3.2 - Food Production Flashcards
Arable farming
The cultivation of crops e.g. rice or wheat
Pastoral farming
Rearing livestock e.g. beef or sheep farming
Commercial farming
Growing crops or raising livestock to sell the products for profit
Subsistence farming
Growing food and/or raising livestock to feed the farmer and their family
Extensive farming
A farm with low inputs or yields per hectare e.g. sheep farming
Intensive farming
A farm with high inputs or yielfs per hectare e.g. battery chicken farming
Nomadic farming
Farmers move seasonally to different areas with their livestock e.g. that one minecraft villager with his camel
Sedentary farming
The same area of land is farmed year after year
Mixed farm
A farm that has both livestock and grows crops
Physical factors influencing farming
- temperature
- growing season
- percipitation
- relief and slope aspect
- soil type and fertility
- drainage
How does temperature affect farming?
Temperature (minimum 6°C for crops to grow) influence the types of crops that can be grown,
* e.g. hot, wet tropical areas favour rice, while cooler, drier areas favour wheat.
How does growing season affect farming?
The length of the growing season affects the type of crop grown
* e.g. barley needs about 90 days from sowing to harvest whereas rice takes about 120 days
How does percipitation affect farming?
both the average annual rainfall (at least 250mm to 500mm) and the distribution over the year affect the types of crops grown
How does relief and slope aspect affect farming?
- Lowlands, such as flood plains, are good for crops.
- Steep slopes hinder machinery and have thinner soils; lower, more gentle slopes are less prone to soil erosion.
- Tea and coffee crops prefer the well-drained soil on hill slopes.
- Temperature decreases by 6.5°C for every 1000 metres gained in height.
- South-facing slopes receive more sunlight.
How does the soil type and fertility affect farming?
- Fertility is important; poor soil means lower outputs or larger inputs of fertilisers.
- Floodplains are good for rice because of the alluvial (made up of sand and earth left by rivers, floods, etc.) soils.
- Good drainage reduces the dangers of waterlogging.
How does the drainage affect farming?
Good drainage reduces the dangers of waterlogging (to become saturated/covered by water)
Human factors influencing farming
- Tradition
- Government policies
- Transport
- Farm size
- Market
- Capital
How does tradition affect farming?
Many farms simply grow the crops or raise the livestock that have been on the farm for generations
Some farms may only grow crops for religious reasons (e.g. Bali grows flowers for Hindu sacrifices)
How do government policies affect farming?
- Governments influence the crops farmers grow through regulations, subsidiesand quotas.
- Governments offer advice, training and finance to farmers and, in new farming areas, may build the infrastructure of roads and drainage, e.g. Amazonia.
- In some countries, e.g. Kenya and Malaysia, the government is trying to help nomadic farmers to settle in one place.
- Some governments plan and fund land reclamation and improvement schemes.
How does transport affect farming?
The cost of transporting the product may affect what is produced
* e.g. livestock transport is more expensive than grain transport
How does the farm size affect farming?
Due to economies of scale larger farms which have more input and output are able to afford more in terms of feed, fertiliser and machinery, this may affect what is produced
How does the market (and its demand) affect farming?
- Farmers grow crops which are in demand and change to meet newdemands,
* e.g. rubber plantation farmers in Malaysia have switched to oilpalm as the demand for rubber has fallen. - Markets vary throughout the year and farmers change their production tosuit them.
How does capital affect farming?
- Capital, the money the farmer has to invest in the farm, can be used toincrease the amount of inputs into the farm
* e.g. machinery, fences, seeds,fertiliser and renewing buildings. - If a farmer can afford to invest capital, yields will rise and can create greaterprofits which can be used for more investment.
Yield
The full amount of an agricultural or industrial product
Physical inputs of a farming system (3)
- climate (rain, temperature)
- soil
- relief
Human inputs of a farming system (5)
- Subsidies (government policy)
- Machinery
- Labour
- Seeds
- Pesticides/Herbicides
Processes of a farming system (name 4)
- ploughing (turn up earth)
- milking
- sowing (scattering seeds)
- sheep shearing
- pest control
- fertilising
- harvesting
- feeding
- bottling
- calving
Outputs of a farming system (name 4)
- cereal
- crops
- milk
- hay/straw
- meat
- manure
- vegetables
- eggs
Market gardening
The growing of vegetables, fruit and flowers
What types of farming is market gardening?
- Arable
- Intensive
- Commercial
What major inputs does market gardening have? (2)
- finance (capital)
- labour
Why is there a large input of labour in market gardening?
