food

Question 1

how is the UK’s demand for food changing?

Answer 1

• before supermarkets, the majority of the food eaten in the UK was seasoned and grown in the UK.
• nowadays, we’re used to eating fruit and veg that can’t be grown in the UK all year round.
• UK produced food can be expensive, because of poor harvests.
• the demand for a greater choice and exotic foods means that more food is imported from abroad by supermarkets.

Question 2

what are the positives and negatives of importing food from abroad?

Answer 2

positive:
- jobs are created (i.e. farming, packing). supplies wages to the local people.
- from the wages, taxes are paid to the LIC governments. the taxes help fund improving and building facilities.

negative:
- less land is available for locals to grow food and eat.
- sometimes crop growers are exposed to harmful chemicals (e.g. pesticides).

Question 3

how does importing food affect the UK’s carbon footprint?

Answer 3

• food miles indicate how far food products have travelled from their place of production to the consumer. this transportation of food involves the burning of fossil fuels, resulting in an enhanced greenhouse effect. one of these fuels is carbon, and this burning of carbon, through the transportation of food, results in a much larger carbon footprint.
• however, it actually creates less carbon emissions to transport food to the UK from other countries than it does to heat greenhouses to grow exotic food in the UK.

Question 4

what are some alternatives to importing food from abroad?

Answer 4

• eating locally produced food, therefore reducing its food miles. also supports local farmers and producers.
• eating seasonal produce grown in the UK.
• growing food at home or at an allotment. has increased over the last 5 years - over 1/3 of people grow their own food.
• limiting imported foods to those we can’t grow. many restaurants now label the origins of their food. allows consumers to make an informed choice.

Question 5

describe organic farming, and its positives and negatives:

Answer 5

doesn’t include the use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers.

positive:
- contains fewer chemicals, therefore natural and unprocessed, therefore healthier for people.
- protects the environment and wildlife.
- animals are farmed without the use of antibiotics (could be harmful?).

negative:
- less yield is produced, therefore food is more expensive.
- crops more likely to be attacked by pests and diseases.

Question 6

describe ‘agribusiness’ and its positives and negatives:

Answer 6

involves treating food productions from farms like an industrial business, making it commercial and large-scale.
- increasing field sizes, combining small, family-owned farms.
- uses modern production methods and machinery.

large businesses own the farms where the food is grown, and all the other sites. food processing companies and supermarkets buy the crops before they’re even planted.

positive:
- produces large amounts of food at a low price.

negative:
- can greatly impact the environment and local food production.

Question 7

how can food affect economic well-being?

Answer 7

if people eat a good diet and are healthy, they can work and earn money. this will boost the economy.

Question 8

how can food affect social well-being?

Answer 8

• in LICs, where people rely on primary industries like farming, famine kills thousands when the harvest fails.
• one billion people in the world do not have enough food. as a result, they become malnourished and ill.
• good nutrition means that life expectancy increases.

Question 9

describe the global inequalities in the supply and consumption of food:

Answer 9

• average calorie consumption in the UK is almost double that in Ethiopia.
• areas with the highest population growth experience the highest undernourishment levels, typically.
• much of Europe, Asia, and North and South America have a food surplus, due to fertile soils, moderate climate, and advanced technology.
• in Africa, challenging physical conditions, low tech development and political instability result in unreliable food production.
• therefore, many individuals in LICs face undernourishment, due to a lack of food and undernutrition, characterised by an unbalanced diet devoid of specific nutrients.