Exam 10: Food Production and the Environment

What is the root cause of food insecurity?

Foods labeled as "natural" are required to contain at least 50% organic ingredients.

Explain the benefits of using perennial plants and perennial polyculture rather than annual plants for food crops.

Although the use of synthetic pesticides has increased tenfold since 1942, food supply damage due to pests has increased during that time.

What is an important concern about the increasing use of aquaculture?

Explain some ways that individuals can make changes in their lifestyle and purchasing habits in order to improve the sustainability of food production.

Of the factors below, the one that most negatively affects aquatic biodiversity is ____.

The Environmental Working Group estimates that you could reduce your pesticide intake by up to 90% by eating only 100% organic ____.

Proponents of pesticides claim that they provide some advantages, primarily by ____.

Insects are important as a sustainable source of ______ .

Research shows that, on average, low-input polycultures produce higher crop yields than high-input monocultures.

In less-developed nations, one example of a crop typically grown in monocultures for export using plantation agriculture is ____..

Poverty is the underlying reason that people experience food insecurity.

A disadvantage to the green revolution is that plant yields are generally similar to those with other methods of agriculture unless substantial amounts of commercial inorganic fertilizers are applied.

For good health and protection against disease, people need fairly large amounts of certain food components (such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) called ____.

The genetic changes in genetically modified plants cannot spread to wild populations or affect natural biodiversity.

Without sufficient quantities of the micronutrient _____, goiters may develop.

What agricultural practice is least beneficial in trying to reduce crop-eating insect damage?

Under the 1985 Food Security Act (Farm Act), farmers participating in the Conservation Reserve Program received ____________________ to stop planting crops on highly erodible land and replant with grass or trees for 10-15 years.

What process can lead to desertification?