Environmental Stewardship and changing food demands Flashcards
What did the entry level stewardship scheme involve?
Farmers would receive £30 per hectare per year Over 50 options to chose from They include: - hedgerow management - stone wall maintenance - creating buffer strips - ditch and pond management And many many more
What were buffer zones?
Areas along field boundaries, around ponds and along ditches. They vary from 2-10m in width. Clear instructions were given to farmers on how they should be created.
What were the potential benefits of buffer zones?
- Creating new habitats for small mammals, invertebrates and birds
- Protecting habitats from pesticide sprays, fertilisers and cultivation
- Protecting archaeological and historic features
- Stabilising banks
- Protecting water courses from pollution
What are the four main changes in demand in food?
- Importing goods from LEDCs
- All year demand for seasonal foodstuffs
- Organic
- Local/regional sourcing
Why are ghost acres a problem?
- Flower crops compete with domestic food crops in developing countries for scarce land and water
- Some land has been cleared to grow cash crops, including rainforest
- Food production for domestic consumption may decline in exporting countries
- Fertilisers and pesticides can damage the environment
- Poorer farmers may not take safety precautions with pesticides and fertilisers
- Food miles and carbon footprint
- Reduction in food security in poorer countries
Name two examples of countries with ghost acres and state their effects
Thailand- 44 million ghost acres that grow fodder for European cattle. Farmers encouraged to grow cash crops for export, reduction in food security
Brazil- soya beans for European animal feed, it has cut down 1/4 of its forests causing huge amounts of damage
What fruit did Wight salads produce in 2005 for the first time for winter consumption in the U.K.?
Tomatoes in a heated greenhouse
How long does it take to become an organic farm and what type of farming is organic farming?
At least two years and its intensive farming, both in land and labour
What are the problems for organic farmers?
- Farmers in the process of organic conversion cannot class their food as ‘organic’ until the farm has been certified as organic
- Weeds may have to be controlled by hand
- Labour costs per unit of land are much higher than for traditional farming
- Lower yields meaning more expensive food
- The food is not as ‘attractive’
- Food doesn’t last as long as it has no preservatives
What are the advantages of organic farming?
- No harmful chemicals used in production e.g. Pesticides
- Better than traditional farming as it can maintain a diverse eco system
- Uses less energy and produces less waste e.g. Packaging materials for chemicals
Which country is entirely organic?
In 1990 the Cuban government converted the entire country to organic agriculture. Pesticides are now outlawed but the Cuban government has a different view of organic farming, promoting GM crops
Local and regional produce is sold by…
- Independent stores e.g. Booths supermarkets
- Farmers markets e.g. Harrogate
- Direct marketing e.g. Farm shops
- Local labelling and traceability
The growth of crops for what, has expanded in recent years? And give an example of this
Bio fuels- Brazilian sugar is grown for ethanol and jatropha has become a major crop in Malawi and Zambia
What percentage of the EU’s transport fuel should come from from biological sources by 2010?
5.75%
Growing crops to meet EU targets would take up, how much of the EU’s agricultural land?
Over 15%
What do the eu have to rely on to,reach its biofuel targets?
Imported palm oil and sugar cane from LEDCs, raising the question of competition for land in these regions
Do we import the majority of our food?
Yes
Why do we import some types of food?
If we can’t grow them in sufficient amounts or if they can produced cheaper elsewhere
Name some foods that we import?
Wheat from North America
Lamb from New Zealand
Beef from Argentina
Give three examples of air freighted, imported food which have grown in importance in recent years?
- Air freighted vegetables
- High protein food for livestock
- Beef from Brazil
What is ferry fast?
A company based in perhsore, Worcestershire
What was ferry fast originally set up to do?
Transport locally grown produce
What does ferry fast do now?
Import fruit, flowers and veg from 17 countries, many being LEDCs in tropical and sub tropical regions
What does ferry fast import from Kenya?
Baby corn, chillies, green beans, extra fine beans, okra, mange tout, mangoes, sugar snap peas, passion fruit and flowers
Peas and beans can be grown in the U.K. Why are they then imported?
All year demand cannot be satisfied
What is former subsistence land in Kenya now used for?
Producing luxury export crops
Give the good and bad points of exporting food for the Kenyans
- Water used to irrigate cash crops can’t be used to irrigate subsistence crops
- Production office work to a growing number of Kenyans
- Some farms are Kenyan owned
- Wages and profits are taxed providing revenue for the Kenyan government
How much livestock is produced in the world each year?
Over 21 billion animals
How much of the worlds agricultural land does livestock take up?
Over two thirds
How much grain was used to feed animals in 1990 1950 and 1900?
