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Listed under:  Science  >  Earth and space  >  Earth structure  >  Earth's crust  >  Soil  >  Soil degradation
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Food security and global farming

The expected growth in world population from 6.8 billion in 2010 to over 9 billion by 2050, the demand for food will increase by around 70 per cent. This collection of articles from the CSIRO describes some of the research that is underway to improve the world's agriculture sector to address this growing demand. The web ...

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TEDMED: What is the source of all life?

This is a video clip of a TEDMED speaker, Howard Shapiro, presenting ideas about improving the nutritional value of plants to address malnutrition and the food requirements of a growing world population. The clip emphasises that poor nutrition has negative health and developmental effects on children, particularly those ...

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Upholding cassava's potential in Africa

This is a video about the importance of cassava for food security in Africa and how the Regional Cassava Initiative supported small-scale farmers whose crops were affected by viral diseases. Plant virologist James Legg explains the extent of the problem and how the viruses are transmitted, and Burundi farmer Aoron Sebomana ...

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Sustainable table: meet your meat

This is a website about the environmental and animal welfare issues related to the consumption of meat. It contains sections on the amount of meat we eat; the environmental impacts of consuming meat; cattle, chicken, egg-laying-hen and pig-farming factories; and what can be done to improve the current state of the meat ...

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Food production in the Murray-Darling Basin

This thirteen and a half minute video highlights the importance of food and fibre production in the Murray Darling Basin. It explores the perspective of the farm families involved in both irrigated and dryland farming and explains how their products are distributed to local, national and global markets. This video also ...

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ABC News: Food security in Australia

How much food does Australia produce, and what does this mean for food security in Australia? Watch this clip to find out about the factors that influence food production and crop yields, and also about the role that science and technology play. How will future population growth affect global food production and security?

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Food for thought: learn resources for science

This is a rich resource for teachers about the impact of climate change on small-scale farmers. It includes two sets of resources, one for the primary level and the other for the secondary level. Each set of resources includes: a teacher guide with learning activities; worksheets for students; crop cards; and a PowerPoint ...

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Landline: Improving crop production in Timor-Leste

Explore the challenges to basic survival that farmers in the agricultural regions of Timor-Leste (East Timor) face. Discover how the 'Seeds of Life' program works to improve the selection and planting of successful crops that have higher yields. See how these first steps are helping to address rural poverty in the nation.

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The Conversation: agriculture

This resource consists of a multitude of news articles and analytical pieces under the topic of agriculture. Eight articles address the many challenges of world food security, five explore the impact of predicted water and phosphorus shortages on crop yields and one article analyses the broader impact of organic farming ...

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Bali and Sumba: Paradise versus poverty

We all know the idyllic paradise called Bali, but have you ever heard of its poorer neighbour, the Indonesian island of Sumba, where the people struggle to grow food to eat? Watch this clip to learn about environmental conditions and agricultural challenges there. Find out also what people in Sumba are doing to prepare ...

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ABC News: Getting your facts straight about water use

We hear a lot about water use in Australia. What are the real statistics about water use? What is the breakdown of water use for different groups across Australia? Watch this clip to find out who uses water and how much, and consider the value of water and the 'return' on this use for the Australian economy. The figures ...

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Food and human wellbeing

This is an online resource about two contrasting Indonesian islands, Bali and Sumba, highlighting the inequalities that exist within Indonesia. The resource compares the rice and rainforests of Bali with the corn and savannah grasslands of the more remote, and less wealthy Sumba, and examines each in terms of the challenges ...

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The Murray-Darling Basin: an introduction

This lesson sequence is designed to introduce students to key aspects of the Murray-Darling Basin including the environment, geography, economy, people, history, water cycle and water management challenges. The lesson sequence includes a teacher PowerPoint presentation, separate teacher notes and a student worksheet. This ...

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Salinity and the Murray-Darling Basin

This lesson sequence examines salinity in the Murray-Darling Basin: the source of the salt, why it is a problem, how it is monitored and current management strategies. It includes a teacher PowerPoint presentation, separate teacher notes and a student worksheet. This lesson sequence is one in a series exploring aspects ...

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Locks, Weirs and Dams

This lesson sequence examines structures that are used by water resource managers in the Murray-Darling Basin including dams, locks, weirs, barrages, fishways, channels and levee banks and explores the positive and negative effects of river regulation. It includes a teacher PowerPoint presentation, separate teacher notes ...

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Running the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin

This lesson sequence examines the role that river operators play in water resource management in the Murray-Darling Basin and explains how they direct water releases and track progress downstream for environmental watering and flood management. It includes a teacher PowerPoint presentation, separate teacher notes and a ...

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Exploring the production and marketing of seafood: producer video

This is a video about how wild-caught lobsters are processed for export and barramundi are farmed in two South Australian businesses. The first part is presented by Andrew Laurie, the owner of Sky Seafoods, who shows the work of the lobster fishermen who supply him and how the lobsters are processed. He describes how sustainability ...

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Science for a hungry world

How vital is water to food production? What would happen if we ran out of readily available water? This is a real possibility for some countries that rely heavily on groundwater to grow crops and sustain local population. By observing the gravity of the Earth, NASA satellites have been able to track the changes in the amount ...