Cell Press. (2014, December 16). Can returning crops to their wild states help feed the world?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141216140743.htm

To feed the world’s growing population we will have to find ways to produce more food on less farmland, without causing additional harm to the remaining natural habitat. Michael G. Palmgren and his colleagues suggest that the most efficient way to regain those lost properties is by reinserting good genes back into our crops after isolating them from related plants. Rewilding would allow crop plants to better resist diseases, pests, and weeds. Because crops restored to a more natural state in this manner would be classified as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The plants we eat and depend on are not the same as those originally found in the wild.

It would be good idea to be a good idea to some extent. The crops would be much stronger to fight any diseases that could kill them. That way the farmers aren’t suffering economically. As well for us we wouldn’t be exposed to infected harmful crops. Also, a good thing is that the farmers would have enough crops to bring them profits. The process would still be organic because they wouldn’t be putting harmful chemicals.

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. (2014, December 18). How will climate change transform agriculture?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218131421.htm

Climate change impacts will require major but very uncertain transformations of global agriculture systems by mid-century. Climate change will require major transformations in agricultural systems, including increased irrigation and moving production from one region to another. The new study by IIASA researchers provides a global scenario analysis that tests nine different climate scenarios, the interactions in crop production, consumption, prices, and trade. It specifically examines adaptations that are investment-intensive and not easily reversible. Those transformations need to be anticipated. The biophysical impact varies widely across regions, crops, and management systems, thereby creating opportunities for adaptation at the same time.

Climate change has a big impact on agriculture. If it doesn’t rain the soil will dry up and the farmers can lose their crops. In other cases the soil won’t even be good, the farmers won’t be able to plant the crops. Not only are there disadvantages for the farmers but also for the consumers. There are many people who depend on those crops to feed themselves. I think that agriculture should go through transformations so that it can resist any climate change impacts.

Burness Communications. (2015, February 24). Agriculture expansion in Tanzania may greatly increase human plague risk. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150224083710.htm

The boost for food production in East Africa may be significantly increasing the risk of plague. They found that in areas where maize production has been introduced, the number of rodents infested with plague-carrying fleas that can cause human infections nearly doubled compared to numbers in neighboring wilderness areas. Plague is an ancient disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia that still sickens and kills people to this day. People store their maize in their houses, to protect it, but that still attracts the rats. African rats living in the agriculture areas played host to a larger number of plague-carrying fleas.

This is a very serious matter because as easy it can affect the residents there it could also affects many other countries when trading crops. There should more precaution into staying safe and finding a safe method to keep the rats away from the crops. Many people can die from being bitten by one of those rats or by eating the crops that are infected. Also, many farmers can be hurt financially by the invasion of these rats. Crops can be ruined and these rats could start settling there, creating more problems.

University of California – Berkeley. (2014, December 10). Can organic crops compete with industrial agriculture? .ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141210081015.htm

Systematic overview shows more than 100 studies comparing organic and conventional farming finds that the crop yields of organic agriculture are higher than previously thought. It is important to look more closely at organic farming because the ability of synthetic fertilizers to increase crop yields has been declining. They found that organic yields are about 19.2 percent lower than conventional ones. Two agricultural practices, multi-cropping and crop rotation, would substantially reduce the organic-to-conventional yield gap to 9 percent and 8 percent. Researchers suggest that organic farming can be very competitive to industrial agriculture when it comes to food production.

As time goes by more and more people are going to be demanding organic food instead of industrial food. Although conventional farming crops are less trouble the quality is not the same. Conventional farming hurts the food chain by inserting harmful chemicals. Organic farming has many safe alternatives to grow crops. It would be more beneficial for animals and for humans to be eating. Also, with organic farming the quality of the food won’t decline.

Chris Mooney. (2015, February 26). Tropical Forests May Be Vanishing Even Faster Than Previously Thought. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/26/weve-been-losing-tropical-forests-even-faster-than-previously-thought/

A new study uses satellite images to study the tropical forests of Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and many more countries that house 80 percent of the world’s tropical forest area. Brazil has the most forest losses, showing a 33 percent of lost over time. The loss of the Amazon forest will affect them greatly. The country is suffering from a harsh drought which threatens water supplies to the megacity of Sao Paulo. Researchers have blamed deforestation for drought conditions.

