6 The Challenge Of Resource Management Flashcards
What is Agribusiness?
Agribusiness is large-scale, industrial farming where processes from the production of seeds and fertilisers to the processing and packaging of food are controlled by large firms
What is a Water Surplus?
Water Surplus means that there is a greater supply than demand of water
What is the reason for a Water Surplus in the UK?
Areas have a surplus of water due to there being high levels of rainfall in these areas
What is a Water Deficit?
A Water Deficit is when there is a greater demand for water compared to the supply
WHat is the reason for a Water Deficit in the UK?
There are water deficits in the UK due to the high population densities in these areas
In which areas in the UK is there a water deficit?
South-East and the Midlands
What are the problems with water quality in the UK?
- Nitrates and phosphates from fertilisers are being washed into water sources
- Pollutants from vehicles are being washed into water sources
- Chemical and oil spills are polluting local water supplies
What are the strategies being used to manage water quality?
Improvement of Drainage systems
Regulations on the use of fertilisers and pesticides
How can you deal with the supply and demand problem of water?
To deal with the supply and demand problem, you can transfer water from areas in surplus to the areas in defifict
What are the problems of transferring water?
- River wildlife can be affected
- Dams and aqueducts are expensive to build
- Political Issues
In 2014, what percentage of the UK’s energy came from renewable sources?
19% came from renewable sources
What are the potential negative impacts of fracking on the environment?
Pollute groundwater
Mini Earthquakes
Why do more developed areas consume more food?
Developed areas consume more food as they can afford to import more goods and citizens can afford to buy lots of food
Why do less developed areas eat less food on average per person?
Wages in these developing areas are lower so they can’t afford as much food
What are the reasons for growing demand in food?
- Increasing global population size
- Economic development
What is a food surplus?
A food surplus is when a country produces more food than it consumes
What is a food deficit?
A food deficit is when a country consumes more food than it produces
What is food insecurity?
Food insecurity is when people can’t eat enough nutritious food to stay healthy
This can happen either because food production is too low or because food supplies can’t be accessed
What are the reasons that affect the production and accessibility of food?
Conflict Water Stress Climate Poverty Technology Pests and diseases
What are the impacts of food insecurity?
- Rising Food Prices
- Famine
- Soil Erosion
- Social Unrest
- Undernutrition
What are some methods to increase food supplies?
- Usage Of Biotechnology
- Aeroponics and Hydroponics
- Irrigation
What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology involves genetically engineering crops to increase their productivity Genetically modified (GM) crops can give higher yields using fewer resources and smaller areas However, there are concerns that GM crops will reduce biodiversity and pass on their modified genes to wild plants
What is Aeroponics?
plants are hung and their roots are sprayed with a fine mist of water. The roots absorb nutrients in the water before it drips off and is reused
What is Hydroponics?
In hydroponics, plants are placed in a nutrient solution and are supported by materials like gravel or clay balls without the usage of soil
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Aeroponics and Hydroponics?
Advantage: Less water is needed and risk of disease and pests is lower
Disadvantage: These methods are very expensive
What is Irrigation?
Irrigation involves artificially watering land to help crops grow
This can increase the productivity of dry areas, increase the number of harvests or increase crop yields
What is Thanet Earth?
Thanet Earth is a large agricultural development that aims for sustainable food production
It is located in Kent, south-east England
What are the disadvantages of Thanet Earth?
- The development has been constructed on pre-existing farmland and has caused the loss of natural habitats and disruption of ecosystems
- Local communities only see a small amount of the profit
- The greenhouses are a source of light and visual pollution because they are located on high land
- Powering the greenhouses requires lots of energy
What are the Advantages of Thanet Earth?
- The development has created over 500 jobs
- Improves the UK’s food security because the vegetables can be grown for most of the year, and so the UK’s dependence on imports is lowered
- Pest numbers are controlled using natural predators, and so artificial pesticides are not used heavily
- The automated nature of the hydroponic system means that each plant receives the perfect amount of nutrients; This means that fertiliser use can be decreased
