FOOD Flashcards
food surplus and food deficit
Countries experience food surplus (security) if they produce more than they consume and food deficit (insecurity) if they consume more than they produce.
what countries produce large amounts of food
east asia and north america
what countries produce small amounts of food
central America and africa
food consumption
Food consumption
More developed areas (e.g. North America and Europe) consume more food. This is because the country can afford to import many foods and citizens can afford to buy lots of food.
Less developed areas (e.g. Africa and Central America) eat less food on average per person. This is because wages are lower and so citizens can’t afford as much food.
Newly industrialised countries (e.g. China) are eating more as they become wealthier.
what are reasons for increasing food demand
Increases in global population size and economic development are the main reasons for the rising demand for food
why is increases in economic development a reason for rising demand for food
Wealthier people can afford to spend more on food. They will often purchase a wide variety and more than they need.
Wealthy countries have the finances to import food throughout the year, so their citizens are no longer restricted by seasonal availability.
Industrialisation of agriculture is causing food prices to fall. This means that people can afford to increase their consumption.
why is increase in global population a reason for rising demand for food
more people naturally means more mouths to feed
what is food insecurity
Food insecurity is when people can’t eat enough nutritious food to stay healthy. This can happen either because food production is too low or because food supplies can’t be accessed
what factors affect food supply
Water stress
Low water availability can limit food production because livestock and crops depend on water.
Poverty=restricts the ability of people to farm, government with food deficit may struggle to afford the costs of importing
Climate- if a countries climate is not suited for farming they may not be able to produce enough food for their citizens
supply is also affected by extreme weather events
Pests and diseases- pests consume crops and therefore reduces yield, more livestock and crops are affected by disease
Technology
The efficiency of agriculture has been increased by mechanising farm equipment. This means that more food can be produced.
New technologies, such as genetic engineering, can improve food production by making crops resistant to disease, allowing crops to be grown in more hostile climates, as well as general yield improvement
what factors affect food supply- list
water stress poverty climate pests and diseases tech conflict
negative impacts of food insecurity
soil erosion- when food is scarce people are less worried to use bad agricultural practices
social unrest- if people think the government aren’t doing enough to help them through times of food insecurity rioting can happen
undernutrition- unbalanced diet
famine- a famine is when a large area experiences a real lack of food, if famines last long enough the residents of that affected region may starve
rising food prices- when food supply decreases but the demand stays the same, prices will rise, rising food prices affect the poorest people the most
how does biotech increase food supply
use of biotechnology- biotechnology involves genetically engineering crops to increase productivity
gm crops can give higher yields using fewer resources and smaller areas but there are concers that bioyech will reduce biodiversity
how does the new green revolution increase food supply
The new green revolution
The new green revolution aims to sustainably improve yields by using a mix of:
Genetic modification of crops.
Traditional and organic methods of farming (e.g. crop rotation and natural predators).
how does irrigation increase food supply
Irrigation involves artificially watering land to help crops grow.
This can increase the productivity of dry areas, increase the number of harvests or increase crop yields.
three types of irrigation- gravity flow, digging ditches and channels to transport ground or surface water to fields
sprinklers- spraying water across fields
drip systems- dripping water from small holes in pipes directly onto the soil around the roots of crop plantsh
how does aeroponics and hydroponic increase food supply
Aeroponics and hydroponics are ways of growing plants without soil.
In aeroponics, plants are hung and their roots are sprayed with a fine mist of water. The roots absorb nutrients in the water before it drips off and is reused.
In hydroponics, plants are placed in a nutrient solution and are supported by materials like gravel or clay balls.
Less water is needed and risk of disease and pests is lower.
But, these methods are very expensive.
how does appropriate tech increase food supply
the high tech methods cannot be used in low income countries so appropriate technologies are a better option eg
individual wells with easy to maintain mechanical pumps
what new technologies can increase food supply
irrigation biotechnology hydroponics and aeroponics the new green revolution appropriate tech
example of a large scale method to increase food production
Thanet Earth
thanet earth is a large scale agricultural development in kent south east England
4 greenhouses are used to grow salad vegetables using hydrponics all year round
the development aims to be sustainable with each greenhouse has its own power station to provide heat and lighting and rainwater collected from the roofs is used to provide the water supply
hot air and carbon dioxide from the power stations is pumped back into greenhouses
adv of the large scale method
more than 500 jobs have been created in an area of high unemployment
reduces air miles, as the fruit can be grown all year round it reduces the reliance on foreign imports this gives the uk better food security the hydroponic system is automated so each plant gets the right amount of nutrients needed reducing the amount of fertiliser needed
disadv of the large scale method
a large area of farmland has been built on
natural habitats have been lost and ecosystems disrupted
the money generated mostly goes to the large companies that have invested in it rather than local communities
large amount of enrgy required to power the greenhouses
alternatives to industrial agriculture (low impact farming)
Organic farming returns nutrients to soil using natural processes.
Restricted use of artificial herbicides and pesticides.
Animals aren’t vaccinated or given supplements.
In an attempt to reduce food miles, authorities encourage organic farmers to sell their goods as locally as possible.
Urban farming initiatives-Urban farming initiatives use spaces such as roofs and balconies in cities to grow crops and raise livestock.
Urban farming initiatives help to reduce food miles. This can decrease the cost of food, which improves food security for the poorest people.
The appeal of cities as places to live is boosted by urban farming initiatives.
Permaculture-Permaculture involves producing food by mimicking natural ecosystems.
There is encouragement for people to grow their food, limit their consumption of animal products and buy their food from more sustainable sources.
Food production in permaculture aims to be low maintenance and not too harmful for soils
what makes food supplies more sustainable
low impact farming
examples of low impact farming
organic farming
permaculture
urban farming initiatives
how else can we increase food sustainability
changing the way we consume food
