Food Resources

Food Resources
● Our food comes almost entirely from agriculture, animal husbandry

and fishing.
● Although India is self-sufficient in food production, it is only because of
modern patterns of agriculture that are unsustainable and which
pollute our environment with excessive use of fertilizers and
pesticides.
● The FAO defines sustainable agriculture as that which conserves
land, water and plant and animal genetic resources, does not degrade
the environment and is economically viable and socially acceptable.
● Integrated Crop Management ICM is a 'whole farm approach' which is
site specific and includes:
○ The use of crop rotations
○ Appropriate cultivation techniques
○ Careful choice of seed varieties
○ Minimum reliance on artificial inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides
and fossil fuels
○ Maintenance of the landscape
○ The enhancement of wildlife habitats
World food problems
● Food production in 64 of the 105 developing countries is

lagging behind their population growth levels.
● These countries are unable to produce more food, or do not
have the financial means to import it.
● The Green revolution of India helped the country to tackle
starvation.
Many of the technologies we have used to achieve this are now being questioned.
• Our fertile soils are being exploited faster than they can recuperate.
• Forests, grasslands and wetlands have been converted to agricultural use, which
has led to serious ecological questions.
• Our fish resources, both marine and inland, show evidence of exhaustion.
• There are great disparities in the availability of nutritious food. Some
communities such as tribal people still face serious food problems leading to
malnutrition especially among women and children.
Food security and Loss of genetic diversity
It is estimated that 18 million people worldwide, die each year due to starvation or
malnutrition, and many others suffer a variety of dietary deficiencies.
Food security is closely linked with population control through the family welfare
program. It is also linked to the availability of water for farming.
There are 50,000 known edible plants documented worldwide. Of these only 15
varieties produce 90% of the world’s food.
Modern agricultural practices have resulted in a serious loss of genetic variability

of crops.
The most effective method to introduce desirable traits into crops is by using
characteristics found in the wild relatives of crop plants. As the wilderness shrinks,
these varieties are rapidly disappearing.
If plant genetic losses worldwide are not slowed down, some estimates show that
as many as 60,000 plant species, which accounts for 25% of the world’s total, will
be lost by the year 2025.
the world will soon need a second green revolution to meet our future demands of
food based on a new ethic of land and water management that must be based on
values which include environmental sensitivity, equity, biodiversity conservation of
cultivars and in-situ preservation of wild relatives of crop plants.
Modern Agriculture
Modern agriculture converts a large part of the earth's land surface to
monoculture. As a result, the genetic and ecological diversity of the planet erodes.
The conversion of diverse natural ecosystems to new agricultural lands and the
narrowing of the genetic diversity of crops contribute to this erosion.
In addition to adding pollutants to water, soil and air, modern agriculture practices
can cause soil disturbance by using heavy machines and tilling equipment. This, in
turn, creates soil erosion and degrades the quality of surrounding farmland.
Fertilizers and Pesticides
These nutrients are supplied in the shape of fertilizers. There is lot of potential to increase
food productivity by increasing fertilizer use.
On one hand application of artificial chemical fertilizers increases the productivity at faster
rate as compare to organic fertilizers, on the other hand application of fertilizers can be a
serious problem of pollution and can create number of problems. Excessive level of
nitrates in groundwater has created problems in developed countries. These are:
a. Accumulated phosphorous as a consequence of use of phosphoric fertilizer are posing
serious threat as residues in domestic water supply and for ecology of river and other water
bodies. Increased level of phosphates in different water results in eutrophication.
b. Effect of chemical fertilizer is long term, therefore leads to net loss of soil organic
matter.
Successful control of insects, pests and weeds increases productivity and reduces losses and provide
security for harvest and storage. Applications of these synthetic chemicals have great economic values
and at the same time cause number of serious problems such as:
a. Affects human health which includes acute poisoning and illness caused by higher doses
and accidental exposes
b. As long term effect, cause cancer, birth defects, Parkinson’s disease and other regenerative
diseases.
c. Long term application of pesticides can affect soil fertility.
d. Danger of killing beneficial predators.
e. Pesticides resistance and pest resurgence
Environmental Effects of Overgrazing
• Soil erosion due to overgrazing – The top layer of the soil cover gets exposed
due to overgrazing, which is carried away by wind and rain.
• Loss of species – Overgrazing destroys many valuable species of plants.
• Land degradation – Overgrazing by cattle causes land degradation as their feet

loosens the soil.
•Growth of undesirable plants – Overgrazing promotes the growth of unwanted

plant species. Such species pose a threat to our original breeds
Water Logging
Water logging refers to the saturated condition of soil, where the water table reaches close
to the surface and plants are unable to get air for respiration. This results in low crop
production.
Water logging takes place when the soil is saturated with water, such as near dams or
excessively irrigated regions.
Water logging can be checked using the subsurface drainage technology and by growing
trees like eucalyptus which absorb the moisture from the soil.
Water logging may lead to poor crop productivity due to anaerobic condition created in the
soil. In India, deltas of Ganga, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some areas of Kerala are
prone to frequent water logging.
Salinity
• Deposition of salts make the soil unsuitable for crops, this process is called
salinisation. Nearly seven million hectares of land is badly affected by salinity.
Excessive irrigation causes salinity problems.
• Most part of the land is irrigated through canals and ground water which has high
content of dissolved salts. Due to evaporation, the salt gets deposited in the soil
causing salinisation. It creates the following problems:
• Reduction of growth in crops
•Increase in soil infertility
• Reduction in crop production
• Hazardous to wildlife

Food Resources

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Food Resources

● Our food comes almost entirely from agriculture, animal husbandry

● Food production in 64 of the 105 developing countries is

Modern agricultural practices have resulted in a serious loss of genetic variability

• Loss of species – Overgrazing destroys many valuable species of plants.

• Land degradation – Overgrazing by cattle causes land degradation as their feet

•Growth of undesirable plants – Overgrazing promotes the growth of unwanted

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