Managing Biological Resources & Environmental Equality The Business of Hunger Now playing: Kurt Bestor, Sam Cardon Prayer of the Children A man who has bread has many problems, a man without bread has only one. Byzantine Proverb For more than half a century I have worked with the production of more and better wheat for feeding the hungry people, but wheat is merely a catalyst, a part of the picture. I am interested in the total development of human beings. Only by attacking the whole problem can we raise the standard of living for all people in all communities, so that they will be able to live decent lives. This is something we want for all people on this planet. --Dr. Norman Borlaug, (1914 - present) 197 Nobel Prize winner What greater human right is there than the right to eat? Senator Bob Dole (1923-1998) A Degenerating Circle: Poverty, Environment & Economy 1. Why does hunger exist in a world of plenty? 2. What changes in today s world food production? 3. Will technology and a global economy solve hunger? Video The Business of Hunger PBS TV Documentary Maryknoll World Video Library 914-941-759 Are you able to Apply the Following: Structure + Process = Pattern to the following lecture? (per capita income in constant international dollars) Growing disparities in incomes among regions 25, 2, 15, 1, 5, 197 1975 198 1985 199 Africa Asia Latin W. Europe N. What causes war among you? You desire and do not have so you
Net Number of Migrants (thousands) 1 5-5 -1-15 -63 People on the Move -9-1366 -41 739 12-392 Africa Asia Europe Latin and Carribean Number (thousands) Rate (per 1, population) -85 971 34 North 111 44 Oceania How do the following factors contribute to hunger? War/Genocide/Discrimination/Technology Alternative Approaches to Equity & Valuation of People Disease Environmental Disaster Economic Disaster Invasive Species Trade/Economics/Globalism Build-out, Sprawl or Poorly Planned Development Population (billions) Urban Growth Spurt Continues 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 195 1975 2 225 Rural Developed Rural Developing Urban Developed Urban Developing Yields Are Up, But the Rate of Growth is Slowing Yield (metric tons/hectare) 5 4 3 2 1 196 1965 197 1975 198 1985 199 1995 2 Wheat Yield Rice Yield Maize Yield Despite Gains, Millions Go Hungry (million persons suffering from undernutrition) 1, 8 6 4 2 1969-71 1979-81 199-92 21 Sub-Saharan Africa Near East and North Africa East and Southeast Asia South Asia Latin and the Caribbean
Degraded Soil Means Less Food (millions of hectares degraded) 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 World Africa North and Central Vegetation Removal Overgrazing Industrial and Bioindustrial South World Totals (million hectares) Vegetation Removal 579 Overexploitation 133 Overgrazing 679 Agricultural Activities 522 Industrial and Bioindustrial 23 Asia Europe Oceania Overexploitation Agricultural Activities Food Supply Increasingly Relies on Irrigation (percent) 12 1 8 6 4 2 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 Africa Asia Latin Europe North Oceania World More fertilizer: More food, but more pollution too (million metric tons) 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 Africa Asia South and Central Europe North Oceania World 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 Index Numbers 1961=1 Progress in Feeding the World Has Varied Widely by Region 18 16 14 12 1 U.S.S.R. (former) Asia World Africa Europe Latin The Lesson of the Former USSR! 8 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 What factors may contribute to these results?
Some people argue that it s not a matter of too little food... US Surplus of grain today? < 68 days! How do you think hunger and malnutrition contribute to: Brain development? Energy level Mental attitude Ability to resist disease Ability to compete in a global marketplace Reproduction Sustainability
Hunger: What can we do to: -Increasing food production Add plants to human diet Aquaculture Biotechnology Sustainable agriculture What can YOU do? Farmed Fish Are a Growing Share of the Global Fish Harvest (million metric tons) 12 1 8 6 4 2 Total Capture Total Aquaculture 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Biotechnology Global Area of transgenic crops Weed Infested Soybean Plot European Corn Borer & Cotton Bollworm Weed-infested soybean plot (left) and Roundup Ready soybeans after Roundup treatment. Source: Monsanto European corn borer (left) and cotton bollworm (right) are two pests controlled by Bt corn and cotton, respectively. Source: USDA.
Corn hybrid with a Bt gene (left) and a hybrid susceptible to European corn borer (right). Source: Monsanto Results of insect infestation on Bt (right) and non-bt (left) cotton bolls. Source: USDA Corn rootworm feeding on a young maize root. Source: USDA Range of damage due to corn rootworm feeding, from severe (left) to no damge (right). Source: USDA Crops, Traits, and Acreage The most important transgenic crop in terms of acreage planted is soybean, followed by corn, cotton, and canola. Adoption of transgenic crops (genetically engineered) in the United States has been far greater than in many other countries. The following graph shows the acreage of transgenic crops in the United States (1996-21)
World Transgenic (Genetically Engineered) Crop Production Transgenic crop production area by country (source: James, 23b) Country Area planted in 2 (millions of acres) Crops grown USA 74.8 soybean, corn, cotton, canola Argentina 24.7 soybean, corn, cotton, canola Canada 7.4 soybean, corn, canola China 1.2 cotton South Africa.5 corn, cotton Sustralia.4 cotton Mexico minor cotton Bulgaria minor corn Romania minor soybean, potato Spain minor corn Germany minor corn France minor corn Uruguay minor soybean Video Risky Business: Biotechnology & Agriculture Moving Images Video Project 248 East Valley Street Seattle, WA 98112 26-323-9461 So What s the Big Deal about GMO s Anyway? Science seems to confirm that there is no health issue, but. Who owns the technology? Who stands to gain most by the technology? Developed countries that can t compete tend to what to ban or decrease GMO imports Many 2/3 world countries will take GMO s Black Market is a big challenge Will GMP Crops Affect Sustainability? (percent) 5 4 3 2 1 Forest Loss Is Severe in the Tropics How do forests contribute to the water cycle, diversity, future resources and sustainability? Asia Africa Latin World Amazon Deforestation Remains High Many of Earth s Forests Have Been Cleared or Degraded (millions of square kilometers) 18,, 16,, 14,, 12,, 1,, 8,, 6,, 4,, 2,, Russia and Europe Cleared Non Frontier Forest Frontier Forest Asia North & South South Africa Oceania
What major changes appear to be looming on our future horizon? Global warming Growing environmental problems Loss of Biodiversity Build-Out or Sprawl Globalism/Trade Agreements Biological Revolution Taxation Measurement in a Web World Immigration & Invasive Species The Poor The Hungry How do Global Economics Affect Hunger? Education Access to Capital Fair Interests Black Market & Crime Information Technology Vs Agr. & Manuf. Social Justice Value of Human Life and the Value of $ A Degenerating Circle: Poverty, Environment & Economy 1. Why does hunger exist in a world of plenty? 2. What changes in today s world food production? 3. Will technology and a global economy solve hunger? What will you do about hunger?