Food and resources Kq1-Kq2

Question 1

Variation of food consumption between DCs and LDCs

Answer 1

DCs consume higher amounts of meat and vegetables per capita as well as higher Amounts of food overall than LDCs
LDCs consume higher amounts of cereals per capita than DCs
Daily calorie intake has been increasing from 1964 to 2015
DCs consume greater amounts of food than LDCs and have a higher daily calorie intake than LDCs.
Starchy staples form higher percentage of all calories in LDCs.

Question 2

Changing food preferences in DCs and LDCs(in terms of cereals)

Answer 2

As income in DCs and LDCs increases, consumption of cereals per capita decreases.
Also, as income increases, local cereal is substituted with alternative cereals.
Especially in Japan, China and South Korea

Question 3

In terms of meat:

Answer 3

As income increases, consumption of meat increases
In LDCs as income has increased since the 1960s, consumption of meat has increased 3x as ppl can now afford to buy meat
In DCs, consumption of meat has remained high since the 1960s.
However, due to health concerns, consumption of red meat has decreased.

Question 4

In terms of fruits and vegetables:

Answer 4

As income increases, consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased in LDCs as ppl can now afford to buy fruits and vegetables.
In DCs, consumption has increased due to raising awareness of the health benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables.

Question 5

Explain why variations exist and persist in food consumption between DCs and LDCs
Economic factors:
Disposable income is the amt of money ppl have left over after taxes are paid

Answer 5

Elab: -Disposable income has increased for both LDCs and DCs, although ppl in DCs generally have more disposable income than ppl in LDCs.

• Thus, food consumption in DCs continue to be greater than in LDCs as ppl in DCs can afford more food.
• In LDCs, 60% of the increased goes to food, specifically more meat and less cereal. This is due to higher prestige associated with meat consumption.
• In DCs, only 20% of the increase is spent on food, mainly on food that has been found to have health benefits.

Question 6

Disposable income eg

Answer 6

In LDCs, consumption of meat has increased by 150%

In DCs, consumption of meat has increased by only 44%

Question 7

Economic factors: Fluctuations in the price of food

Answer 7

• Ppl in LDCs are generally more affected by food prices than ppl in DCs
• In DCs, only 20% of the increase is spent in food while 60% in LDCs
• When the price of food increases, many ppl in LDCs find that they cannot afford to consume as much food as before.
• However, ppl in DCs have higher disposable income and can continue to get as much food as before.
• Ppl in DCs also have the option of selecting less expensive food which ppl in LDCs do not have.

Question 8

Fluctuations in food price eg

Answer 8

• From 2006-2009, prices of food rose dramatically worldwide, especially prices of staples.
• In LDCs ppl cannot afford enough food and over 100 million ppl were left in chronic hunger and poverty.
• In DCs, although ppl were not as badly affected as in LDCs, they had to select cheaper food options.

Question 9

Socio-cultural factors:

Population growth

Answer 9

The worlds population is expected to rise from 7 billion to 10 billion by 2050. This growth will mainly occur in LDCs.
This will increase the growth in consumption.
LDCs are less able to provide food for the increase in population and further decrease the per capita food consumption in those countries relative to DCs.
The growth in population to 10 billion by 2050 will require an increase in food production by almost 50%.
Many LDCs are not able to afford to produce enough to meet this increase in demand relative to DCs

Question 10

Political factors:

The ability of a country to provide a stable food supply for its citizens

Answer 10

A stable food supply provides safe and nutritious food to all people in a country at all times
Governments can increase food production or increase food imports in order to ensure a stable food supply especially during times of food shortage caused by civil unrest or natural disasters.
However, many LDCs have a lower ability to increase their food stocks than DCs, due to a lack of access to technology on a large scale.
Also, LDCs lack the financial ability to import more food

Question 11

The ability of a country to provide a stable food supply for its citizens
Eg:

Answer 11

In 2011, during the civil war in Libya, the UN World Food Programme reported that food stocks were rapidly being depleted and not being replenished.
After a severe drought in 2008, Zimbabwe faced a food shortage. They were not able to import food due to a lack of foreign exchange.

