Adv + disadv of safety and quality of food supply Flashcards
Summarise 3 components that determine soil quality
- Biological fertility: organisms in the soil
- chemical fertility: elements for plant and soil health also can be detrimental to both
- Physical fertility: root penetration, waterlogging
Advantages of crop rotation?
- Prevents soil depletion/ erosion
- Controls insects/ mites and weeds
- prevents diseases
- add diversity
Advantages of modern conventional farming?
- Healthy yields of plant and animal produce
- Prevents diseases and pests
- Machinery helping means less labour intensive
Disadvantages of modern conventional farming?
- Chemical residue on plants affects ecosystem
- erosion
- nutrient loss and loading of waterways
- animal welfare issues
Define organic farming?
Organic Farming is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity biological cycles and soil biological activity. Its based of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony
Advantages of organic farming
- better for the environment
- less residue of chemicals, cadmium
- minimise use of non-renewable sources
- avoid pollution
- maintains and increases soil quality
Disadvantages of organic farming
- lower crop yield
- labour intensive
- more expensive
Define the word contaminant
“An impurity which gives consumers health, safety or cleanliness concerns”
What types of contaminants
- Antibiotics used to control bacterial diseases in animals
- insecticides used to control pests in crops and protect stored grain
- herbicides used to control weeds
How are chemicals regulated and monitored?
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) determine the maximum residue levels (MRL’s). The MRL are monitored by the Food Standards Code and apply to imported and domestic produce
Advantages of pesticides in food
- Protect crops from pests
- Produce blemish free fruits and vegetables
Disadvantages of pesticides in food
- harm environment
- increased risk of diseases on humans and disorders
- kill good bacteria
- food wastage - cleaning, peeling food
- less nutrients
how to reduce pesticides intake?
- trim fat from meat
- select fruit and vegetables with no holes
- wash produce
- discard outer leaves of leafy vegetables
- buy organic
- eat a variety of foods
concerns of antibiotics in livestock
- development of antibiotic resistant bacteria
- antibiotic residues in food
What are HGPs? And what animals can take them?
Hormonal Growth Promotants can be administered in Australia, although only to livestock but not chickens
