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Napier ENVS 3100
Sustainability topic presentation
Food and agriculture
Factors that influence our food choices
Nourishment
Taste
Convenience
Social factors
Physical needs
Cultural beliefs and values
Agriculture: the process of cultivating plants and domesticating animals for consumption
Historical agriculture
Animal domestication
Selective breeding
10’000 years ago
o Carrying capacity = 30 million people
o Hunting and gathering
6’000 years ago
o Canals and dams for irrigation (Egyptian)
o Organic matter for fertilizer (Chinese)
2’000 years ago
o Crop rotation (Romans)
Modern agricultural practices
Genetic manipulation (ie GMO’s)
o Identify trait of interest -> isolate the trait of interests genetics -> insert the
trait of interest into another genome -> grow the GMO -> reproduction or
replication of the modified genome
The Green Revolution
Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
Gas- or diesel-powered farm equipment
Napier ENVS 3100
Sustainability topic presentation
Food and agriculture
Factors that influence our food choices
Nourishment
Taste
Convenience
Social factors
Physical needs
Cultural beliefs and values
Agriculture: the process of cultivating plants and domesticating animals for consumption
Historical agriculture
Animal domestication
Selective breeding
10’000 years ago
o Carrying capacity = 30 million people
o Hunting and gathering
6’000 years ago
o Canals and dams for irrigation (Egyptian)
o Organic matter for fertilizer (Chinese)
2’000 years ago
o Crop rotation (Romans)
Modern agricultural practices
Genetic manipulation (ie GMO’s)
o Identify trait of interest -> isolate the trait of interests genetics -> insert the
trait of interest into another genome -> grow the GMO -> reproduction or
replication of the modified genome
The Green Revolution
Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
Gas- or diesel-powered farm equipment
