9. Wine

1.

                When you think of the cold and sometimes harsh Scandinavian weather, it may not seem like an overwhelming hospitable climate for a vineyard. And it is true, historically, that the warmer climates are better known for wine-making while the cooler climates are typically known for producing beer. At the Kelleris vineyard, however, plant modifications and biotechnological developments have made grape cultivation possible outside of their usual region. It was interesting to see all the work that goes into adapting the process of wine-making for a cooler environment like Denmark. The fact that vineyards like this even exist shows not only the amazing agricultural advancements that have been made, but the vast importance of wine in society and culture.

2.

                Wine has been an important aspect of many cultures for thousands of years. There is archaeological evidence of wine production as early as 6,000 B.C. in Georgia, although it is also possible that fermented grapes, rice, and honey were used to make wine about 9,000 years ago in China. Since then, wine has been played an important role in many cultures in Greece, Rome, Egypt, and many other parts of the world. Wine became part of recorded history in Egypt, and it has been a central theme depicted in many forms of art, which has continued into modern times.

               

3.

                Wine has also played a significant role in the religions of many cultures. First of all, there have been pagan gods and goddesses in the Sumerian, Babylonia, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations. The beverage has played an important role in many religious ceremonies. It has made many appearances in Christianity and the Bible; for example, Noah is mentioned to have planted a vineyard, and Jesus performs the miracle of turning water into wine. Wine is blessed in some Jewish ceremonies, and it is drunk ritualistically during Christian masses along with bread, which represent the body and the blood of Christ. Apart from religious rituals, wine also is involved in the social aspects of many cultures. Both historically and today, wine has been a huge part of human culture and society.

4.

Relevant Sites:

http://archaeology.about.com/od/wterms/qt/wine.htm

http://www.sirc.org/publik/drinking6.html

http://www.wineinmoderation.eu/en/content/History-Tradition-of-Wine.4/

Photo Citations:

1. http://www.kellerisvingaard.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/galleri/marken/marken01.jpg

2. http://www.ancientartpodcast.org/media/episode52.jpg

3. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Communion_Table.jpg

4. http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Wine-Glass-and-Bottle.jpg

8. The Top Three

                So far, we have focused primarily on the influence plants have had throughout history. However, many plants continue to be incredibly important today. In my opinion, the top three current plants of power are wheat, corn, and rice.

1.

               Wheat was one of the first crops to be domesticated, and it continues to be the most important food grain source for humans. Wheat is grown on more than 240 million hectares, which is more land area than any other commercial crop; this resilient plant can be grown from the Arctic Circle to near the equator, and from near sea level to higher elevations. Over 689 thousand tons of wheat were produced in 2008. This cereal crop is an important source of carbohydrates and vegetable proteins, and provides more nourishment to humans than any other food source. Wheat is an adaptable plant that is easy to store and simple to convert into flour and food, making it a major diet component. 

2.

               Corn, like wheat, is a common staple food for much of the world. It provides carbohydrates, protein, and iron, along with a number of vitamins and minerals. Corn is the most produced grain in the world, at over 822 thousand tons a year. In the U.S., the corn crop is valued at $61.3 billion, and nearly 37 billion bushels are consumed worldwide each year. Corn finds its way into many of our foods in the form of high fructose corn syrup. In addition to being a food source, corn is used in many industrial items, such as chemicals, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, dyes and paints, fabrics, and much more. Corn is also used in bioethanol, which is very prevalent in our current world. Ethanol is made from only the corn starch, so one bushel of corn can produce 2.8 gallons of ethanol, in addition to a number of food or industrial by-products.

3.

                Rice may be the most powerful plant today. This is mainly because of the sheer number of people it feeds; it is a staple food for half of the world’s population. 477.5 million metric tons of rice are consumed worldwide every year, and nearly 720 million tons of rice are produced annually from 106 million hectares. India has the largest area of land where it is harvested, while China is the world’s leading rice producer. Less than 1% of China’s rice is exported, and they are responsible for at least 35% of the total world rice production.

4.

Relevant Sites:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y4011e/y4011e04.htm

http://www.ncga.com/worldofcorn

http://www.statista.com/topics/1443/rice/ 

Photo Citations:

1. http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/wheat-procurement.jpg

2.http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/host.madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/35/23592d68-137a-11e1-afaa-001cc4c03286/4ec8fe270476c.preview-300.jpg

3. http://www.goldenrice.org/image/photos_worldbowl.jpg

4. http://ipolitics_assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/PHAN110-1024x825.jpg

7. Food Security

                Food security means having reliable and consistent access to a sufficient amount of affordable, safe, and healthy nourishment. As you can imagine, obtaining food security is incredibly important, and affects the lives and well-being of people worldwide. Unfortunately, there are a number of issues threatening this security, and many people and areas do not have enough or consistent food in our current society. Worldwide, 852 million people are chronically hungry due to extreme poverty, while another 2 billion lack food security due to poverty.

1.

                One of the most obvious and pressing threats facing food security is the rapidly growing population of Earth. The population is expected to pass 9 billion by 2050, up from the 7 billion population of today. As this increases the demand, crop production must be intensified. However, the yield of major cereals is declining, and the negative effects of intense cropping are impacting the land. The Green Revolution of the 1960s increased food production, but left fertile land degraded, provoked pest upsurges, and polluted the air soil, and water.

2.

There is not enough quality, fertile land to produce crops to meet the high demand and competition. Prices rose drastically during the world food crisis of 2008. As a response to this problem, large companies and governments began the “land grab,” the large-scale acquisition of land and water resources for crop production. From 2008-2011, over 200 million acres of land were “grabbed.”

3.

The changing environment is another threat to food production and security. Climate change affects the sustainability of agriculture, and disrupts the production process. Heat waves, droughts, and flooding induced by global warming could become a global food security emergency. Contaminated water, atmosphere, and soil threaten crop production.

4.

In order to increase crop production despite these environmental challenges, farmers must learn to use sustainable and environmentally safe practices. A diverse variety of resilient crops must be farmed in healthy soil. Technology must improve irrigation techniques to conserve water, and protect the plants from the resistant pests. But in order for any of this to happen, there must be significant policy changes to encourage these practices.

Relevant Sites:

http://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/issue/global.html

http://www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/what-we-do/programme-areas/food-security/

http://www.climatechange-foodsecurity.org/

Photo Citations:

1. http://kiecocenterorg.ipage.com/demo22/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Food_Security_Infographic_CFBSA_web.jpg

2. http://www.natural-habitats.com/content/blg/i_067/foodsecurity.jpg

3.http://www.actionaidusa.org/sites/files/actionaid/imagecache/637x425px/image/land_grab_polyp_cartoon_-_no_border.jpg

4. http://www.foodsecuritynews.com/images/Food_System_Diagram.png