Ch 5.6 What can be done to reduce the risk of famine?

Question 1

What kinds of technologies LDC can adopt?

Answer 1

Applying fertilizers.

Question 2

What kinds of technologies LDC cannot adopt?

Answer 2

1. Irrigation system.
2. Precision farming.
3. GM crops.
4. Precision farming.
5. Flood warning system.
6. Flood defense.
7. Developing renewable resources to reduce the cutting of trees for fuelwood, which causes dust storms.
8. Warning and monitoring system.

Question 3

Why LDCs cannot adopt certain technologies to increase food production?

Answer 3

Lack of capital, corruption, wars and conflict and inadequate knowledge to apply technology.

Question 4

What are the ways to increase food security?

Answer 4

1. Promote sustainable agriculture.
2. Development of infrastructure.
3. Improve farmers’ education.
4. Diversify the income of rural people.
5. Growing cash crop.

Question 5

Elaborate on promote sustainable agriculture as one of the ways of increase food security.

Answer 5

Sustainable agriculture conserves soil and water. Some methods of soil and water conservation are relatively low cost, such as mulching/ agroforesty/ conservation tillage/ crop rotation/ fallowing/ dry farming.

Question 6

How promote sustainable agriculture can improve food security?

Answer 6

By conserving soil and water, land productivity increases and food supply will also increase.

Question 7

Elaborate on development of infrastructure as one of the ways of increase food security.

Answer 7

1. Improve irrigation methods which are suitable for local conditions.
2. Maintain a reliable rural electricity supply.
3. Develop and improve rural transport network, e.g. improve rural roads.
4. Set up a healthy marketing mechanism for farm produce to stabilize farmers’ incomes.
5. Set up a sound financial support system so that farmers can have easy access t loans and credit.

Question 8

How development of infrastructure can improve food security?

Answer 8

1. By improving irrigation, choice of crops/ provide reliable water supply increases; crop yield/ food supply/ production increases.
2. By improving transport network/ marketing mechanism, helps to improve food access.

Question 9

Elaborate on improve farmers’ education as one of the ways of increase food security.

Answer 9

1. Set up cooperatives to spread information and knowledge about effective farming methods and new farming technologies.
2. Voluntary groups, e.g. Oxfam, FAO and World Bank.

Question 10

How improving farmers’ education can improve food security?

Answer 10

By improving education, farmers can help better knowledge, adopt better farming methods and increase food supply.

Question 11

Elaborate on diversify the income of rural people as one of the ways of increase food security.

Answer 11

1. Set up small-scale industries in rural areas.
2. Develop some non-farm activities such as quarrying or manufacturing and repairing of consumer goods for rural markets/ rural road construction and maintenance work.

Question 12

How diversify the income of rural people can improve food security?

Answer 12

1. Import more food -> food supply increases.
2. Can buy food from different sources -> food access is improved.

Question 13

Elaborate on growing cash crop as one of the ways of increase food security.

Answer 13

1. Cash crops are commercial crops which are grown to sell and make profit. In LDCs, cash crops are mostly grown for export.
2. In tropical countries, cash crops commonly grown include sugar cane, cocoa, coffee, palms. mangoes, bananas and papayas.

Question 14

How growing cash crops can improve food security?

Answer 14

1. Income increases.
2. Can buy food from different sources -> food access improved.
3. More capital to improve farming methods/ adopt farming technologies -> food supply increases.
4. Increase tax revenue of government.