Question 12

Political factors: The ability of a country to ensure that food is safe for consumption

Answer 12

Food safety refers to the system that ensures proper food handling, preparation and storage to prevent food borne diseases and contaminated food from reaching consumers.
Food safety in DCs is generally higher than in LDCs ensuring a steady supply of food as DCs have greater resources to ensure proper food handling and storage

Question 13

The ability of country to ensure that food is safe for consumption
Eg:

Answer 13

Spoilt food lost due to improper storage methods can be as high as 40-50% of all the food that is produced in some LDCs.
This decreases the amount of food available in LDCs

Question 14

Describe the impact of variations in food consumption on individuals within DCs and LDCS- inadequate food consumption
Health impacts: inadequate food consumption has a negative impact on health

Answer 14

Malnutrition occurs when the body does not get sufficient or balanced amount of nutrients to maintain healthy tissues and organ functions.
In LDCs, malnutrition is the underlying cause of 52%(around 5 million per year) of all deaths in children under 5 associated with diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria and measles
LDCs are more heavily affected by undernourishment than DCs. 16% of people in LDCs suffer from undernourishment
Inadequate consumption of food leads to ill health. For example, deficiencies in Vitamin A can lead to visual impairment and blindness, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies lead to osteoporosis and fragile bones
Where food is practically lacking, starvation may occur. The body becomes skeletally thin and organs become permanently damaged which eventually leads to death
In 2010, 98% of people facing starvation were found in LDCs

Question 15

Economic impacts: lower productivity

Answer 15

Inadequate food consumption causes lower productivity. Due to ill health caused by inadequate consumption of food, worker productivity will also decrease due to ill health which causes an increase in the number of sick days as workers need to recover.
Inadequate food consumption leads to ill health, which results in loss of school days and thus loss in educational opportunities and future economic opportunities
In LDCs like India and Ethiopia, studies have linked inadequate food consumption to lower levels of productivity
This will lead to slower rates of economic development of a country

Question 16

Higher public health expenditure

Answer 16

The ill health brought about by inadequate food consumption also leads to higher public health expenditures.
This will increase when’d emend for health services increase as more sick ppl increase overall cost of providing health care
Thus a country’s economic development is slowed down

Question 17

Long term debt

Answer 17

Food and financial aid may be given to countries to cope with insufficient supply of food
However financial aid may lead to long term debt problems for receiving countries
The USA provides about half of all global aid, however the food has to be purchased from their suppliers and transported on their ships making it 30% more expensive than locally produced food
This means that despite financial aid, LDCs still incur losses around $5-$7 billion. Thus may increase the national debt of LDCs to DCs

Question 18

Political impact: Inadequate food consumption has a negative impact on a country’s political stability

Answer 18

Inadequate food consumption that stems from inadequate food supply can cause political instability in the form of social unrest
Ppl protest or behave violently, often to communicate their unhappiness about the situation

Question 19

Eg for inadequate food consumption also has a negative impact on a country’s political stability

Answer 19

When food prices in Mozambique increased as much as 30% in 2010, protests over the rising food prices turned violent resulting in 490 people injured and at least 10 dead

Question 20

Social impact: Inadequate food consumption due to inadequate food supply also has negative social effects

Answer 20

Some may resort to scavenging to overcome inadequate food supply
Scavenging carries health risks and exposes ppl to:
- High levels of bacteria
- dangerous chemicals
- dangerous or illegal situations in their search for food eg trespassing

Question 21

Eg for inadequate food consumption due to inadequate food supply also has negative social effects

Answer 21

In the poorest parts of Manila, ppl,scavenge through rubbish in a landfill know as Smokey Mountain for food and other recyclables
Many families have set up slums near the landfill that have no sanitation, water or electricity

Question 22

Discuss the impact of variations in food consumption on individuals within DCS and LDCs-Excessive food consumption
Health impacts: Obesity and related illnesses

Answer 22

Excessive consumption of food can lead to obesity when the body converts the excess food consumed and stores it as fat.
Obesity can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer
Thus is due to the excessive consumption of salt, sugar,alcohol and red meat
On the average, obesity can reduce a person’s lifespan by 9 years

Question 23

Obesity and related illnesses eg

Answer 23

More common in DCs and LDCs
Eg obesity rates in the USA in 2000 were at 30% of the population
However, rising income in LDCs has also caused obesity to become more common.
In some LDCs eg Mexico, obesity rates are higher than that of DCs

Question 24

Economic impacts: lower productivity(excessive food consumption)

Answer 24

Excessive food consumption causes lower productivity.
Due to ill health caused by excessive food consumption, worker productivity will also decrease due to an increase in the number of sick days as workers need to recover
Sick workers also cost companies millions of dollars lost in productivity and insurance costs.

Question 25

Eg lower productivity(excessive food consumption)

Answer 25

Employees of Duke University, USA, which were severely obese, were twice as likely to fall sick or be injured while doing work.

