Which
are the ‘Top Three’ most important / influential plants of power today (and I
don't necessarily mean by the amount or value produced). Justify and
explain your answer.
I
believe that today soybeans are in the top three most influential plants of
power. It is a significant and cheap
source of protein for animal feeds and produces more protein per acre than most
other uses of land. Traditional food
uses of soybeans include soy sauce, tempeh, soymilk and tofu. Soy protein can also be a great substitute
for animal products because the plant offers a ‘complete’ protein profile. Which
means that soybeans contain all eight of the amino acids essential for human
health. Not only are soybeans nutritious
for humans, but they also can act as a natural fertilizer for soil.
Another
plant I consider to be very influential today is corn. It is the most produced grain in the
world. Corn is a staple food for a large
part of the world and is also used for ethanol production and as feed for
livestock such as beef, poultry and pork.
It is used to make high fructose corn syrup, which is the predominant
sweetener used in processed foods and beverages in the United States. Corn is a great source of carbohydrates,
protein, vitamin B, minerals and iron.
With the total corn production at 13.8 billion bushels in 2013, it is
clear to see that corn is one of the most influential plants today.
I
also consider rice to be a very influential plant in modern times. Almost half of the world’s population eat rice
as part of their staple diet. This
number is also expected to grow by 50 percent by 2030. Eleven percent of the world’s arable land is
used for rice cultivation. Three of the
world’s most populous nations are rice-based societies- China, India, and
Indonesia. Americans are also eating
twice as much rice as they did ten years ago.
With rice accounting for 20 percent of the world’s dietary energy supply
I believe it to be an influential plant of power.
Relevant Websites:
11)
http://www.americasfarmers.com/learn-about-farming/corn/
22)
http://www.soyatech.com/corn_facts.htm
33)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup
44)
http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/blog/september-2013-usda-crop-production-summary
55)
http://ricefest.com/all-about-rice/facts-about-rice/
66)
http://www.tilda.com/us/rice-facts
77)
http://www.usriceproducers.com/files/187_Rice%20Facts.pdf
Image Citations:
11)
http://www.iita.org/soybean
22)
http://philippa-pippasplace.blogspot.dk/2010/05/fun-corn-facts.html
33
Hi Natalie, I was wondering what percentage of the soybean production goes into food for humans? Also could they be grown in certain parts of Africa (if it is not already being done) and if so, do you think that growing them in under-developed countries could help solve the food security issue?
ReplyDelete
DeleteDear Marine,
Thank you for your comment ☺. Approximately six percent of soybeans are used as human food. The earliest known cultivation of soybeans in Africa was in Egypt in 1858. Today there are many African countries that grow soybean, but it is not a major crop there. Recently soybean has been thought of as a potential Cinderella food crop for under-developed countries. I do believe this will help to solve the food security issue because the introduction of soybean into Africans’ diet is a way to fight malnutrition in Africa.
Thanks,
-Natalie