Challenges of Contemporary Agriculture
Caleb Lopez
7 min read
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Study Guide Overview
This study guide covers modern agriculture, focusing on agricultural innovations (biotechnology, GMOs, aquaculture), influences on food production and consumption (CSA, organic farming, fair trade, local food movements), challenges to food access (food insecurity, distribution issues), and economic processes affecting food production (supply and demand, government policies, market conditions). It also includes practice questions covering these topics.
#🍎 Modern Agriculture: A Last-Minute Study Guide 🚜
Hey there! Let's get you prepped for the AP Human Geography exam. We're diving into the world of modern agriculture, focusing on those key debates, influences, and economic factors. Think of this as your cheat sheet for tonight – let's make it count!
#🌿 Agricultural Innovations: The Good, the Bad, and the Debated
Modern agriculture is all about innovation, but these advancements come with their own set of questions. Let's break down the big ones:
#🧬 Biotechnology
Biotechnology is the use of living organisms to create or modify products. In agriculture, this often means boosting crop yields, pest resistance, and nutritional value.
#Definition
- Using living organisms or their products to develop or make products or technologies.
- Wide applications: agriculture, medicine, environmental management, and industry.
- Examples: genetic engineering, fermentation, and tissue culture.
#Arguments For:
- More efficient crop production.
- Prolonged freshness of products.
- Ability to design/modify organisms for specific purposes.
#Arguments Against:
- Potential to reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics and affect the ecological balance of agriculture.
- Risk of genetically modified organisms interbreeding and contaminating food supplies.
#🌽 GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
GMOs are organisms whose DNA has been altered in a way that doesn't occur naturally. Think of it as tweaking the genetic code for specific benefits.
#Definition
- Living organisms with modified DNA using biotechnology.
- Altered genetic material by adding or removing specific genes.
- Used in agriculture to develop pest-resistant, stress-tolerant, and nutritionally improved crops.
#Arguments For:
- Higher yields.
- More nutrient-dense varieties.
- Resistance to pests.
- Tolerance to droughts and herbicides.
#Arguments Against:
- Environmental hazards like gene transfer and harm to other organisms.
- Human health risks, including unknown or unintended health effects.
- Economic concerns, such as patents by agrichemical companies and increased costs.
#🐠 Aquaculture
Think of aquaculture as 'fish farming.' It's like agriculture, but for the water.
#Definition
- Farming of aquatic organisms like fish, shell...
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