In science class we learnt about food security and how it affects us. This what we learnt....
Food security is about ensuring that we have enough food to support our ever increasing global population. Due to the fact that our population is growing by the billion but we have no more land than we did hundreds of years ago, we are needing to farm smarter and more efficiently. We need to ensure that all people have access to clean, nutritious and healthy food no matter the social class. But maintaining our food security is becoming much harder. Currently our biggest concerns regarding food security include making sure our food is free from harmful chemicals and pesticides, finding land to use to grow food and ensuring easy food access for all people on Earth.
We have been given the Wool Industry as our subject. Food Security in terms of wool production meant something a little different to us. We focused on the importance of securing enough good quality food for our animals so they can produce wool. During this very difficult time for farmers, having to manage their animals through severe drought conditions, we focused on how and where they might be able to secure these resources, especially since in NSW alone we are running out of hay and various grain supplies.
In the long run, if the sheep don’t produce good quality wool then the economic status will decrease and the Australian wool industry will be at risk. This will have long term and lasting consequences for Australia.
Importance of food security in the wool industry
It might be hard to believe, but the ever-growing issue of food security is an issue for the wool industry too. Sheep require food to maintain a condition suitable to grow their wool and live their lives. Sheep have needs that need to be met in order to keep the industry running. We need to know that there will be enough food for the sheep so that they can keep up a good condition and get good quality wool from your animals. When it comes to farming food security should be your top priority to keep the farm working as it should. If you have bad food security then your farm will start on downward slope the second you hit rocky waters, such as a drought.
Food Security is important because all animals need food to live, the food needs to be nutritious, have protein, vitamins and healthy minerals to keep the sheep and their wool healthy and of high quality. These foods need to be readily available, and needs to have easy access. Without easy access or food of a high standard available the wool industry will decline.
Threats to food security in the wool industry
Some threats on food security include pest such as Locusts, droughts like the one we are currently experiencing and securing feed. Locusts are jumping bug like grasshoppers. They can travel in groups or swarms of over 1 billion locusts. They can rip through fields of crops in minutes. Droughts greatly reduce the ability to grow crops, they can affect the quality, quantity and fertility of the soil. This makes securing feed very difficult, and an example of how we can provide some help on a government level is to stop the export of hay overseas. By stopping overseas hay exports to support farmers in New South Wales this is an opportunity for farmers to secure quality feed to cope with the drought. Also, everybody needs to do their part to keep food quality and quantity secure including crop health. This is almost a branch of bio security, for example if you have a pest or disease that kills Lucerne or oats, then spraying or treating for that disease is important to stop the spread reaching other farmers.
Strategies for food security in the wool industry
To make sure that our animals (more specifically sheep) have access to enough food there are a few key methods to keep our sheep and wool industry healthy and thriving. Perhaps one of the most important things you can do to keep the stock happy is making sure that you don’t run out all of your food supplies in your good months. Something a lot of people are now realising with the current drought is that this isn’t as easy as you’d think. Building up some feed supplies and keeping track of how your property is going. Making sure your feed is versatile and giving your animals what they need. During a time of drought finding easily accessible supplements is a good way to go like Lick-Blocks or pellets to keep the food going. There are many ways to get feed like hay and grains to your farm such via truck and train. Currently there are groups of trucks working their way across the country, providing hay for famers from other states such as WA and VIC, this can help keep the cost of transport down if people share the cost.
Maintaining food security in the wool industry
Growing your own crops to feed your livestock is good for long term food security as you wouldn’t have to worry about any problems with running out of other food. At the food production level natural disasters and drought result in crop failure and decrease food availability. Permanent food insecurity is defined as the long-term, persistence lack of adequate food. Even when farmers are able to store food in good times, this can only last for so long and when the drought has been going for as long as this one has it becomes impossible to rely on your own resources.
It is essential that we work together to help farmers secure feed for their animals as without them we will have to import from other countries. For the Wool Industry if we didn’t have the flock numbers producing high quality wool then we would have to rely on other materials for our clothes, etc. We also export an enormous percentage of our Australian wool so we rely on the relationship with other countries to be consistent. We need to keep producing Australian wool so it is important that we provide food for our animals.
