What is agriculture?

Agriculture, or farming, is the simplification of nature's food webs and

the rechanneling of energy for human planting and animal
consumption. Huh? You may ask. To simplify, agriculture involves
redirecting nature's natural flow of the food web. The natural flow of
the food web is-the sun provides light to plants. Plants convert
sunlight into sugars which provide food for the plants(this process is
called photosynthesis). Plants provide food for herbivores (plant-
eating animals, i.e., sloths) and the herbivores provide food for
carnivores (meat-eating animals, i.e., jaguars). Decomposers or
bacteria, break down plants or animals that have died. Nutrients
from the plants and animals go back into the soil and the whole
process starts anew.
What happens with agriculture is that this web is interrupted. Instead
of having herbivores eat the plants, the plants are protected for
human consumption. This means that not only are plant eating
animals excluded from the food web, but also carnivorous animals
and even decomposers. However, if a farmer is planting corn to feed
their cattle, the cattle eat the corn to fatten up and then are
eventually slaughtered for human consumption. Even though a
herbivore (cow) is eating the plant (corn) the web in interrupted when
the cow is killed for human consumption.
Are there different types of agriculture?
Yes. There is conventional agriculture and sustainable agriculture
(agro-ecology).
Conventional agriculture, most commonly practiced in the United
States, usually involves the following criteria:

About these lesson plans
and resources
This lesson plan was
developed by Lisa M. Algee,
an Environmental Education
Ph D student at the University
of California at Santa Cruz
(UCSC). Lisa runs a site
called Kids Connected to
Conservation and Culture
which focuses on educating
• altering or changing the natural environment (removing
trees, tilling the soil, installing an irrigation system, etc.
• mono-cropping, or planting one crop (ex: only corn is grown
in a plot).
• the crops grown are nonrenewable- after harvesting, the plot
is bare again and requires cultivation (tilling and plowing of
the soil), fertilization, planting, irrigation (watering), and
harvesting all over again.
• diversity is eliminated in order to maintain uniformity
• using insecticides and pesticides to keep insects and
the next generation about
environmental issues, such as
deforestation, and what we
can do as global citizens to
curb these detrimental effects.
Agriculture
Deforestation
Logging
Mining
Cattle ranching
animals from eating the crops; these chemicals are not only
poisonous to insects, animals and humans, they also pollute
ground water, streams, rivers, and oceans.
• using inorganic fertilizers to provide nutrients to the soil
• a lot of energy and work for the farmer to maintain this
unnatural farming system; nature is more aligned with
diversity (it wants to be wild), rather than controlled and
uniform.
Here are some examples of crops which undergo conventional
agriculture: corn, wheat, rice, bananas, soy bean, etc
What are the effects of conventional agriculture?
• since the plot is stripped of its natural environmental
features, the plants are vulnerable to disease, high herbivore
predation, and soil erosion.
• a decrease in bio-diversity means many animals lose their
habitat and either relocate or become extinct.
• after harvesting, the plot is empty, leaving the soil bare and
prone to soil erosion.
• the use of insecticides and pesticides pollutes the
environment on many levels: the soil, streams, creeks,
rivers, underground water sources, well water, the ocean,
and even the air. When these chemicals are ingested
(eaten) or inhaled, they can poison animals and people.
This poisoning can cause severe illness and even death.
• crop disease, drought (no rain), fire, or heavy rain-fall can
destroy a crop, thus causing severe economic hardship for
the farmer and even the consumer because when the
quantity of a crop is low (when the supply is low) the price is
increased.
Sustainable agriculture (agro-ecology) uses ecological principles
to farm, hence the prefix agro- to farm and ecology- the science of
the relationship between organisms and their environments. Agro-
ecology involves:
• maintaining the natural environment and using ecological
principles for sustained farming practices
• poly-cropping, or planting many crops together (ex: planting
rows of corn, bean, and squash together rather than in
separate plots, like in mono-cropping)
• since many plants are planted together, and each one has a
different harvesting period, the plot is never bare. This
reduces soil erosion.
• diversity is maintained and even increased over time
• a diverse system of plants may attract several species of
herbivores. Some of these herbivores like to eat specific
kinds of plants. Predator species usually do not have a
preference for which herbivores to eat. This predation keeps
the herbivore population in check, thus reducing predation of
 any one crop.
• Plants- such as citrosa, are natural insect repellents. This
eliminates the need to use insecticides.
• nutrients from each intercrop plant provide different nutrients
to the soil, thus increasing its fertility (ability to sustain life).
• less energy is required from the farmer because the
agriculture system sustains itself
Here are some examples of sustainable agriculture crops:
shade coffee; multiple cropping in Germany- for example, they
plant carrots, beets, and onions together in a plot; in Mexico,
they do the same with corn, bean, and squash. In Italy, they
plant both annual and perennial crops to create a diverse home
garden; in other areas, they use cover cropping in orchards to
inhibit weed growth, etc.
