Abstract The paper relates that pesticides have been used for decades as a way of eliminating pests in order to protect crops. The paper discusses how many critics have called for stopping the use of pesticides because of perceived dangers. The paper maintains that some forms of pesticide may be needed to protect the crops and add to the yield, but reducing the use of pesticides as much as possible is better for the environment and for the consumer in the long run.
From the Paper "Americans largely accept the use of pesticides because they are told that pesticides are safe, though the sheer volume of pesticides used each year can be alarming as more than two million pounds of these poisons are added to the environment annually. These chemicals are found not only on food but in the water supply, with one of every ten drinking water wells in the U.S. affected along with thousands of lakes, rivers, and waterways across the country. The primary source of water pollution in the country is agriculture. At least 38 percent of the food supply contains pesticide residues, and many food items may have more than one pesticide, and as many as twelve (Meyerhoff, 1993, para. 8)."
Abstract This paper discusses the use of pesticides, focusing on the effects caused the environment. The paper describes pesticides as chemical substances that are used to control pests. The benefits and risks of using these substances are examined in this paper. The risks mentioned include social and environmental consequences. The paper presents various facts concerning pesticides, outlines the major hazards involved and distinguishes between different groups of pesticide.
From the Paper "Managing pests, such as weeds, insects, plant diseases, and nematodes, has been on of the greatest challenges in both agricultural and nonagricultural environments throughout history. Mainstream use of synthetic pesticides in the United States began shortly after the World War II, during a time of significantly increasing crop production. Since the 1950?s, American agriculture has relied heavily on pesticides, dumping 30 billion pounds of pesticide into the environment."
Abstract This paper discusses that science has proven that pesticides pose two separate yet related dangers. The writer notes that pesticides are everywhere in our environment and that children especially are exposed to them every day in their food and in the surfaces they touch. The writer points out that firstly, they cause various health problems, including cancer and that secondly, they attack the immune system. Thus, the writer shows that they not only create challenges for the immune system but they also make it unable to do its job.
From the Paper "Pesticides have served mankind since ancient times, mostly as insect repellents. More than fifteen hundred years before Christ, the Egyptians used natural preparations to get rid of fleas in their households. In the 1930s, a whole range of new products was developed to destroy or repel insects, rodents, fungi, weeds and other unwanted organisms. The most notorious of these new pesticides was DDT."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses the industrial revolution and its effects on agriculture. The paper reviews the pre-industrial history of agriculture as well as the sweeping changes within the agricultural sector during the eventful period when the manufacturing sector was being transformed by a wave of technological innovation. The paper concludes by noting how inextricably linked are agricultural change and technological change.
Abstract This paper discusses the provincial government's Agricultural Land Commission and the policies it enforces on land use in British Columbia. It looks at how the scarcity of agricultural land and the importance of food self-sufficiency, combined with competing demands for farmland for non-farm uses, convinced the government that preserving farmland for agricultural purposes was a matter of provincial interest and importance.
From the Paper "Due to increased competition and the increasing demands of the contemporary consumer, the need for establishing sustainable industries that enhance quality of life is crucial when creating a thriving local business environment. However, in recent years business development has taken a back seat to environmental protectionism in part due to the lack of suitable land for agricultural and farm use. "
Abstract Perhaps no other industry is as dependent upon variables over which it has no control as the agricultural industry is. This paper produces a cross sectional comparison and contrast of three regions in British Columbia: Cariboo region, Peace River, and Kootenay. The paper highlights how climatic factors and soil composition factors impact upon the respective agricultural sectors of the aforementioned areas. In addition to illuminating how areas that are fairly close to one another geographically can still produce astonishing climatic and geological diversity the paper also reveals how primary industries like agriculture take on new shapes in different regions because of the physical feature of the land.
Abstract This paper deals with the issue of free trade in agricultural products versus protectionism that is one of the fiercest international economic debates. It discusses the arguments of the proponents of free trade who believe in opening the global market with as few restrictions on trade as possible and those of the proponents of protectionism who believe in concentrating on the welfare of the domestic farming community. The stage at which the talks over subsidies take place is the World Trade Organization ("WTO").
Paper Outline:
Introduction
The Economics of Agriculture Some Numbers
A Comparative Advantage of the Poor
The Reasons for Protectionism
The WTO and the Prisoner's Dilemma
From the Paper "However, why do the rich countries like those of the European Union as well as the US today still subsidize their farmers to the tune of billions of dollars a year? Beginning in the 1930s most industrialized countries developed agricultural price-support policies to reduce the volatility of prices for farm products and to increase, or at least stabilize, farm income. Subsequently, in food-exporting countries, such as the United States and France, agricultural subsidies have been designed primarily to increase farm income, either by raising the long-term level of prices above free-market levels or by providing direct payments to farmers."
Abstract This paper discusses the effect on agriculture on changes in fuel costs, the market economy, and technology. It notes how changes in the external environment have affected the way those in agriculture do business and so the prices charged at the market, adding to costs or reducing them, depending on the nature of the change and the way farmers are able to respond.
From the Paper "Agriculture is like any other sector of the economy and is affected by many of the same forces, including changes in fuel use and fuel prices, the market economy, and technology. The first of these forces is in the news now as agriculture has to raise its prices to cover higher fuel costs for farm machinery and for delivery costs. The nature of the economy affects agriculture by raising prices for other goods, which also can cause farmers to raise their prices to stay ahead of inflation. New technology can be both a capital expenditure to buy what is needed and a boon by increasing production and reducing costs over all. Such changes in the external environment have affected the way those in agriculture do business and so the prices charged at the market."
