Food and Resources KQ2 (Food Shortages) Flashcards
Causes of food shortages
> Physical
1) Extreme weather
2) Climate Change
3) Pests
> Political
1) Civil Strife
2) Poor governance
> Economic
1) Rising demand for meat and dairy from emerging economies (BRICS)
2) Soaring costs of fertilisers and transport
3) Biofuel
> Social
1) Lack of accessibility
2) Inadequate logistics of food distribution and storage
3) Rapid population growth
Physical: Climate change
Def: Variations in global climate over long term
- Cause farmland to become unsuitable for farming
- Lengthen growing season
1) Temperature
- Global temp increase, food prod:
<50% in some countries (i.e. Brazil, Australia)
>35% in others (i.e China, Canada, Russia)
- Shrinking of glaciers
- Loss of water during dry season = unable to grow crops
Climate change, shrinking of glaciers example
- Seasonal melting of Himalayan glaciers provide river basins of India and China with water for irrigation during dry seasons
- IPCC predicts rapid temperature increase will completely recede glaciers by 2035, loss of water = smaller crop yield
Physical: Extreme Weather Events
Def: Severe weather events causing loss of lives and damage to property
- Damages crops
- Altered weather conditions = growing crops difficult
- Country unable to recover from loss of crops
- More frequent EWE due to Climate change
- Food shortage
e. g. Droughts,
- Water supply unavailable for crops to grow
e. g. Cyclones
- Flooding of farmlands, Stong wind damage etc
Extreme weather events causing food shortage example
Cyclone Yasi, Australia, 2011
- 75% Banana crop destroyed
- USD$350 million in banana crop loss
- 20% Sugar cane plantation destroyed
- Food shortage + inflation of prices
Physical: Pest
- Major contributor to food shortage
- Eat, spoil, damage food crop
Pests resulting in food shortage example
e. g. Liberia, NW Africa, 2009
- State of emergency declared
- Millions of caterpillars invaded country
- Devoured all plants and food crops in path
- Affected 46 village farms
- Posed major threat to already serious food security issue in region
Political: Civil Strife
Def: Situation in which a country faces major internal conflicts
- Leads to disputes over and destruction of resources, affecting food production
*Refer to vicious cycle of civil strife and food shortage
Civil strife leading to food shortage examples
- Landmines planted on farm fields hinder food production during and after conflict (e.g. Sudan)
- Food stocks depleted and not replenished
- No imports, agriculture, food aid etc (e.g. Afghanistan)
Political: Poor governance
Def: Poor exercise of economic and political authority to manage a countries affairs
- Corruption, policy errors, inability to implement policies etc
1) Prioritise other developmental > ensuring food security
- Local farms left with small plots of land = smaller crop yield
- Farmers lose means to produce own food = generate smaller incomes
- Limited revenue to purchase food
- Food shortage for farmers
- Food shortage for nation if reliant on local food prod.
2) Neglect for food security and safety
- Do not diversify food supply/stockpile
- Do not ensure food safety
- Unable to source food during crisis
- Food not available / Not safe for consumption
Poor governance leading to food shortage example
e. g. Madhya Paradesh, 2010, India
- 40,000 villagers deprived of land for farming
- Land developed into mine, steel plants and port
- Villagers lose means to produce food and sell food
- Left with extremely limited income to buy food
Economic: Increase in demand for meat and dairy products from emerging economies (BRICS)
BRICS: Past LDCs with growing economy contributing significantly to global economy
- Rising disposable income = more purchasing power = afford meat and dairy products
- Increase in demand for food
- Demand for livestock increase = demand for grain increase
- Competition for grain btwn humans and livestock
- Depletes global grain inventory
- Decrease in staple grains
- Decreased grain imports to LDCs since demand is lower than needs to feed livestock
- Food shortage, inflation
Economic: Soaring costs of fertilisers and transport
1) Food and fertiliser
- Price of fertilisers increase, cost of food prod increase, cost of food increase
2) Food and transport
- Fuel cost increase, transport and machine operation costs increase
- Cost of food production, food transportation and fertiliser transportation costs increase
- Food prices increase
DCs: Greater financial ability to absorb price increase
LDCs: Large portion of income already spent on food, Increase in prices may cause inability to purchase food
Soaring costs of food production example
e. g. Kazakhstan, March 2011
- Crude oil price Increase 10.3%
- Wheat export prices increase
- Food shortages in Tajikistan amongst low income households
Economic: Biofuel
- Industrial crops more profitable
- Companies and farmers convert farmland to cultivate industrial crops
- Biofuel: Fuels that derive energy from biological carbons instead of fossil fuels such as coal.
- Increase in biofuel demand, Increase in prod. of industrial crops
- Crops not used for population = food shortage
- Decrease in supply for certain food = increase prices
