How the Environment Impacts the

Food Cycle
Jaclyn Schermer &
Ashley Robarge
Keene State College
Dietetic Interns

Review : Plants & Their Connection to All Life

Consumers

Producers

Primary
Consumer

Secondary
Consumer

Sun
Soil
plants
Herbivore
Omnivores

Water

Decomposers

image.google.com

Decomposition

Tertiary
consumer

Carnivore

Review Continued: Erosion

Glaciers, weather - eroding

mineral-containing rock
Create mineral-rich soil
Weather, flooding, run-off - eroding soil
Plant roots help to hold the soil (mature
plants, trees)

Can anyone remember what in the New England

area was evidence that a glacier was present?

What we are going to learn today:

1) Explain the interconnection between human activity and its
environmental impact
2) Demonstrate the relationship between greenhouse gases
and global warming
3) Describe 3 methods of resource conservation

Last Weeks Homework question:

Since we now know how we benefit from the mineral rich soils
created by events which happened millions of years ago, what does
this mean about our actions and treatment of the environment today?
Describe.

Activity

Consumers Demand food

The average omnivorous human eats

pound of meat per day and drinks
about 68 fluid ounces
Our bodies are 50-65% water
Nine billion animals are raised for
food each year in the U.S
Farms yield food and in return
produce a lot of waste and
greenhouse gases, polluting our
land/water/air, contributing to climate
change.

Cattle

An average cow weighs about 1200lbs

A cow requires 12-20 gallons of water daily for drinking,
Livestock is responsible for 80-90% of the US water consumption
Requires about 32 pounds of food per day.

Livestock Space

Large amounts of space are being utilized to house livestock to keep up with
the large demand for meat consumption in the US contributing to:
Antibiotic resistance

Issues with waste storage

Runoff
Sewage leaks
Greenhouse Gases
Pollution

Chemical Storage Shortages

Cramping of animals

Pesticides/herbicides

Fossil Fuel Usage

Greenhouse gases
Global warming

The Use of Land For Agriculture: Crops

The contiguous 48 states in the US contains 1.9 billion usable acres
Crops utilize 349 million acres this is equivalent to four states the size of montana

x4

These crops include: Corn, alfalfa hay, corn and wheat mainly grown to feed animals NOT humans

As little as 3 million acres are used to grow crops for human

consumption

Belize is still 1 million acres larger than the 3 million acres used to grow vegetables...

The Use of Land For Agriculture: Livestock

41% of the US is used by grazing livestock or 788 million acres:

x8.4

The Use of Land for Agriculture: A Summary

The greatest bulk of agricultural land is used a primarily by livestock for

foraging and not for the growth of crops for human consumption
A small shift in our diet away from meat could have a tremendous impact on
the ground in terms of:
Freeing up lands for restoration and wildlife habitat
Reduce the poisoning of our streams and groundwater with pesticides and oth
modern agricultural practices.

Animal Agriculture and Environmental Impact

Continued...

Deforestation- permanent destruction of forests

in order to make the land available for other use
to make space for farming animals and
crop
Irrigation
Pesticides/herbicides placed on plants
Vehicles & equipment needed To plant the crops, harvest the crops
Transport the feed to where the
animals are
Transport the meat to the stores where
we buy it

What Are Greenhouse Gases?

Trace atmospheric gases which build up such
as:

Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide

Partially due to human activities:

Agricultural livestock
Burning of fossil fuels
Deforestation
Cattle ranching
Cash crops

Livestock and Greenhouse Gases

A cow releases methane
A greenhouse gas
18 percent of greenhouse gas
emission from livestock
Greater than that from all
forms of transportation put
together
Methane is similar to Carbon
dioxide
Much worse for the
environment

Sun

Common Gases Used Daily

Consumers

Carbon
Dioxide
(CO2)

Oxygen

Methane

Producers

Greenhouse Gases Contribute to Global Warming

Conservation of Resources

Wastewater treatment
Organic farming practices
Cover crops
Nitrogen cycle

Plant Based Diets Around The World

Photo Credit: quora.com

Think about how your daily actions

could impact the environment and
the food you consume.

Questions
Thank you

Resources
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/660S.full
http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_2_12t.htm
https://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/factory-farming-and-the-environment/#
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-Asian-rice-diet-versus-Western-bread-potato-diet
https://www.westernwatersheds.org/watmess/watmess_2002/2002html_summer/article6.htm
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/area-converter