What are the effects of sustainable agriculture?
• using ecological principles increases bio-diversity. Not only
are animals' homes salvaged (saved), but the natural
ecological system protects itself (sustains itself) from soil
erosion, severe herbivore predation, and crop disease.
• since insecticides and pesticides are not used, pollution and
the harmful effects of ingesting these poisons are not an
issue
• since each intercropping plant supplies a different nutrient to
the soil, less or (even no) fertilizers are added to the soil
• this type of agriculture is aligned with nature and uses the
principles of nature to sustain itself (there's nothing better
than that!)
• farmers experience less or no economic loss with this type
of agriculture system because the natural environment
protects itself from crop disease (due to diversity of species),
soil erosion (benefits of intercropping plants with different
harvesting periods), flooding (the intercropping plants absorb
heavy rain-falls), droughts (the intercrops provide moisture
and shade for each other), and fire (extra moisture and
shade keeps plants from drying out and becoming more
susceptible to fire).
Which type of agriculture practice do you think is better for the
environment and ultimately ourselves? Before you answer, here
are some interesting facts:
Did you know that according to the FAO (Food and Agriculture
Organization) that 90% of deforestation is caused by
unsustainable agriculture?
Did you know that in Costa Rica, 133 ant species and 126 beetle
species were found in just one shade coffee tree. Talk about
diversity!
Okay, so which agricultural practice is better? Did you say
sustainable agriculture? I can't hear you ...say it louder,
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE! You're right on the money, in more
ways than one.
So, you've heard the term slash-and-burn agriculture and you're
wondering what this is?
This is a type of unsustainable agriculture. It occurs in rain forests
where the soil is poor in nutrients. Remember, most of the nutrients
are "locked" in the leaf litter, plants, and trees. The soil gets its
nutrients from the leaf litter and plants. Farmers who practice slash-
and-burn agriculture know that the nutrients are "locked" in the
vegetation. This is why they slash (cut) and burn the trees, plants
and leaves. The ashes from the burned vegetation provide nutrients
to the soil (fertilize the soil) for the planting of both staple and cash
crops. After a few years, the soil loses its nutrients and the farmers
migrate (move) to another piece of forest to clear and burn a new
plot of land for planting.
Staple crops are plants that farmers can live on: manioc, plantains,
bananas, sweet potato, pineapple, chili pepper, and others.
Cash crops are crops farmers can sell for money: sugar cane,
coffee, tobacco, etc.
Is this type of agriculture harmful to the environment?
It can be if farmers raise cattle on an agriculture field that has just
been farmed for 2 years (the maximum fertility of a slash-and-burn
agriculture field). This can be a death sentence to the soil, since the
cattle remove the last traces of fertility from the soil.
Should we blame these farmers for the deforestation of forests?
No. There are many complex factors which play into the
deforestation of forests. We've already learned about logging as a
major factor, but we havn't discussed the international, national, and
local factors. One reason why these nomadic (traveling) farmers
practice slash-and-burn agriculture is because they have no other
means of employment and thus survival. They must plant crops to
eat (to sustain their lives) and they must make money (by selling
cash crops). If the government provided job opportunities for these
farmers, maybe they wouldn't have to resort to this type of
subsistence. What do you think?
An upside to slash-and-burn agriculture:
According to Kricher, a study in Costa Rica demonstrated that slash
and burn does not, in the short run, degrade the soil. Researcher
cut, mulched, and burned a site that contained patches of eight- to
nine-year-old forest and seventy-year-old forest. Before the burn
there were approximately 8,000 seeds per square meter of soil,
representing 67 species. After the burn the figure dropped to 3,000
seeds/square meter, representing 37 species. Mycorrhizal fungi
survived the burn, and large quantities of nutrients were released to
the soil following burning. The remaining seeds sprouted, and
vegetation regrew vigorously on the site (Kricher, 1997, p. 177).
What's agriculture like in Costa Rica?
Bananas are Costa Rica's number one export. This has been a
blessing, in that, it has provided a lot of money to the country, but it
has also created some problems. From a social perspective, the job
opportunities in the banana plantations have enticed poor people
from Nicaragua to immigrate to Costa Rica. This has caused tension
between the Costa Rican farmers and the Nicarguan people; both
groups wind up competing for jobs (working in the banana
plantations). From an environmental perspective, the banana
plantations cover 245,440 hectares of land, all of which used to be
tropical rain forests. Supposedly, the climate is "perfect" for growing
bananas. In addition, rivers have become terribly polluted with blue-
plastic bags. These blue bags are used to cover the bananas while
they are growing in the plantation fields. The Sarah Piqui River often
has blue bags everywhere!
What about shade grown coffee?
Yes! There is a wonderful organization called CAN (Community
Agroecology Network) which helps local Costa Rican farmers grow
coffee in a sustainable way and earn more money per pound of
coffee.
How does CAN do this?