Abstract This paper discusses the role of agricultural subsidization in developed countries through the examination of the consumer price index (CPI), per capita income levels, and the per capita expenditures on food within the CPI weighted averages. The paper hypothesizes that agricultural subsidies actually inflate the price of food commodities, which has an exacerbating effect on the economy and the lower income demographic.
From the Paper "The primary issue is the supposition that government agricultural subsidies disrupt the natural market forces that dictate the free-market premise that prices seek their own level. This principle of price disruption caused by agricultural subsidies is, perforce, most apparent in the price of food and food products. The result, and the proposed hypothesis, is that consumers actually pay higher prices for food items that would otherwise be the case sans agricultural subsidization by government entities. Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to illustrate the reality of the hypothesis in order to establish and build a case to end agricultural subsidization by developed countries around the globe."
Abstract The agricultural industry represents a significant fraction of the overall Canadian economy in terms of both employment and most economic measures. However, as this essay shows, this is a sector of the economy that feels under considerable pressure and is in need of government assistance. The paper also demonstrates that government assistance can be supported by the ideology of capitalism and, in particular, the type of capitalism known as mercantilism that advocates government assistance to business to compete more strongly in the international marketplace.
Abstract While the Canadian agriculture industry may not have the prominence of other sectors of the Canadian economy, such as the automotive or aerospace industries, it remains a significant element of both the Canadian domestic and export sectors. This essay demonstrates that this industry is a not only a major employer, but its health and expansion are critical elements in Canada's global economic position.
Abstract The paper argues that pesticide use should be cut back dramatically in America because of the dangers they present to human health and the environment. The paper reveals the risk of illnesses that include cancer, neurological diseases and cognitive dysfunctions and describes the damage to ecosystems. The paper asserts that although pesticides are useful at eliminating destructive pests and can certainly boost food production, they cause more harm than good. The paper then looks at ways in which pesticide use can be reduced without unduly compromising agricultural productivity.
From the Paper "The first argument to be raised in objection to the widespread use of pesticides is the legitimate threat these products present to human beings. A recent study released by the Ontario College of Family Physicians in Canada found - after carefully reviewing 250 studies from around the world - that repeated exposure to pesticides, be they "occupational" pesticides for farm use or home-and-garden pesticides, raised the risk of illnesses ranging from cancer to neurological diseases; habitual exposure to these chemicals, it was also determined, heightened the likelihood of reproductive problems, as well."
Abstract This paper studies the connection between agriculturally-based land pollution, such as from herbicides and pesticides, and contaminated water. The paper presents research studies and statistics that indicate that this is the most significant and damaging source of water pollution. The paper also looks at the impact of water diversion through damning for irrigation projects. The paper concludes by discussing the international ramifications of land-based water pollution.
From the Paper "Rachel Carson, in her landmark book "Silent Spring" was the first to discover the pollution and contamination of land as well as water by insecticides. These chemicals are absorbed in the earth, and then run off into water- lakes or rivers and streams, and eventually into the oceans. The most recent catastrophe on Chesapeake Bay which contaminated almost the entire shrimp and scallop crop was presumed to have been caused by a chemical spill which began a "fouling" process that was like a fatal domino effect. From the pristine water, of the Bay it then ran off into nearby farmland, not only damaging crops, but also polluting one of the largest poultry producing areas in the country."
Abstract This paper explains that, in their haste to introduce market reforms and efficiencies into their antiquated agricultural systems, many emerging nations have sacrificed their environment and citizens' health in exchange for some well-intentioned but misguided short-term gains in productivity. The author points out that past agricultural practices were based on tradition and spiritual concepts; however, many emerging nations have succeeded in overcoming these constraints through innovative policies and initiatives. The paper stresses that modern western agricultural practices rely heavily on heavy and expensive equipment as well as industrial pesticides and fertilizers to wrench continued high yields from the soil are not readily transferable to many emerging nations.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Existing Agricultural Practices in China Today
Innovative and Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Current and Future Trends
What Can Be Done?
Conclusion
From the Paper "Within rural sociology, sustainable agriculture is frequently considered to be a mutually exclusive "competing paradigm" that challenges conventional agriculture on environmental, economic and ideological grounds. As a result, much of the research on identifying sustainable agricultural practices has been focused on understanding the characteristics which differentiate conventional and alternative farmers, as well as the conditions that serve to constrain or facilitate the development of alternative practices and ways of thinking among farmers and agriculture more generally. For example, researchers have examined a variety of farmer and farm attributes such as age, education, orientation to risk, perception of environmental problems, farm size, and profitability; the impact of agricultural markets and prices and state policies, programs and services have also been examined extensively."
Discusses the ethical assessment of the use of alar pesticide, e-coli outbreaks, the Oprah Winfrey defamation case, state laws, social responsibility and theories.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 10 sources, 1999, $ 63.95
Abstract Several years ago, the public affairs and news television program "60 Minutes" on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) televised a segment concerning the use of the pesticide Alar on apples by producers in the State of Washington. The implication of the report, if not directly charged in the presentation, was that the pesticide could be dangerous to human health and that the apple producers had failed to warn consumers.
From the Paper "AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS DEFAMATION LAWS: AN ETHICAL ASSESSMENT
Introduction
This research examines agricultural products defamation laws. These laws are assessed from an ethical basis.
Development of the Issue
Several years ago, the public affairs and news television program "60 Minutes" on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) televised a segment concerning the use of the pesticide Alar on apples by producers in the State of Washington. The implication of the report, if not directly charged in the presentation, was that the pesticide could be dangerous to human health and that the apple producers had failed to warn consumers. Apple sales did suffer in the wake of the telecast of the segment on "60 Minutes." The apple producers in the State of Washington ..."
