Deck 18: Food Resources

Question 1

All of the following are among the most important livestock species except:

A) pigs.
B) turkeys.
C) goats.
D) water buffalo.
E) deer

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Germplasm:

A) can only be distributed by government agencies.
B) refers to only the seeds of traditional crop varieties.
C) is regulated by a new international treaty which governs the exchange and patenting of a plant's genome
D) cannot be used to preserve or improve the genetic characteristics of livestock.
E) All of these statements are correct

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The quantity of various grains remaining from previous harvests is known as:

A) subsistence agriculture.
B) food security.
C) world grain stocks.
D) yield.
E) organic farming surplus.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following crops has not been significantly improved by the green revolution?

A) potatoes
B) wheat
C) sweet potatoes
D) rice
E) corn

Question 5

From the farmer's field to the kitchen table, which section of the conventional "food pipeline" contributes the most greenhouse gases?

A) transportation
B) food production
C) packaging
D) marketing
E) home storage

Question 6

Domesticated plants and animals:

A) are characterized by high genetic diversity.
B) are less likely to succumb to new strains of disease-causing organisms.
C) tend to lose genetic diversity as the farmer selects for more desirable agricultural characteristics.
D) can readily survive in both cultivated and wild (natural) settings.
E) readily adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Question 7

The two areas of the world with the greatest food insecurity are:

A) South America and South Asia.
B) South America and sub-Saharan Africa.
C) China and sub-Saharan Africa.
D) South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
E) the Middle East and South Asia.

Question 8

According to Indian Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, what is the leading cause of hunger and famine?

A) Soil degradation
B) Per capita income
C) Climate conditions
D) Government type
E) Access to education

Question 9

Aquaculture is:

A) fish farming.
B) growing plants without soil.
C) using desalinated water for irrigation.
D) a type of germplasm storage.
E) fishing without hooks.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about organic food production is true?

A) Organic farming has allowed U.S. agriculture to become the most efficient and productive in the world.
B) It may involve the use of antibiotics and hormones for livestock, as long as no chemicals are added to crops.
C) Organic livestock must be fed organic feed.
D) The soil is fertilized with commercial inorganic fertilizer, with the use of cover crops every fourth year.
E) Organic farms must be kept insect-free to allow for the crops to survive without the use of pesticides.

Question 11

The decline in genetic diversity within a given variety of crop plant results in loss of:

A) color variations.
B) flavor differences.
C) nutritional differences.
D) size variations.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 12

Which of the following is/are currently used to increase livestock yields in industrialized countries?

A) maintaining a wide variety of genetically diverse livestock
B) using genetically engineered foodstuffs
C) implementing integrated pest management
D) administering antibiotics and hormones
E) increasing use of nomadic herding

Question 13

Livestock is an expensive source of food because:

A) it is particularly rich in protein.
B) of the amount of land area needed to house the animals.
C) the antibiotics and hormones needed to support high yield are exceedingly expensive.
D) it is the preferred food source in many developing countries.
E) animals are inefficient at converting plant food into meat.

Question 14

Which of the following fishing practices has been banned by most countries but continues to be used illegally?

A) longlines
B) bycatch
C) trawl bag
D) drift nets
E) purse-seine nets

Question 15

The most common foods eaten in the world today are:

A) corn (maize), rice, sweet potato, and wheat.
B) barley, corn, rice, and wheat.
C) corn, rice, and wheat.
D) cassava, potato, rice, and wheat.
E) corn, potato, soybean, and rice.

Question 16

Two main reasons that the world grain stocks have dropped in the past few years are:

A) bad weather and increased consumption of animal products.
B) wars (conflicts) and political unrest.
C) increased disease (e.g. AIDS) and bad weather.
D) bad weather and wars.
E) lower grain prices and political unrest.

Question 17

Which of the following is not an environmental problem associated with industrialized agriculture?

A) release of antioxidants
B) soil erosion
C) depletion of freshwater resources
D) disposal of livestock wastes
E) habitat loss

Question 18

Concern over the routine use of antibiotics in raising livestock centers around:

A) the potential that bacterial resistance to antibiotics may increase as a result.
B) violations of U.S. government policy that prohibits their indiscriminate use in livestock.
C) the fact that the antibiotics may be toxic to small children.
D) a tentative link between antibiotics and cancer.
E) the excessively high concentrations of chemicals that are then found in the meat products.

Question 19

In the future, all of the following factors are likely to contribute to an increased demand for rice, corn and wheat EXCEPT:

A) increasing demand for meat
B) increased use of crop plants to produce biofuels
C) increased population size
D) migration away from productive growing areas
E) increasing affluence

Question 20

The main cause of malnutrition is:

A) poverty.
B) inadequate global food production.
C) polyculture.
D) decreasing livestock yields.
E) organic farming practices.

Question 21

What is a vegetarian? Give two reasons why a person might become a vegetarian. If I exclude all meat, milk and eggs in all forms from my diet, in which vegetarian category would you place me?

Question 22

A process, either natural or manmade, that decreases the ability of land to support future crops or livestock is:

A) habitat fragmentation
B) slash-and-burn farming
C) overgrazing
D) marginal cultivation
E) land degradation

Question 23

Important environmental benefits provided by ecosystems, and which have been affected by industrial agriculture, are known as:

A) evolution of genetics
B) habitat exploitation
C) ecosystem services
D) natural products
E) none of these choices is correct

Question 24

All of the following are subsistence agriculture practices except:

A) shifting cultivation.
B) slash-and-burn agriculture.
C) nomadic herding.
D) intercropping.
E) high-input agriculture.

