The Ever Changing Food Supply 1 How can we make our diets more environmentally sustainable In what ways would improving the nutritional adequacy of our diet also make it more environmentally sustainable More Sustainable Organic and Locally Grown Nutritional adequacy Less processed foods means better quality intake and less environment impact fuel emissions etc o In the US the food industry uses 20 of the nation s fuels to run farm machinery and produce fertilizers and pesticides and to prepare package transport refrigerate and otherwise store cook and wash our foods 2 What are the requirements of the USDA Certified Organic designation Are organic foods 100 free of pesticides Why or why not Are organic foods more nutritious than conventional foods What are some ways that people can reduce the amount of pesticides that they consume besides eating only organic foods Prohibits use of toxic and persistent chemicals in favor of more earth friendly practices o Crop rotation o Planting cover crops o Releasing beneficial insects o Adding composted manure Field must be free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers for 3 years before a certified organic crop can be grown on it Use of proper manure composting techniques to prevent against food borne illness Organic eggs meats and dairy products must be from animals that are given 100 organic feed forbids severe confinement No antibiotics or growth hormones 3 What are the requirements for a manufacturer to use the terms 100 organic organic and made with organic ingredients on their package labels 100 Organic Must only contain organically produced ingredients Organic Must consist of at least 95 organically produced ingredients Made with Organic Ingredients Must contain at least 70 organic ingredients 4 What are some reasons that people choose organic foods Damage to soil water and air from conventional farming more sustainable Health consequences of pesticides in food and the environment Concern about genetically modified foods 5 Are the pesticide residues on foods likely to be harmful to human health Why or why not Are there pesticides allow in organic farming What government organization sets standards for allowable amounts of pesticide residues on foods What government agency monitors the food supply to ensure that pesticide residues on foods do not exceed the allowable amount Not likely to be harmful to health o Limits generally represent between 1 100 to 1 1 000 of the reference dose found to cause no adverse health effects in laboratory animals Organic foods may not be 100 free of pesticides Evaluated by FDA below established tolerance levels set by EPA in most cases 6 What are some sustainable agriculture methods that are not required by the USDA Organic Certification program Planting plants to attract beneficial insects Cultivating bird populations Use of no pesticides not even those natural pesticides allowed in organic farming Gathering rain water Solar power 7 What is the difference between organic food and local food What are some of the benefits of buying local foods Organic Local o Organic foods may still travel great distances to reach the consumer o Organic food may be grown on large industrial farms o Concern about fuel utilized to produce and transport foods o Concern about disappearance or small farmers o May be organic but not certified in many cased even more environmentally sound than organic o Fresher may taste better o Nutrient content may be higher o Support local economy o Farmer s markets community supported agriculture CSA some large stores sell locally grown produce 8 What is community supported agriculture When consumers invest in economic partnerships with local farmers 9 What is biotechnology genetic engineering What are the uses of biotechnology What is a transgenic or GM crop What are some of the crops in the US that are grown using biotechnology What o Involves the direct intentional manipulation of the genetic material of living things in order to obtain some desirable trait not present in the original organism also called recombinant DNA technology o Used to involve the combination or all genetic material of two organisms o Now we can isolate the gene for a specific characteristic and insert it into the DNA of another organism Increase self life Uses Improve the production and yield of many foods o o Make foods more pest climate resistant bacteria o o Decrease cost o o Enhance taste o Breed animals with desired characteristics o Production of drugs Improve nutritional content of foods Transgenic or Genetically Modified o Transgenic Plants contain a gene or genes that have been genetically inserted instead of the plant acquiring them through pollination may originate from another plant or bacteria o Plants containing trans genes are often called genetically modified Most Popular Modified Crops o Soybeans and Cotton o Insect resistant Cotton and Corn 10 What are some concerns about biotechnology What is outcrossing Why doesn t the FDA require that products using biotechnology be labeled as such Concerns Outcrossing Labeling o Outcrossing Disruption of natural ecosystems newly created diseases weapons animal cruelty allergies economic impacts o Male organs cannot fertilize the female parts of the same plant o Whole foods produced through biotechnology require no specific safety testing or labeling if they are not substantially different from the foods already in use If food differs significantly must undergo safety testing o 11 Why is bovine growth hormone used Why don t humans absorb active bovine growth hormone Is all milk in the US from cows that are treated with bovine growth hormone Can organic milk be labeled as bovine growth hormone free Why or why not Why o Increases milk production Human s Don t Absorb It o No active growth hormone remains in milk All Milk from rBGH Treated Cows o No there is organic milk o Organic milk cannot say Bovine Growth Hormone Free because cows produce growth hormone 12 What is cloning Does the FDA require labeling of products from clones or their offspring No FDA deems meat and milk from clones and their offspring as safe as that from conventional animals 13 What is food irradiation For which foods is it approved in the US Is labeling of irradiated foods required Does irradiation make the food 100 free from bacteria Why or why not What cell Purpose o Exposing foods to controlled doses of gamma rays from the radioactive compound cobalt 60 or from X rays generated by machines
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