Chapter 1 AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION Where does food come from Many people would say it comes from the supermarket Others might say it comes from a restaurant But long before food gets to supermarkets and restaurants it is produced by agriculture Most Americans get their food from grocery stores Where does this food actually come from 4 44
Agriculture is another word for farming It is the process of growing plants or raising animals for food Your morning milk and cereal your burger at lunch and the carrots on your dinner plate all exist because of agriculture CEREAL IS USUALLY MADE FROM GRAINS SUCH AS OATS CORN OR RICE 5
There are more than four million tractors in the United States Agriculture has been around for thousands of years But in the 1940s farming began to change Farm machines such as tractors made it easier to plant and harvest New methods of caring for animals meant a single farm could raise more cows pigs chickens or fish These and other changes helped farmers produce more food than ever before 6
But modern farming also produces pollution There are three main types of agricultural pollution The first is water pollution This happens when rainwater carries away the chemicals in farmers fields The second is air pollution This occurs when livestock release gases into the atmosphere The third type is biological pollution This happens when fish escape from seafood farms and enter new habitats These pens hold fish on a fish farm Fish farmers know it is impossible to completely prevent escapes 7