In 1900 just over 10% was fed to animals by 1950 it was over 20% and in the 1990s it was about 45%
How much of the USA’s grain is fed to livestock?
Over 60%
How many ghost acres abroad do we export for every acre farmed in the UK?
Two
Why is it economically viable to exploit ghost acres?
Because the true cost of exploitation and the shipping costs are not reflected in the price of the food in the UK
What does ghost acre land contribute to?
Malnutrition of impoverished people by encouraging them to grow cash crops rather than food for themselves
What effects can intensive monocultures have?
Nutrient depletion and reduce opportunities for sustainable development and food security
How much water does it take to produce:
A: 1kg of beef
B: 16kgs of wheat flour
A: 40 baths
B: 300 toilet flushes
Why is seasonal produce available all year round in the U.K.?
Tropical and Southern Hemisphere countries providing food
How do overseas companies maintain contracts with British companies?
Producing food when it is in season with the uk and other parts of Europe
What were the conclusions of defra’s investigation into food transport into and around the uk?
- Food transport has significant and growing impact- accounted for an estimated 30 billion vehicle kilometres in 2002 82% of which were in the uk
- Food transport accounts for 25% of all hgv Kms in the uk
- Food transport produced 19million tonnes of co2 emissions in 2002
- Air freighting is the fastest growing mode of food transport and has the highest co2 emissions, 11% of all food co2 emissions
- Environmental, social and economic costs, these are over £9 billion each year
Define organically farmed food
Food that has been grown and processed according to certain rules, called standards , which are legally enforceable in the U.K. and across Europe. The standards cover every aspect of food production from farm to shop.
What are the health benefits for organic farming?
Farmers and their families aren’t exposed to pesticides which may contain carcinogens
There are far fewer pesticide residues on produce on sale in shops, residue is considered safe to eat and is monitored but studies have shown organic produce is marginally safer
What percentage of world wide food sales does organic food account for?
1-2%
Is the organic food industry growing rapidly?
Yes, the fastest in the food industry
How much has the world organic market grown per year since the 1990s?
20%
What did world organic sales come to in 2002?
$23 billion
Why did numbers of organic farmers drop in 2004/5?
As it reflected closures and amalgamations occurring in the regular farming system
How much are retail sales in organic food worth each year in the U.K.?
£1.2 billion
By how much has the land under organic management increased by since 1997?
10 fold- 1997: 60,000 ha
2005: 686,000 ha
How much are organic sales in Germany?
£2 billion
How much of the UK’s food do the 5 major supermarkets sell?
Over 70%
Who has suffered because of the dominance of supermarkets?
Smaller independent stores as they’ve been outcompeted
What do supermarkets sell?
Produce food that’s cosmetically attractive, broadly acceptable and uniform
What are the benefits of small independent stores?
- Promotion of local diversity and food culture
- Fresher produce
- Boosting the local economy and supporting local producers and employment as well as other businesses (the multiplier effect)
How many farmers markets are there in the uk?
Over 400
What are the national farmers markets core criteria?
- Locally produced- only produced within a defined area, producers from the ‘local’ area are given preference
- Principal producer- a representative directly involved in the production process or a close family member must attend the stall
- Primary, own produce- all produce must be caught, grown or reared in the local area
- Secondary own produce- all produce must be brewed, picked, baked, smoked or processed by the stall owner using at least one ingredient from the local area
What is direct marketing (farming)? And give an example of it
Produce delivered to the door, riverford in Devon, delivers 3500 boxes of organic veg on a weekly basis
Name the ways in which organic farmers can operate
- Build up their soil fertility using natural fertilisers e.g. Bonemeal to increase water retention and drainage capacity
- Herbicides can’t be used and the use of pesticides is extremely restricted
- Animals must have sufficient room to display natural behaviour and access to pastures whenever conditions allow
- Crop rotation so pests and diseases don’t build up from season to season
What are source labelling schemes?
Where a restaurant names the farm of group of farms that produce the meat and veg in the products they sell, they build up close relationships with farmers, so they can ensure consistency in the food they serve
In source labelling schemes what does local imply?
That food is locally sourced and of high quality, local and seasonal imply the food is fresh and special
Do supermarkets claim they want to support local produce?
Yes
What did the chief executive of food retail for the Co-operative group say?
We are committed to supporting the British farmers and all Co-operative fresh meat and poultry is now British. We know this is important to Co-op customers who are increasingly interested in the seasonality and provenance of the food they buy
Describe the red tractor scheme
It insists farmers and processors to make sure that their businesses run with high quality controls. This ensures that food safety and hygiene standards are maintained as well as standards for animal welfare and the environment