Question 25

Why have rates of bycatch associated with commercial fisheries recently declined?

A) Commercial fishing has decreased across the globe.
B) Many species have become so scarce that they cannot be targeted by fishers.
C) Fishing technology has improved.
D) Fishers are now targeting more species than they previously did.
E) Aquaculture has reduced pressure on the world's fisheries.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a component of sustainable agriculture?

A) organic farming
B) integrated pest management
C) water and energy conservation
D) decreased biodiversity
E) decreased pesticide use

Question 27

Which of the following statements about genetic diversity is false?

A) Wild plant and animal populations generally have high genetic diversity
B) Much of genetic diversity is lost due to domestication
C) During domestication, selection often occurs for traits which are not of obvious value to humans
D) Low genetic diversity increases vulnerability to new disease-causing organisms
E) The majority of vegetable crops grown in the U.S. are of only a few varieties

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a reason why world grain stocks have decreased in recent years?

A) environmental conditions due to global warming
B) consumption of beef has increased in China and other developing countries
C) increased investments in agricultural research
D) corn yields are increasingly diverted into ethanol production and research
E) All of these statements are reasons why world grain stocks have decreased

Question 29

A type of subsistence agriculture which requires large tracts of land and consists of short periods of cultivation followed by lengthened fallow periods:

A) slash-and-burn agriculture
B) nomadic herding
C) intercropping
D) shifting cultivation
E) Both slash and burn agriculture and shifting cultivation are correct

Question 30

Which of the following statements about sustainable agriculture is false?

A) An important goal of sustainable agriculture is to preserve the quality of the agricultural soil.
B) Sustainable agriculture methods are less damaging to the environment, but have higher associated costs.
C) Sustainable agriculture relies on beneficial biological processes and environmentally friendly chemicals.
D) Sustainable agriculture involves diversification of crops and livestock.
E) Sustainable agriculture is also known as alternative or low-input agriculture.

Question 31

To optimize the quality and productivity of their "crops," aquaculture farmers control all of the following except:

A) predation.
B) breeding cycles.
C) market prices.
D) diets.
E) water quality.

Question 32

Which areas of the world are at the greatest risk for famine?

A) developing nations in South America
B) developing nations in Africa
C) Western Europe
D) Impoverished cities in highly developed countries
E) Developing nations in both South America and Africa

Question 33

The Grow Appalachia initiative has helped the people of Appalachia increase food security in their region by providing all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Information.
B) Low-cost inorganic fertilizer and pesticides.
C) Skill-building programs.
D) Low-cost seed and tools.
E) The Grow Appalachia initiative provides all of the above items.

Question 34

What country produces the most genetically modified crops?

A) Germany
B) Brazil
C) Canada
D) United States
E) France

Question 35

Modern cultivation methods combined with high-yielding varieties of certain popular crops to increase the amount of food produced per designated area characterizes:

A) organic farming
B) the green revolution
C) chemical enhancement
D) self-yielding farming
E) none of these choices is correct

Question 36

GM (genetically modified) crops and foods:

A) may have higher nutritional value than the original product.
B) may be resistant to pests, diseases, and stressful (weather)/climate conditions.
C) may produce unexpected allergic reactions in some consumers.
D) have been largely banned by the European Union.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 37

Sustainable agricultural practices are characterized by all of the following except:

A) crop selection.
B) water and energy conservation.
C) monoculture.
D) use of manure as a fertilizer.
E) increasing biological diversity to control pests.

Question 38

What are world grain stocks? Discuss the recent history of world grain carryover stocks and some explanation for what has happened. How does this history relate to world food security?

Question 39

One of the factors slowing the expansion of aquaculture is:
I. restrictive legislation.
II. that it is expensive.
III. lack of public willingness to purchase fish produced by aquaculture.
IV. that the fish produced are of lower quality than wild-caught.

A) I
B) II
C) III
D) IV
E) III and IV

Question 40

A type of intercropping in which many different species of plants are planted together:

A) monoculture
B) afroculture
C) magniculture
D) polyculture
E) ambiculture

Question 41

What was the green revolution? Discuss the pros and cons associated with this revolution in agriculture. What additional changes or improvements will be needed to improve agricultural productivity for the future?

Question 42

What is bycatch, and why is it an issue of concern for commercial fisheries?

Question 43

Why are resources in the ocean more susceptible to overuse than resources on land? Describe some of the steps nations have taken to manage ocean resources.

Question 44

Define genetic diversity and explain the importance of genetic diversity for crop plants and livestock. Identify one way genetic diversity is lost in organisms and discuss one benefit and one difficulty of lower genetic diversity.

Question 45

Compare the benefits and challenges of fishing and aquaculture. Which approach has a greater impact on the environment? Justify your answer.

Question 46

In 1999, the EU placed a 5-year moratorium on virtually all approvals of genetically modified (GM) crops. Currently, the European Union (EU) bans all imports of hormone-treated beef. What reasons does the EU give for not wanting these agricultural developments? What do critics of the EU ban contend?