Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
11.7.2 Changes in Consumption Patterns
As populations increase and national incomes rise, there are changes in what and
how much people eat. Obviously, humans will increase caloric intake to reach a
comfortable and sustainable weight and energy level. The total quantity of food
humans will voluntarily eat is normally limited and increases little with changes
in income. However, people do not readily change the types of foods they eat.
That is, rice eating populations will not readily change to a diet consisting primarily
of potatoes.
In a similar fashion introduction of new foods into the diet, to improve nutrition or
to improve the soil by crop rotation, is difficult particularly if the taste of the introduced
food is significantly different from those tastes to which the population is used. In some
cases this problem can be overcome by judicious use of herbs and spices. In other cases
the new foods can be incorporated into existing dishes or types of dishes and thus into
the diet with less problem.
Often the problem with introduced new foods or food sources is that people do not
know how to prepare the food for a meal. How much cooking and for how long is
needed? Thus any program to introduce new sources of nutrition into a population
has two required essential phases. One is to have the farmers learn how to grow the
food, harvest, store, and transport it. The second phase is to have the local food
preparers learn how to prepare the food in ways that the local population will eat.
Trying to introduce a new food source without vigorous education of the local
population in both phases will lead to failure.
11.7.3 Predicting Problems
Predicting problems with agricultural production or food availability is problemati-
cal. While the effects of government programs are predictable and some programs,
such as support of research and conservation, can be predicted to increase the stab-
ility of food supply, many things affecting food supply, are not predictable. The
effect of weather is not very predictable for time periods needed to produce crops.
Likewise storms that disrupt harvesting, storage, and transportation of food are not
predictable. On the other hand pest pressures such as grasshoppers may be somewhat
more predictable than weather by following population changes and egg laying,
for example.
Sometimes the occurrence of crop or animal diseases can be overcome by careful
monitoring of crops. This allows development of strategies for overcoming these
diseases through disease-resistant animals or crops or raising other types of animals
or crops that are not affected by the disease until the problem can be fixed in a more
suitable way.
Preparations for global warming are already underway in IRRI (International
Rice Research Institute) for higher rainfall in some rice-growing areas. Rice varieties
have been developed that can yield well under deeper than normal water.
When weather changes produce higher rainfall, farmers will be able to maintain
their yields.