Deforestation could be a root to drought problems but there is also many more reasons for why the world is suffering from the drought. Deforestation affects many species, by taking away their homes and their resources. It also affects many farmers because the soil weakens and they can’t grow crops. Deforestation is big environmental issue because it also affects the air. It release a great deal of carbon into the air worsening climate change.

Dana Hull and Lisa Krieger. (July 15, 2014). Drought has cost California $2.2 billion. San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 22, 2014 from http://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_26152418/Drought-has-cost-California-22-billion

Due to the drought, California has lost $2.2 billion in farming revenue and wages. The 428,000 acres of irrigated cropland is being pushed out of production in the Central Valley, Central Coast and Southern California. They have now stopped planting 200 acres of trees until they can figure out if there is a reliable source of water for all of these crops.  The drought also has put more than 17,100 seasonal and part-time agricultural workers out of jobs. They are heavily relying on groundwater but groundwater reserves are limited, and water tables will fall if the drought continues.

The drought is hurting agriculture, one of the biggest resources we need today. Animals, people, trade and the economy suffer from the drought. Many people are losing their jobs and with so many unemployed people right now, it makes the situation worse. So much money is been put into raising these crops and instead of getting positive results, they are getting bad one. It’s crazy to realize how badly the drought is affecting all our lives.

Susan Tuz. (Oct.08, 2014). Happy Acres Farm Could Go ‘Full Circle’. SF Gate. Retrieved November 22, 2014 from http://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Happy-Acres-Farm-could-go-Full-Circle-5809814.php

John Motsinger and Adam Mantzaris brought the full circle idea to be practiced in Happy Acres. Full Circle proposes using rotational grazing meaning periodically moving the farm’s beef cattle to different fields, allowing previous grazing sites to recover. Full Circle would start with a beef herd and steadily diversify the livestock to include chickens and dairy goats. Vegetable crops would be grown using sustainable agriculture methods. They still have to get their plan through the selectmen before a public hearing can be held and a town meeting vote to approve.

This plan could become a very popular method that many farmers can bring into use. This full circle plan really helps to reduce the use of chemicals and use more sustainable farming methods. It is a beneficial method because it is not overusing the land that will resort in harmful fertilizers. The method is giving time to regrow the land that was used in an environmentally safe way. This way the land will be healthier to grow animals and produce crops.

Ricardo Lopez. (Sept. 06, 2014). Organic Agriculture Attracting a New Generation of Farmers. San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 22, 2014 from http://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_26476164/Organic-agriculture-attracting-a-new-generation-of-farmers

As consumers demand more fresh and local food, a new generation has taken up organic farming. Agriculture officials are hoping that more young people would want to help the land, organically or conventionally. In California, agriculture trade groups have developed programs, that training and financial incentives. They offering many resources to get more young people attracted to farming. Chris Velez is one of the few young people who are attracted to farming. About 300 miles north of Ellwood Canyon Farms, he has spent nearly 10 years farming. In this small town an hour south of Yosemite National Park, the kids ride their bikes near their home and farm.

It is important that the younger generations want to raise organic farms instead of chemically raised ones. By having more young people supporting organic farming there could be huge change to stop using so many chemicals on the crops. All these younger generations will soon grow up and they will be the ones in agriculture companies and raising these farms. It is important to have these younger people supporting organic methods instead of chemicals. I think it is really nice how younger people are getting farming. Now a day most are stuck on their phones. These people out there farming are really making a change.

Associated Press. (Nov 08, 2014). Showdown Looms as California Eyes Pesticides. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2014 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/showdown-looms-as-california-eyes-pesticides-plan/2014/11/08/c523dfea-6772-11e4-ab86-46000e1d0035_story.html

As the years to come the California pest-management program wants to start spraying organic crops at the state’s discretion. The California Department of Food and California pest-management say that these actions will have no economic harm. California leads the nation in organic sales and this matter concerns and affects the consumers. Organic farmers are asking the state to give more consideration to non-toxic controls. Today, many organic farmers complain about the dependence on pests. They just want better resources to strengthen the growth of crops for better qualities.

Pests can have their benefits but also be really harmful. The crops that have chemicals in them are eaten by us and other animals. This all affects the food pyramid and the health of everyone. It’s unbelievable to think that instead of striving for a better agriculture, these big companies still want to have harmful pests around. We’re always striving for a better life so why still stick with harmful things. Just because it doesn’t hurt the economy doesn’t mean we should be using it. Health should also be a huge factor to be taken into consideration in agriculture.