For planting, irrigating, spraying and harvesting
Why is there large expenditure in market gardening?
For fertilisers, seeds, sprays, heating and lighting for greenhouses
What conditions are needed for food shortages? (5)
- When people are not eating enough calories (the daily calorie intake should be at least 3000 calories a day-2500 to survive)
- Too many people so not enough food to go around
- Not enough food can be grown at a certain location
- There is no way to transport food from where it is grown to the population
- The food is not distributed fairly so that everyone can get enough
Statistics in food shortages (4)
- The UN estimates that the number of people in ‘hunger emergencies’ has increased from 135 million in 2019 to 345 million in 2022
- Global food prices are rising - 23% higher than in 2021
- World grain reserves are lower than they have been for 14 years
- Women and girls account for 70% of the people suffering hunger
Natural causes of food shortages (name 3)
- Flooding - crops cannot cope with being waterlogged also causes the death of livestock
- Drought and unreliable rainfall - this can reduce crop yields significantly
- Disease - these reduce yields and can result in livestock deaths/culling e.g. swine flu
- Pests - locusts can wipe out entire fields of crops in a matter of hours
- Tropical cyclones - bring heavy rainfall and strong winds which can destroy large areas of crops
Human causes of food shortages (name 3)
-
War and conflict - people are unable to farm due to the conflict
* War also disrupts supply and movement of food supplies - Rising food prices - people cannot afford the food that they need
- Human induced global warming - leads to changing weather patterns, increased temperatures and rising sea levels
-
Lack of investment - many LEDCs have poor transport systems which means that transporting food and livestock is difficult
- They also do not have the funds to invest in agriculture
- Corruption - investment in rural areas and agriculture does not happen as a result of corrupt politicians taking the money
- Rapid population increase - the food available has to be shared between more people, decreasing the amount that people have
- Soil erosion and desertification - overgrazing and overcultivation lead to a loss of soil fertility so plants won’t grow, or yields decrease
Effects of food shortages (name 4)
- Undernutrition - people do not consume enough calories
- Malnutrition - people’s diet lacks the correct nutrients to keep them healthy
- Wasting - when people have low weight in relation to their height
- Rising food prices - when there is increased demand and reduced supply the prices increase
- Underdevelopment - loss of productivity
- Soil erosion and desertification - farmers may over cultivate and overgraze the land in an attempt to increase the amount of food available
- Social unrest - may lead people to riot and loot
- Migration - migrate to other countries or to urban areas where the food supply is better
Possible solutions to food shortages
- Food aid
- Irrigation
- Genetically Modified crops
- Green revolution
- Education of farmers
- Mechanisation
- Fertilisers/pesticides
Food aid pros and cons
Usually a short term solution provided by MEDCs to LEDCs suffering from war or natural disaster
Pros:
* Saves lives during in a crisis
Cons:
* Can increase dependence of LEDCs on food aid
* Reduces the sales of crops grown by local farmers
* Expensive to transport
Irrigation pros and cons
The artificial watering of crops
Pros:
* Increases crop production/yields in areas with low rainfall
Cons:
* Loss of water through evaporation
* Increased salinity of the soil affects crop growth
* Increases pressure on water resources
Surface irrigation
Use of gravity to create water flow over land
Drip irrigation
Use of pipes with holes in them to deliver water near to the plant roots (most efficient)
GM crops pros and cons
When the genetic material of a crop is altered
Pros:
* Increases the yield of crops as they are not as susceptible to pests/disease
Cons:
* Concerns about the impacts on the environment
Green Revolution pros and cons
In the 1960s scientists bred crops designed to produce more food (higher yields)- particularly rice, grain and wheat
Pros:
* Increased yields
* Larger farm incomes increased
Cons:
* Needed high inputs of fertilisers/pesticides
* Increased mechanisation leads to fewer jobs
Education of farmers pros and cons
Education for farmers about sustainable farming methods
Pros:
* Low cost
* Increases farming knowledge
* Increases yields
Cons:
None! Yay!
Mechanisation pros and cons
Use of tractors and other machines to complete farming tasks
Pros:
* Increases yields as more land can be cultivated
* More time efficient
* Less labour needed
Cons:
* Reduces jobs in agriculture
* Machines can be expensive to buy and maintain
Fertilisers and Pesticides pros and cons
Fertilisers are added to increase yields through adding nitrogen
Pesticides are used to kill or deter pests from eating crops
Pros:
* Increases the yield
* Reduces losses from pests
Cons:
* Damage to the environment e.g. eutrophication
* Concerns about the impact on human health
