Food And Natural Resources

531 Pages·1989·9.644 MB·English

by  David Pimentel

Food and Natural Resources
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Food and
Natural Resources
EDITED BY
EDITED BY
David Pimentel Carl W. Hall
DavCiodl lePgiem oef nAtegrl iculture CarDli rWect.o Hratael lf or Engineering
Collaengde Lofi feA gSrciiceunltcuerse DireNcatotiroantea l foSrc iEenncgei nFeeoruinndg ation
and CLoirfen eSllc Uiennicveesr sity NatiWonaaslh iSncgiteonnc,e DF.oCu. ndation
CornItehlla cUa,n iNveerws itYy ork Washington, D.C.
Ithaca, New York
Academic Press, Inc.
AcadHearmcouicrt PBrreacses J,o Ivnancov. ieh, Publishers
San Diego New York Berkeley Boston
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers
London Sydney Tokyo Toronto
San Diego New York Berkeley Boston
London Sydney Tokyo Toronto
COPYRIGHT © 1989 BY ACADEMIC PRESS, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED OR
TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC
OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPY, RECORDING, OR
ANY INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, WITHOUT
PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE PUBLISHER.
ACADEMIC PRESS, INC.
San Diego, California 92101
United Kingdom Edition published by
ACADEMIC PRESS LIMITED
24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DX
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Food and natural resources / edited by David Pimentel, Carl W. Hall,
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-12-556555-0 (alk. paper)
1. Food supply. 2. Agriculture. 3. Natural resources.
I. Pimentel, David, Date. II. Hall, Carl W.
TX353.F593 1988
338.1'9-dcl9 88-12123
CIP
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
89 90 91 92 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
CONTRIBUTORS xiii
PREFACE xv
1. ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND
FOOD SUPPLIES
David Pimentel
I. Introduction 2
II. The Structure and Functioning of Ecosystems 2
III. Evolution of Living Systems 6
IV. Biogeochemical Cycles 7
V. Aquatic Ecosystems 9
VI. Terrestrial Ecosystems 10
VII. Human Food Gathered and Hunted from the Wild 11
VIII. Agricultural Ecosystems 12
IX. Resource Constraints in World Food Production 17
X. Food Needs for Future Generations 21
XI. Requirements for Solving Food Problems 22
XII. Conclusion 24
References 25
2. INTERDEPENDENCE OF FOOD AND NATURAL
RESOURCES
David Pimentel, Laura E. Armstrong, Christine A. Flass,
Frederic W. Hopf, Ronald B. Landy, and
Marcia H. Pimentel
I. Introduction 32
II. World Population Growth 32
ν
vi Contents
III. Energy Constraints 34
IV. Arable Land—Quality and Quantity 37
V. Water Constraints 40
VI. Biological Diversity 42
VII. Looking to the Future 43
References 44
3. LOSS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND ITS
POTENTIAL IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
PRODUCTION
Norman Myers
I. Introduction 50
II. Species' Contributions to Modern Agriculture 50
III. Extinction Processes 62
IV. Conclusion 65
References 65
4. AVAILABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL LAND FOR CROP
AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
Pieter Buringh
I. The World Land Area and Its Utilization 70
II. Food Production and Land 74
III. Livestock Production and Land 79
IV. Conclusion 81
References 82
5. LAND DEGRADATION AND ITS IMPACT ON FOOD
AND OTHER RESOURCES
R. Lai
I. Introduction 86
II. Land Degradation 87
III. Technological Options for Minimizing Soil
Degradation 121
IV. Land Degradation and World Food Production 128
V. Need to Restore Productivity of Degraded Lands 131
VI. Conclusions 132
References 133
Contents vii
6. WATER USE IN AGRICULTURE
Vashek Cervinka
I. Introduction 142
II. Global Perspective 142
III. Water Sources and Systems 144
IV. Water in Crop Production 145
V. Water in Animal Production 148
VI. Water in Food Processing 149
VIL Water Quality 152
VIII. Irrigation Systems 158
References 162
7. WATER SCARCITY AND FOOD PRODUCTION
IN AFRICA
Malin Falkenmark
I. Introduction 164
II. Present Resource Crisis 166
III. Water and Development 173
IV. Water Availability Limits Increase of Carrying
Capacity 180
V. The Combined Picture 185
VI. Conclusions 187
References 189
8. AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS: FOOD AND
ENVIRONMENT
David A. Andow and David P. Davis
I. Introduction 192
II. Use of Agricultural Chemicals 192
III. Nitrogen in Agroecosystems 195
IV. Pesticides 207
V. Rational Use of Agricultural Chemicals 224
References 227
9. NATURAL GAS AS A RESOURCE AND CATALYST FOR
AGROINDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Walter Vergara
I. Background 236
II. Monteagudo Agroindustrial Project 240
viii Contents
III. Food Processing Plants 243
IV. Energy Supply 247
V. Alternatives for the Supply of Electricity and Steam 251
VI. Water Supply 253
VII. Gas Pipeline 254
VIII. Transportation System 255
IX. Impact of the Project 255
X. Conclusions 258
References 259
10. MECHANIZATION AND FOOD AVAILABILITY
Carl W. Hall
I. Introduction 262
II. Farming and Agriculture 263
III. Mechanization, Tractorization, and Electrification 263
IV. Summary 272
References 272
11. POPULATION, FOOD, AND THE ECONOMY OF
NATIONS
William J. Hudson
I. Is Population Limited by Food? 276
II. Is Food Driven by Population or by the Economy of
Nations? 279
III. Can the Worst Fears of Environmentalists be
Substantiated? 284
IV. Vision 2020 293
References 298
12. ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR A
PRODUCTIVE, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
David Pimentel, Thomas W. Culliney, Imo W. Buttler,
Douglas J. Reinemann, and Kenneth B. Beckman
I. Introduction 302
II. Principles for a Productive, Sustainable Agriculture 303
III. Soil Nutrient and Water Resources 304
IV. Pests and Their Control 307
V. Importance of Biological Resources 309
VI. Environmental and Economic Aspects of Ecological
Agricultural Management 311
Contents ix
VII. Conclusion 315
References 316
13. POPULATION GROWTH, AGRARIAN STRUCTURE,
FOOD PRODUCTION, AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN
THE THIRD WORLD
Frederick H. Buttel and Laura T. Raynolds
I. Introduction 326
II. The Malnutrition Debate 327
III. Population Growth and Hunger 330
IV. The Green Revolution and the Alleviation of Hunger:
Contribution and Controversy 341
V. Agrarian Structure, Food Production, and Hunger 350
VI. Food Policy, Food Consumption, and Nutrition 354
VII. Discussion 356
Appendix: Data Sources and Ope rationalization of
Variables for the Empirical Analysis of Food Access in
Third World Countries 357
References 358
14. ENVIRONMENT AND POPULATION: CRISES
AND POLICIES
David Pimentel, Linnea M. Fredrickson,
David B. Johnson, John H. McShane, and
Hsiao-Wei Yuan
I. Introduction 364
II. Human Needs Worldwide 365
III. Standard of Living and Population Growth 366
IV. Population Growth 367
V. Per Capita Use of Resources in the United States and
China 368
VI. State of the Environment in the United States and
China 370
VII. Policy Decisions Concerning Environmental and Population
Problems 372
VIII. National Population Policies in the United States and
China 380
IX. Conclusion 384
References 385