Question 26

Higher public health expenditure(excessive consumption of food)

Answer 26

Public health expenditure increases as a result of treating obesity-related health conditions like diabetes
Governments have to channel more funds to the health care system
Higher public expenditure reduces the amount of funds remaining for economic development

Question 27

Food wastage( excessive food consumption)

Answer 27

Societies with excess food supply may be less careful in handling food, which may result in wastage
Wasted food contributes to additional waste at landfills as well as an increase in resources like energy and water used to produce them

Question 28

eg Food wastage(excessive food consumption)

Answer 28

Wasted food per capita in DCs is 95 to 115kg per capita per year, compared to 6 to 11kg in LDCs

Question 29

Factors affecting intensity of food production and supply

Climate(elab) physical factors

Answer 29

High temperatures and high rainfall make it more conducive for plant growth
Tropical areas have longer growing Seasons. Farmers can have 2-3 harvests a year.
In places where there are Long winter Seasons, crops can only be grown during the warm season

Question 30

Climate eg

Answer 30

Tropical locations like Malaysia have temperatures between 22-32 degrees celcius with rainfall greater than 2000mm a year and crops are grown all year round compared to temperate climates like those found in the Republic of Kosovo where the climate is only suitable for growing crops between April and August

Question 31

Soil elab physical factors

Answer 31

Fertile souls rich in minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are found on floodplains, deltas and volcanic areas
These soils contain minerals essential for plant growth and crop yields in these areas tend to be high

Question 32

Soil eg

Answer 32

For example, the flats terrain, large water supply and fertile soils in the Mekang Delta of Vietnam and the fertile volcanic slopes of volcanoes in Indonesia result in a very high production of rice

Question 33

Relief elab physical factors

Answer 33

Areas flat or gentle sloping relief are most suited for agriculture and the intensity of food production is usually higher in these areas
The gentle gradient prevents runoff from eroding the soil and also masks it easier for farming through the use of machinery
Steeper lands at higher altitude also limit crop growth due to lower temperatures

Question 34

Relief eg

Answer 34

For example, the flat terrain, large water supply and the fertile soils in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam make it an agriculturally productive area as compared with the mountainous terrain of Farmland in the mountains of Nepal

Question 35

The purpose of framing economic factors elab

Answer 35

The purpose of farming can either be subsistence or commercial
Subsistence farms operate by families on small plots of land using simple tools. Crop yield is Low
Commercial farms operate on large plots of land with a large hired labour force using machinery . The crop yield is high

Question 36

The purpose of farming eg

Answer 36

Subsistence farming is widely practiced in sub Saharan Africa, growing staples like corn and cassava
While commercial farming is widely practised in Europe, north and South America , Australia and Asia. Crops grown include wheat, corn, coffee

Question 37

Demand for a crop elab

Economic factor

Answer 37

The demand for food changes according to tastes and preferences of consumers
Greater demand for a crop will increase the intensity of its production

Question 38

Demand for a crop eg

Answer 38

Due to worldwide increase in the demand for meat, countries like China have increase pd their livestock in order to meet this demand
Thus has also increased the demand for corn, which is used to feed the livestock, resulting in an increase in corn production in the USA to wet thus increase in demand

Question 39

Agribusiness elab economic impacts

Answer 39

The growth of agribusiness has increased the intensity of food production
Agribusinesses are large scale farming
Their plantations are located all over the world wherever gehre is suitable soil and climate
Because of their greater financial resources and multiple locations of food farming, they can continue production even if they experience pests or flooding in Sime countries
Also because of their research, they produce crops with higher yields

Question 40

Agribusiness eg

Answer 40

Dole Food Company has plantations in central and South America, Africa and Asia where they grow their food crops

Question 41

Government agricultural policy which refers to policies pertaining to the growing of crops and resining of livestock in a country
Elab political factors

Answer 41

By choosing to channel resources towards educating farmers or on more efficient methods, agricultural policy can intensify food production

Question 42

Government agricultural policy which refers to policies pertaining to the growing of crops and raining livestock in a country eg

Answer 42

In 2012, The Punjab Agricultural Department started an education programme for wheat Farmers. Farmers were taught about the best seeds available , pesticide treatments and irrigation methods.

Question 43

Government food policy which which pertains to the supply of food within a country elab

Answer 43

Food policies such as stockpiling Ensure that food is available during emergencies
Stockpiling is the setting aside and storage of food to Ensure adequate supplies during emergencies
Another policy is importing food from different sources instead of only a few sources protects against food shortages and price fluctuations, ensuring a more steady supply of food

Question 44

Government food policy which pertains to the supply of food within a country

Answer 44

Singapore obtains it’s vegetables from Malaysia, chain and the USA, also local companies have contracts with farmers for agreed prices as well as amounts of food products