food and resources: gateway 2

Question 1

what are the factors affecting the intensity of food production?- physical
(climate)

Answer 1

• temperature affects the rate of photosynthesis and seed germination
  > temperature required for growth varies
  > eg: cooler climates- strawberries, broccoli and peas
  > warmer climates- soya bean and tomato
• greenhouses are useful in countries like USA, Canada and Netherlands
  > to overcome short growing seasons

Question 2

what are the factors affecting the intensity of food production?- physical
(soil and drainage)

Answer 2

• fertile soil is rich in minerals such as phosphurus, nitrogen and potassium
• can be found in floodplains along a river, in deltas at the river mouth and in areas near volcanoes
  > crop yields tend to be high in these areas
  > eg. the highly fertile soils, the flat terrain and the large water supply in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam result in very high production of rice

Question 3

what are the factors affecting the intensity of food production?- physical
(relief)

Answer 3

-slopes can be modified to create flat land through terracing which is cutting steps into a hillside to create flat land for cultivation
-examples of famous terraces for farming
> Longji Rice Terraces in China and Sapa in Vietnam

• sloping land is suitable for certain types of crops like grapes, tea and coffee
  > grows best in well-drained soil on sloping land

Question 4

what are the factors affecting the intensity of food production?- economic
(purpose of farming)

Answer 4

• subsistence farming
  > widely practised in Sub-Saharan Africa
• commercial farming
  > widely practised in Europe, North and South America, Australis and Asia

Question 5

what are the factors affecting the intensity of food production?- economic
(demand and capital)

Answer 5

• demand refers to people’s willingness and ability to obtain a particular food or product
  > the demand for certain types of food affects the intensity of their production
  > demand changes according to the tastes and preferences of consumers
  > affects the amount and type of crops produced
• the amount of capital a consumer has in the form of money or other assets
  > affects whether a demand can be met
• eg. China used to be a producer and exporter of corn
  > in recent years, more corn has been needed to feed livestock as the demand for meat by a larger and wealthier population increased
  > as the local production of corn was not able to meet the increasing demand for food for lifestock
  > started to import corn from other countries like the USA
• as China’s population grew in wealth, this allowed for the demand for more meat to be met
• the increased production of corn for export to China to feed livestock which is then reared for meat

Question 6

what are the factors affecting the intensity of food production?- political
(government policy- agricultural policy)

Answer 6

• refer to policies pertaining to domestic agriculture
• governments can influence the intensity of food production by deciding how limited resources like money and land may best be used
• eg. governments may choose to channel resources into educating farmers on more efficient ways of farming or managing crop prices
• in india, the Punjab Agriculture Department responded in 2012 to the need to ensure greater productivity from its farmland
  > achieved by starting an education programme for its wheat farmers
  > under the programme, farmers were taught about the best availible seed varieties, pesticide treatment and irrigation methods

Question 7

what are the factors affecting the intensity of food production?- political
(government policy- food policy)

Answer 7

• a decision made by a government that affects how food is produced, processed, distributed, purchased and packaged
• for a country to have a stable food supply
  > has to ensure that food is readily availinle to its population
• by stockpiling: setting aside and storage of food to ensure food security during emergencies
• by importing food from different sources to diversify the source of food supply
  > sourced from different countries to buffer against price fluctuations and food shortages
• eg. Singapore bought its vegetables mainly from Malaysia in the past
  > today, a larger proportion of its vegetables are brought from countries like China and even the USA
• the SG government also encoraged local companies to place contracts directly with farmers for an agreed amount and price of food products
  > eg. the NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd purchases vegetables through contracts with indoneasian farmers