Antibiotic Use in the Agricultural Industry and the Rise in Resistant Strains
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has become a controversial issue over the years, ultimately leading to regulations on their use in the agricultural industry. Improper management of antibiotic utilization can result in the development of resistant strains. Furthermore, in the present day, there has been a transfer of these resistant strains to not only animals, but…
Breakthrough Biotechnology in Animal Agriculture
A recent article published by the Washington Post articulates that new gene-editing practices in farm animals may be one of the largest research breakthroughs, though society may not be prepared for such a change (Johnson, 2018). Biotechnology, the genetic manipulation of living organisms, has made progress in the animal agricultural industry, but so has the…
Meating Expectations: Challenges of Meat Production and a Growing Population
As the human population grows, the task of producing enough food for everyone becomes increasingly difficult; by 2050 we will need to produce enough food for 2 million more people. To meet current food demands, an industrialized agricultural system has been created including concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Concentrated animal feeding operations make it possible…
Nature of the Beast
I’ve always been a glutton; there’s no denying that. I’ve always licked my plate clean, not out of obligation to use what I’ve been given, but to bring about a bliss that only eating can elicit. While I tear through a steak, snap into a carrot, or chew up a turnip, I feel as if…
Old Habits Out and New Habits In: The New Way to Waste Food
Throughout my life I have had my fair share of wasteful habits. I have thrown food out because I thought it looked funky, to simply being too full and not wanting to eat another bite. In the moment, I never stop to think about the impact it may have on the world. However, try to…
Precision Agriculture: Feeding the Future
Agriculture has faced its fair share of adversity. In the 1930’s and 40’s, it was the dust bowl. The 1980’s Farm Crisis was a byproduct of overproduction, poor investments, and bad decisions made during the boom years of the late 1970’s. As a result, farmers were pushed to the brink of bankruptcy and many lost…
Out of the Water and Onto Our Plates: Combating Asian Carp Invasion with Cutlery
A Flying Fish Frenzy Fishing trips in the Midwest are typically associated with tranquil waters and relaxing, daylong excursions. But more and more often, horror stories are being told about unsuspecting boaters and fishermen who have been attacked aboard their vessels by armies of oversized fish that are forcefully hurling themselves up out of the…
Insects: It’s what’s for Dinner?
Christine Carson is a senior in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Soil Resource Management at the University of Missouri. Upon graduation in May of 2015, she plans to attend Kansas State University, where she will study soil microbiology in restored prairies. Motivation for her academic interests and this article stem from Christine's vested interests…
Leather Yoghurt: Suspicion of Exotic Food and the Chinese Government’s Crisis of Faith
Yoghurt is a popular exotic food in China, especially among young Chinese girls who want to lose weight because they think yoghurt is healthy and contains relatively low calories.
Effects of McDonalds on Younger Chinese Generation’s Lives
In 1990, when McDonalds was first introduced to China, fast food restaurants from western countries were not widely accepted in China. In fact, many Chinese had never heard about the typical menu such as French fries and hamburgers that were offered in fast food restaurants.