In the United States, we are fortunate to have an abundant supply of food, and m

Question

In the United States, we are fortunate to have an abundant supply of food, and much of this is due to our agricultural technology. However, there are many concerns about our food source, including genetically modified crops, the use of more chemicals, and climate change.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Provide at least two modern examples of how the United States has increased its food production. Using at least two scholarly sources, discuss how these changes have affected the environment, and what impact they have on food safety?

Need at least 150 words in length. Utilize at least two sources in addition to your text to support your claims. Cite your sources in APA format.

Explanation / Answer

In California, farmers can go online and access detailed data on evapotranspiration from a state network of weather stations, helping them calculate the optimal amount of water to apply on a given day to irrigated crops in their region. In a pilot study, growers reduced their water use by 13 percent while increasing their yields by 8 percent. Still, despite these benefits, farmers use CIMIS data on only 5 percent of irrigated cropland in California, the U.S.%u2019s leading agricultural state.

In Iowa, the U.S.%u2019s top producer of soybeans, farmers can participate in a program that assists them in conducting research on their farms to improve soybean yields, reduce use of fertilizer and pesticides, and increase profitability. Soybean farmers participating in the On farm Network of Soybean Association have reduced fertilizer use by 33 pounds per acre, allowing them to save $16 per acre without reducing yields. Although this environmentally beneficial program is expanding in the U.S., farmers tilling far less than 1 percent of U.S. cropland are taking advantage of it.

Unfortunately, as these programs demonstrate, innovative farmers are the exception in American agriculture today. Although much of the technology, tools, and know-how to usher in the %u201Cfarm of the future%u201D exist, these reforms have not been widely adopted, even when they provide positive financial returns. As a result, many farmers %u2014 steeped in a system focused on selling them more fertilizer, more herbicides and insecticides, and more equipment %u2014 waste money on excessive chemicals and nutrients that pollute the environment and weaken the ecosystems farmers depend upon: clean water, healthy soils, beneficial insects, and more.

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