Farming
Problems/Case Studies
"Pesticides:
Can
We Do Without Them?" Laurie A. Parendes, Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania, and Scott H. Burris, University of
Missouri-Columbia. State University of New York at Buffalo’s
National Center for Case Study Teaching
By simulating a public hearing, this
case study requires that students sift through and organize
information on pesticide use presented to them from the
perspective of different “stakeholders.” The case asks a
fundamental question — Can
we do without pesticides? —
and gives students an opportunity to explore the ecological,
ethical, economic, social, and political issues surrounding that
question.
Developed for an environmental
issues course, the case would be appropriate for any
introductory course that addresses human-environment
interactions.
"The
Rocky Mountain Locust: Extinction and the American Experience".
Charles
R. Bomar, University of Wisconsin - Stout. State University of New
York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
This case explores the conservation
and social issues associated with the destruction of vast tracts
of farmland in the Great Plains in the late 1800s caused by
massive swarms of the Rocky Mountain Locust, Melanoplus spretus.
The case was developed for a
freshman non-majors environmental science course. Components of
it could also be used in an ecology, general biology, public
policy, history, or political science course.
"Bean
Brew". Biological
Inquiry:
A workbook of investigative cases. Waterman,
Margaret, and Stanley, Ethel. Campbell-Reese. pp. 15-25.
In this case study, biotechnology is explored in a
transgenic fungus used in the brewing of soy sauce. The
topics investigated include soybean preservation, fermentation,
membrane structure and function, metabolism, cellular
respiration, and human application.
"Corn under
construction". Biological Inquiry: A
workbook of investigative cases. Waterman,
Margaret, and Stanley, Ethel. Campbell-Reese. pp.
71-90.
By sitting
in on an agricultural meeting, students learn about the dangers
of using genetically modified corn to keep away pests. If
all of the corn were planted with the transgenic pesticide, the
pests would mutate and become stronger than ever. Students
learn about angiosperm reproduction and its advantages and
disadvantages. Students also make hypotheses relating to
the corn mystery discussed at the meeting. Students use
tables and figures to interpret data. Students also investigate
resistance management.
CNN Video Clips
Topic:
"Organic Farming": Environmental Science 6th Ed. CNN Ed (1:37 min)
Over the past decade, the demand
for organic food has grown by 15–20%, and because of this demand,
consumers generally pay from 10–50% more for organic
produce. To assure consumers that agricultural products
marked as organic met consistent and uniform standards, Congress
passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990. This
law established strict guidelines that organic food be grown
without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones,
antibiotics, or genetic modification. The worksheet includes
the URL to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.
(Student worksheet provided on CD)
Topic:
"Desertification": Environmental Science 7th Ed. CNN Ed (2:45)
Desertification is a process that
is affecting at least 14% of the agricultural lands in Cuba.
Currently, 11 out of 14 of Cuba’s provinces show signs of soil
degradation, which could result in desertification. To prevent
desertification, the Cuban government developed several community
programs that promote education to individuals to protect the
lands before the problem becomes irreversible. The programs
include recovering land using soil-friendly techniques, planting
trees, producing organic fertilizers, and developing forestry
farms to protect river water. (Student worksheet provided on
CD)
Articles in "Taking Sides"
"Is Genetic Engineering an
Environmentally Sound Way to Increase Food Production?"
Easton, Thomas. Taking
Sides: Environmental Issues, eleventh edition.
Issue Summary:
- YES: The national academies of science of the United Kingdom,
the United States, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and the Third
World argue that genetically modified crops hold the potential
to feed the world during the twenty-first century while also
protecting the environment. (from "Transgenic Plants and World
Agriculture", A Report Prepared Under the Auspices of the Royal
Society of London, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the
Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
the Indian National Science Academy, the Mexican Academy of
Sciences, and the Third World Academy of Sciences, July 2000)
- NO: Brian Halweil, a researcher at the Worldwatch Institute,
argues that the genetic modification of crops threatens to
produce pesticide-resistant insect pests and herbicide-resistant
weeds, will victimize poor farmers, and is unlikely to feed the
world. (from "The Emperor's New Crops", World Watch, July/August
1999)
Articles
"Food Fight". Rocky
Mountain
News.
Vincent
Carroll, Ed.
Genetically modifying foods
has been the new undertaking of the century. This is
sometimes done to combat the imperfect world of famine, drought,
etc. Biotechnology gives farmers the option of producing crops
that require far less pesticide and are overall more efficient to
raise. Golden rice is already helping million of
children in the Third World from going blind due to Vitamin A
deficiency. The USDA protects consumers by requiring years
of field studies before allowing these bioengineered crops to be
marketed. Communication and knowledge is the way that
biotechnology will continue to benefit people around the
world.