How can you help and what is your idea for helping farmers feed their sheep?
Food security is about ensuring that we have enough food to support our ever increasing global population. Due to the fact that our population is growing by the billion but we have no more land than we did hundreds of years ago, we are needing to farm smarter and more efficiently. We need to ensure that all people have access to clean, nutritious and healthy food no matter the social class. But maintaining our food security is becoming much harder. Currently our biggest concerns regarding food security include making sure our food is free from harmful chemicals and pesticides, finding land to use to grow food and ensuring easy food access for all people on Earth.
We have been given the Wool Industry as our subject. Food Security in terms of wool production meant something a little different to us. We focused on the importance of securing enough good quality food for our animals so they can produce wool. During this very difficult time for farmers, having to manage their animals through severe drought conditions, we focused on how and where they might be able to secure these resources, especially since in NSW alone we are running out of hay and various grain supplies.
In the long run, if the sheep don’t produce good quality wool then the economic status will decrease and the Australian wool industry will be at risk. This will have long term and lasting consequences for Australia.
Importance of food security in the wool industry
It might be hard to believe, but the ever-growing issue of food security is an issue for the wool industry too. Sheep require food to maintain a condition suitable to grow their wool and live their lives. Sheep have needs that need to be met in order to keep the industry running. We need to know that there will be enough food for the sheep so that they can keep up a good condition and get good quality wool from your animals. When it comes to farming food security should be your top priority to keep the farm working as it should. If you have bad food security then your farm will start on downward slope the second you hit rocky waters, such as a drought.
Food Security is important because all animals need food to live, the food needs to be nutritious, have protein, vitamins and healthy minerals to keep the sheep and their wool healthy and of high quality. These foods need to be readily available, and needs to have easy access. Without easy access or food of a high standard available the wool industry will decline.
Threats to food security in the wool industry
Some threats on food security include pest such as Locusts, droughts like the one we are currently experiencing and securing feed. Locusts are jumping bug like grasshoppers. They can travel in groups or swarms of over 1 billion locusts. They can rip through fields of crops in minutes. Droughts greatly reduce the ability to grow crops, they can affect the quality, quantity and fertility of the soil. This makes securing feed very difficult, and an example of how we can provide some help on a government level is to stop the export of hay overseas. By stopping overseas hay exports to support farmers in New South Wales this is an opportunity for farmers to secure quality feed to cope with the drought. Also, everybody needs to do their part to keep food quality and quantity secure including crop health. This is almost a branch of bio security, for example if you have a pest or disease that kills Lucerne or oats, then spraying or treating for that disease is important to stop the spread reaching other farmers.
Strategies for food security in the wool industry
To make sure that our animals (more specifically sheep) have access to enough food there are a few key methods to keep our sheep and wool industry healthy and thriving. Perhaps one of the most important things you can do to keep the stock happy is making sure that you don’t run out all of your food supplies in your good months. Something a lot of people are now realising with the current drought is that this isn’t as easy as you’d think. Building up some feed supplies and keeping track of how your property is going. Making sure your feed is versatile and giving your animals what they need. During a time of drought finding easily accessible supplements is a good way to go like Lick-Blocks or pellets to keep the food going. There are many ways to get feed like hay and grains to your farm such via truck and train. Currently there are groups of trucks working their way across the country, providing hay for famers from other states such as WA and VIC, this can help keep the cost of transport down if people share the cost.
Maintaining food security in the wool industry
Growing your own crops to feed your livestock is good for long term food security as you wouldn’t have to worry about any problems with running out of other food. At the food production level natural disasters and drought result in crop failure and decrease food availability. Permanent food insecurity is defined as the long-term, persistence lack of adequate food. Even when farmers are able to store food in good times, this can only last for so long and when the drought has been going for as long as this one has it becomes impossible to rely on your own resources.
It is essential that we work together to help farmers secure feed for their animals as without them we will have to import from other countries. For the Wool Industry if we didn’t have the flock numbers producing high quality wool then we would have to rely on other materials for our clothes, etc. We also export an enormous percentage of our Australian wool so we rely on the relationship with other countries to be consistent. We need to keep producing Australian wool so it is important that we provide food for our animals.
How can you help and what is your idea for helping farmers feed their sheep?
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