2.3.2 Strategies Used To Increase Food Supply Flashcards
Irrigation
Applying water to land in order to supply crops and other plants
Where is irrigation usually used (2p)
- Usually countries with dry climates eg. Parts of Europe North America
- Not usually sub-saharan Africa where cost of investment and Unreliable rainfall can be prohibitive
Methods of irrigation delivery (5p)
Dams/reservoirs
Drip irrigation
Flood irrigation
Sprinklers
Buckets and watering cans
Dams/reservoirs (2p)
-Large scale scheme with reservoirs, canals and dams such as the Aswan Dam in Egypt
- high tech
Drip irrigation (3p)
- where water is delivered into the plant roots by pipes that are full of small holes
- they are spread across fields
- can be high tech and computerised or low tech and manual
Flood irrigation (3p)
- Where fields are flooded in a controlled way
- Water is pumped by hand, animal or machine along canals
- controlled by small dams from a river, or well
Sprinklers (3p)
- Either permanent or moveable
- often found in farms in HICs eg. France
- Water is delivered to a central point in the field and then to the plants by sprinklers
Buckets and watering cans
Low tech
Advantages of irrigation (3p)
-Water conservation
- Enhances crop yields and quality
- Increases farm income
Disadvantages of irrigation (4p)
- Large scale schemes can push people off the land to be used for reservoirs
- salination
- Competition for water leading to water scarcity for local farmers
- High cost
Aeroponics
The process of using air instead of soil to grow plants
Advantages of aeroponics (3p)
- Plants are easily maintained
- Requires less space in comparison to conventional growing methods as plants can be stacked
- plants can be moved around easily
Disadvantages of aeroponics (3p)
- Very expensive
- Requires specialist knowledge of exact nutrient mix for the plants
- Relies on nutrient misting system and if it breaks down, it can lead to the loss of all plants
Hydroponics
Plants grown in nutrient-rich water throughout their lifespan
Advantages of hydroponics (3p)
- The plants receive more nutrients which allows them to grow faster
- Use up less space as they can be stacked
- Use less water than plants grown conventionally
Disadvantages of hydroponics (2p)
- Expensive to set up and run
- Technical expertise needed
Biotechnology
When plants, animals, and fish are genetically modified
Advantages of biotechnology (3p)
- Benefits farmers by making crops salt and drought resistant
- Can enhance food nutrition
- Increased income for farmers as it can increases yields
Disadvantages of biotechnology
Concerns about the effects of genetically modified crops on the environment and human health
What is the new green revolution? (5p)
- Occurred in the 1960s when scientists developed new strains of seeds known as High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) which produced higher yields of crops such as maize and rice
- New chemicals were also developed
- Led to a significant reduction in food prices
- However as the global population is growing exponentially, yields aren’t increasing at the same rate
- A new green revolution is starting in Africa and biotechnology plays a large role
By what percentage did yields increase by in the new green revolution?
- Yields of crops rose by 40% in Asia over 5 years
