Feeding a growing population
As the world's population grows, farmers must produce more and better food from the same land. Food production technology uses modern scientific methods to increase the quantity and quality of crops and livestock while trying to keep farming sustainable.
Modern methods in crop production
- Hydroponics is growing plants without soil, with their roots in a nutrient solution. It saves space and water and avoids soil-borne pests.
- Aeroponics grows plants with their roots hanging in air and sprayed with a nutrient mist.
- Tissue culture produces many identical plants from a small piece of plant tissue, giving healthy, uniform seedlings quickly.
- Genetically modified (GM) crops are changed to give higher yields, resist pests or survive drought, although their use must be studied carefully for safety and long-term effects.
- Greenhouses control temperature, humidity and light so crops can grow all year round, even in poor weather.
Key idea
The aim of food production technology is simple: produce more food of better quality from limited land, water and labour — without ruining the environment for the future.
Livestock, fish and the environment
Aquaculture is the farming of fish, prawns and other aquatic organisms in ponds or cages. Together with modern poultry and cattle farming, it supplies protein for a large population. Fertilisers, pesticides and machinery all help raise output, but overusing chemicals can cause environmental pollution, so they must be used carefully. Good food production technology therefore tries to balance high output with the health of the soil, water and wildlife so that the land can keep producing food for many years to come.
Example
In Malaysia, oil palm is grown on a huge scale for cooking oil and many products. Tissue culture is used to raise high-yielding, disease-free palm seedlings, boosting production per hectare.