United States donates through its USAID food programs.

20. A South Sudanese boy watches as UN World Food Program grain bags drop to the ground from an airplane

21. Turn and Talk! How does overproduction of agricultural products in MDCs affect agricultural producers in LDCs? How do agricultural subsidies affect global farmers? What would you suggest we do to increase food supply?

22. STRATEGIESto INCREASE the WORLD’S FOOD SUPPLY

23. Strategy: INCREASE EXPORTS FROM SURPLUS COUNTRIES Some countries produce far more food than they need, while others struggle to meet their needs. An equitable and expanded system of DISTRIBUTION could tackle this issue. Palestinian boy in Gaza with donated UNRWA flour

24. NET IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS OF FOOD Oceania & Americas are main EXPORTING regions

25. Strategy: INCREASE LAND UNDER PRODUCTION More food can be grown by expanding agricultural land, but this method also brings grave challenges. CIRCULAR CROPS IN KANSAS

26. Agricultural land is often expanded into marginal areas by increasing irrigation (water use). This can: impact human water supply, disrupts natural systems, and can spread DESERTIFICATION. The ARAL SEA’s tributaries were dammed by USSR to grow cotton; today it has been mostly replaced by desert.

27. Intensive Irrigation, Nevada Desert

28. Urban centers consumePRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND as they develop outward, making it hard to feed growing cities around the world.

29. Strategy: EXPANDING FISHING The expansion of FISHING is one way to increase food supply without depending on land-based farming.

30. FISH CONSUMPTION has risen dramatically in recent decades - driven by the developing world- from 27 million metric tons in 1960 to 110 millionin 2010.

31. Turn and Talk! If the developing world is demanding more fish and consuming those fish, what do you believe is happening to the price of fish around the world? Who is being negatively affected by the higher demand for fish?

32. In the same time, FARMFISH PRODUCTION, has increased even more sharply - from 36 to 145 million metric tons. Like corn, much of this is used in ANIMAL FEED.

33. Fish farming is called AQUACULTURE – the cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions.

34. Aquaculture presents environment issues of its own.

35. While AQUACULTURE has expanded, catch of fish from the ocean is declining. OVERFISHING has depleted stocks of many important species, particularly COD and other whitefish.

36. The UN estimates that ¼ of all fish stocks are overfished, and almost ½ are fully exploited- including all of the most desirable stocks.

37. Strategy: INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY Tremendous advances in the mid-20th century led to a massive expansion of agricultural productivity.

38. What is was the Green Revolution: Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high –yield seeds and fertilizers.

39. This era of innovation was called the GREEN REVOLUTION. Technological advances like the COMBINEwere combined with scientific advances like GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GMO) seeds and improved FERTILIZERS.

40. Though the Green Revolution made agriculture vastly more productive, it did so at great ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL costs.

41. PROBLEMS WITH THE GREEN REV’N • HEALTH PROBLEMS-High rates of GM consumption may reduce antibiotic effectiveness; consumption of pesticides may cause cancer/other problems. • EXPORT PROBLEMS– Some regions, like EU, have strict laws on GM imports- making exporting GM crops hard. • DEPENDENCE ON U.S.– Consumers forced to buy seeds every year from US-based companies.

42. Many GM seeds have a ‘terminator’ gene-these PLANTS ARE DELIBERATELY STERILE (do not produce seeds). Farmers are forced to buy seeds from companies like Monsanto year after year, instead of using their own seeds.

43. Among the worst impacts of the Green Revolution is on WATER. Crops/techniques uses require FAR more water than traditional methods, threatening water security in many places.

44. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE practices that preserve and enhance environmental and social quality

45. ORGANIC farming is the most popular form for sustainable agriculture; it does not allow any use of chemical pesticides and/or fertilizers.

46. Less than 1% of worldwide commercial agriculture is organic. It is highlyconcentrated -32% is from Australia, 12% from Argentina.

47. There are THREE PRIMARY WAYSsustainable agriculture is achieved.

48. 1.) SENSITIVE LAND MANAGEMENT • Using the LAND in ways that maximize sustainability. • FALLOW/REST CROPS –regenerate soil • LAND TILLAGE– the planting of crops in raised rows. Land Tillage allows for water/fertilizer to be used much more efficiently

49. 2.) LIMITED/NO USE OF CHEMICALS Sustainable agriculture avoids unnecessary or avoidable use of chemicals; organic farming uses none at all, except for natural compounds (manure for fertilizer).

50. 3.) INTEGRATING CROP AND LIVESTOCK • Attempts to make farm as self-sustaining as possible (grow healthy animal feed on farm) • Animals are not confined to small quarters (free range, cage-free)