GEF

Unit 3  |  Primary Sustainability Issues 70 GMO crops are typically patented by food companies, raising concerns that developing-world farmers will be forced to rely upon seeds that need to be purchased every year. Citing environmental concerns and potential health risks, the European Union, Japan, Australia, and several other nations require labeling of GMO foods. While some sustainability advocates reluctantly accept that GMO crops will be neces- sary in order to meet global food demands, the majority call for an integrated systems approach to agriculture that does not rely on genetically modified crops. Although creating sustainable agricultural systems will not be easy, there are many readily available solutions. One approach is no-till farming , in which seeds are planted without plowing. This reduces erosion by 80 percent, lowers fertilizer run-off, NO-TILL FARMING An agricultural practice in which seeds are planted with- out plowing, leading to many environmental benefits. WATCH & LEARN http://bit.ly/2usid0s Watch the video and respond to the questions below. 1. About how much of the Earth’s surface is used for livestock operations? 2. What two macronutrients in soil cannot be manmade? 3. Name three components of sustainable agriculture. video: Sustainability in Agriculture