The co-op basically cuts out all the middle-men who take money
from the farmers as the coffee moves from the field to the market.
When this happens, more money is left for the farmers. In fact,
farmers earn even more money through this co-op than they would
through conventional Fair Trade.
How do these farmers grow their coffee?
All of their coffee is shade grown and they maintain the natural, bio-
diverse environment to grow their coffee. They also use sustainable
planting practices such as intercropping and cover-cropping. In
addition, no insecticides or pesticides are used and farmers practice
reforestation as well.
How can we support these farmers?
Easy! If you want to learn more about the co-op, check out their
web-site at www.communityagroecology.net. In fact, one of the CAN
communities is located in Agua Buena, Coto Brus; just south of
Manuel Antonio. If you'd like to order coffee, just print out the form
on the web-site and send it in or order on-line. In no time, you'll
receive a large bag of aromatic, organic, Costa Rican coffee at your
door-step. It's the best coffee ever! This is a great gift for your
parents or relatives who must have that cup of coffee in the morning.
Also, when you graduate from high-school, you can do an
internship with CAN and learn how these farmers grow their
coffee in a sustainable way. You can also help other coffee
farmers do the same through outreach education and
collaboration.
It's that time again. Show yourself what you've learned by
answering the following questions:
1. What is conventional agriculture and is it aligned with how
the natural food-web works?
2. Can you name a crop that is conventionally grown and
harvested?
3. What is sustainable agriculture and how is it aligned with he
natural food-web?
4. Can you provide an example of sustainable agriculture?
5. Name one effect of conventional agriculture and how this
may be harmful to the environment.
6. Name one effect of sustainable agriculture and how this
 benefits the environment.
7. Which agricultural practice is better for the environment and
ultimately ourselves?
8. T or F. Slash-and-burn agriculture is not harmful to the
environment if the land is used for 2 years or less.
9. Match each term with its meaning:
staple crops a.) no rain
nomadic b.) a co-op which helps coffee farmers
drought c.) sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, etc
cash crops d.) traveling
CAN e.) plantains, sweet potato, bananas
10. T or F. Poor farmers are to blame for the deforestation of
rainforest.
Answers are located after the references.
Pen Pal Question and Conversation: Discuss with your Pen Pal
what you can do as global citizens to encourage sustainable
agriculture. How would you encourage your friends, family
members, and local farmers to do the same?
References:
Kricher, J. (1997). A Neotropical Companion: An introduction to the
animals, plants, & ecosystems of the New World Tropics. New
Jersey: Princeton University Press.
A chapter, Introduction To Agroecology, from a book by Greg Gilbert.
www.communityagroecology.net
http://www.wrm.org.uy/publications/briefings/underlying.html
Answers to the questions:
1. Conventional agriculture is most commonly practice in the
U.S. and it involves changing the environment to plant crops
for human beings. It is not aligned with how the natural
food-web works because the plants are protected for human
consumption. This means that herbivores, carnivores, and
even decomposers are left out of the picture.
2. corn
3. Sustainable agriculture (agro-ecology) uses ecological
principles to farm, hence the prefix agro- to farm and
ecology- the science of the relationship between organisms
and their environments.
4. shade grown coffee
5. Insecticides and pesticides are harmful to the environment
because they pollute the soil, streams, creeks, rivers,
underground water, well water, and oceans. They are
harmful to animals and humans because they are poisonous
and can cause serious illness and even death.
6. Intercropping adds nutrients to the soil, prevents erosion,
and provides moisture and shade to the other plants within
the plot.
 7. sustainable agriculture!
8. True
9. staple crops e.) plantains, sweet potatoes, and bananas
nomadic d.) traveling
drought a.) no rain
cash crops c.) sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco
CAN b.) a co-op which help coffee farmers
10. False!
How did you do? I'm sure you did FANTASTIC!
The following standards were addressed in this lesson:
Physcial Sciences: Energy and matter have multiple forms and can
be changed from one form to another. As a basis for understanding
this concept (a) Students know energy comes from the Sun to Earth
in the form of light, and (b) Students know sources of stored energy
take many forms, such as food, fuel, and batteries. Note: This
lesson address food as a source of stored energy.
Life Sciences: Students know living things cause changes in the
environment in which they live: some of these changes are
detrimental to the organsim or other organisms, and some are
beneficial.
Reading: Vocabulary and Concept Development (1.6) Use sentence
and word context to find the meaning of unknown words (1.8) Use
knowledge of prefixes (e.g., un-, re-, pre-, bi-, mis-, dis-,) to
determine the meaning of words.
Writing: Organization and Focus (1.1) Create a single paragraph
(a) Develop a topic sentence, and (b) Include simple supporting facts
and details.
Social Studies: 3.5 Students demonstrate basic economic
reasoning skills and an understanding of the economy of the local
region. (1) Describe the ways in which local producers (and abroad)
have used and are using natural resources, human resources, and
capital resources to produce goods and services in the past and the
present.
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