environmental change and effects on health: agricultural productivity and nutritional standards Flashcards
How will climate change affect agricultural productivity?
Climate change will lead to altered precipitation, temperatures, and weather events, which will have varying effects on agricultural productivity across the globe. Some areas will become more productive, while others will experience reduced productivity.
What health impacts are associated with reduced agricultural productivity?
Reduced agricultural productivity can lead to widespread malnutrition, food scarcity, and famines. There will also be deficiencies in food variety, leading to diseases like rickets and poor-quality food consumption, causing diseases such as diarrhoeal diseases.
How does malnutrition affect people’s ability to fight disease?
Malnutrition weakens the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off biologically transmitted diseases, such as malaria or diarrhoeal diseases, which are harder to combat when the body is already malnourished.
What impact does a failure in agricultural yields have on food prices?
When agricultural yields fail, food prices can increase significantly due to a reduced supply. For example, in 2016, maize prices in Malawi were 192% higher than the five-year average due to crop failures caused by the extreme climatic event El Niño.
How does the increase in food prices affect nutritional standards?
As food prices rise due to reduced agricultural productivity, people can no longer afford a variety of food. This leads to a decrease in nutritional standards, which contributes to ill health.
