Enviro Ch12 2 of 3

Cattle production in the United States and other developed nations involves CAFOs that 

• produce large amounts of manure, all of which is diverted into soil restoration.
• produce 20% of the greenhouse gas methane that causes global warming.
• generate income used to support the large population of native people.
• produce leather that sustains millions of workers in the Brazilian leather industry.

In the near future, the benefits of biofuel production may be enjoyed while reducing the impact on the global production of grain. One such promising approach is to

• bioengineer cattle and goats to produce ethanol in their milk.
• produce biofuels from grasses and timber wastes instead of corn.
•  use the large amounts of animal wastes to produce ethanol.
• find ways to convert oil and natural gas into ethanol.

If the total global production of grains cannot be significantly increased in the next 50 years, and the human population continues to increase, by perhaps 50%, how will we feed the people without destroying the world? One strategy that would likely succeed is to

•  increase our use of fossil fuels in agriculture.
• engineer plants that can grow without sunlight.
• greatly reduce the amount of meat in our diets.
• increasingly rely on fungi for nutritional needs.

Based upon the data in this chart, which one of the following regions has current crop yields that are most consistent with widespread subsistence farming?

• East Asia and Pacific
• Latin America and Caribbean
• South Asia
• sub-Saharan Africa

Transgenic plants are generally different from traditional hybrid plants produced hundreds of years ago, because transgenic plants may

• contain genes from animals or bacteria
• contain genetic material from different species
• have new traits not found in their ancestral species
• not be used as sources of human food

The goals of biotechnology currently includeA) producing greater crop yields in plants that can grow without water.B) growing crops that are more resistant to drought and disease.C) altering plants to increase the production of coal.D) creating plants that do not need sunlight to grow.

• producing greater crop yields in plants that can grown without water
• growing crops that are more resistant to drought and disease
• altering plants to increase the production of coal
• creating plants that do not need sublight to grow

Food safety issues of transgenic crops includeA) B) C) D) 

• a decreased production of allergens in crops.
• the promotion of antibiotic resistance in pathogens.
• the ability to immunize people against pathogens by eating foods.
• the development of herbicide resistance in humans.

If you live in the United States, chances are that you have consumed some processed food that includes bioengineered plants

• almost every day
• at most once a month
• perhaps once a year
• once in your lifetime

The development of golden rice is an attempt to

• increase the caloric value of rice based foods.
•  fight insect pests that feed on rice plants.
• increase the levels of vitamin A in rice.
• increase the levels of iron in rice.

20) Although refrigeration, fertilizers, modern shipping, CAFOs and Green Revolution high-yield crops have some limits or negative impacts, all have contributed to

• lowering the cost of food
• sustainable farming
• rapid population growth in developed nations
• making food more widely available