extra Flashcards
What is food security?
Food security is the concept of having available, accessible, and affordable food that is safe and nutritious, so that many people have a healthy lifestyle.
How many people globally experience chronic hunger and why?
1 in 10 people globally experience chronic hunger as they do not have access to sufficient food.
How may environmental factors cause food shortages?
-Crops need to be in certain conditions to thrive. They need the right amount of water, sunlight and heat in order to survive.
Climatic hazards such as floods, droughts, tropical storms, and wildfires (which are becoming more frequent and extreme due to climate change) can be detrimental to crops and livestock. For example, the African countries Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia have experienced three consecutive severe droughts which have resulted in decreased crop production, shortages of forage, depleted water supplies, and weakened and depleted livestock herds.
How can economic factors cause food shortages?
-LICs may lack funding for agricultural technology and innovation (e.g. genetically modified crops such as golden rice, equipment such as combine harvesters, equipment to store crops etc). This causes less productivity and thus food shortages.
-In countries with low agricultural productivity (e.g. SSAs), there is still opportunity to import food from other countries where productivity is higher. However, this is expensive, thus making it an unaffordable option for LICs.
How political factors cause food shortages?
Use an example.
-Wars and severe political instability can majorly disrupt food supplies in a country. Higher death rates, IDPs (especially agricultural workers) and disruption can make it difficult to source food through growing it or importing it. According to the integrated food security phase classification (IPC), half of the population in Gaza (about 1.11 million) experiencing catastrophic food insecurity. This is because of Israel’s assault of the Gaza strip which has lead to damaged food warehouses and the blockading of roads that are used to transport humanitarian aid.
-Global links, e.g. trade agreements, can affect food supplies. Populations may be subject to food shortages if their country has poor diplomatic relations with other countries.
Using an example, what are the economic effects of food shortages?
When agricultural yields fail, food prices prices can increase dramatically (as supply significantly decreases). For example, in 2016 maize prices in Malawi were 192% higher than the 5-year average (many crops failed due to extreme climatic event El Nino). When food prices rise, people can no longer afford a variety of food. This leads to widespread malnutrition and famines are common when there are food shortages. Severe malnutrition can causes diseases such as rickets.
In parallel, malnutrition reduces people’s capacity to work, so land may not be properly tended, and other economic activities may not be pursued to their full potential. This has the potential to lock LICs into an endless cycle of ill-health, low productivity and underdevelopment.
What is the effect of food shortages where biologically transmitted disease are common?
In areas where biologically transmitted diseases are common, malnutrition promotes acute and chronic infections (e.g. Malaria, measles).
Food shortages cause people to eat low quality food. What is the problem of this?
Low quality of food can leave people vulnerable to a range of illnesses if the food is contaminated, such as salmonella and norovirus
Strategies to increase food supply. How can access to food supply be increased?
-Increasing a country’s access to foreign markets means they can import food, increasing food security.
-Trading agreements such as a trade bloc (e.g. NAFTA, EU) can be a very beneficial to a country that is struggling to provide enough food for its population.
-Natural Disasters and conflict can causes food security to become dangerously limited. Food aid (especially from oragnistations such as the World Food Programme) can also increase food security
Strategies to increase food supply. How can the amount of food supply be increased?
(technology)
Strategies and new technology (e.g. GM crops) can increase the yield and nutritional value of crops. Thus, increasing food security.
Strategies to increase food supply. How can the efficiency of food production be increased?
Use an example.
(equipment)
-Better equipment (e.g. combine harvesters) and better managements can produce more crops in less time, helping affordability and availability of food.
-The Green Revolution (mid 20th century) there was an increase use of fertilisers/pesticides, mechanisation, irrigation and development of high yielding varieties (HYVs) in areas such as India. This increased the efficiency of food production, thus leading to an increase in food security.
What does Practical Action do?
Practical Action works to show people practical ways to overcome issues such as food insecurity. By increasing efficiency of food practices, the amount of food and its quality is increased. For example, Practical Action have worked to incorporate rain water harvesting in disadvantaged communities to save drinking water and agriculture
What does GAFSP do?
GAFSP is a global partnership that supports sustainable agriculture in developing countries. It works to increase the efficiency of smallholder farmers. For example, a GAFSP funded programme in Rwanda increased some yields by 30%. This is done through teaching communities efficient food practices such as crop drying and making compost.
Give examples of regions with high crop yields and explain why there is a high yield.
Eastern Asia, North America and Western Europe have consistent high yields, due to the availability of resources, such as nutrients and water. For example, Eastern Asia receives high amounts of rainfall, facilitating in crop growth.
Give example of regions with moderate yields explain why there is a moderate yield.
India, South America, Western Africa have moderate yields, but can be at risk of environmental limitations, such as droughts and flooding, especially due to climate change.
