food gateway 1 - why food consumption patterns vary between Dcs and LDCs

Question 1

what are the 3 main groups (and their sub-groups) for why food consumption patterns vary between DCs and LDCs?

Answer 1

1. economic (disposable income, pricing)
2. socio-cultural (food preferences, population growth)
3. political (stability of food supply, food safety)

Question 2

Explain how disposable income affects food consumption patterns

Answer 2

with higher disposable income, people have higher spending power to consume a larger variety and amount of food.

In DCs, when disposable income increases, the quality of diets increase as them people are more able to afford food that has health benefits, such as olive oil and organic food.

In LDCs, higher disposable income means consuming less cereals and more meat as meat is seen as a status of wealth. e.g South Korea, 1980s when country experienced rapid economy growth: rice consumption per capita decreased by 6% while meet consumption tripled.

Question 3

explain how pricing affects food consumption patterns

Answer 3

people in LDCs are more affected by changes in food prices than in DCs, due to them having a lower disposable income.

In LDCs, increases in food prices may spark riots and protests while in DCs, people choose less expensive options (honestly i have no idea how relevant this info is but it’s in the tb but im not gna bother)

e.g from 2006 to 2008, food prices rose dramatically worldwide, causing a global food crisis: 100 million people were pushed into chronic hunger and poverty

Question 4

explain how food preferences cause food consumption patterns to vary.

Answer 4

fast food:

• standardised packaging and handling process in fast food outlets ensures consistency of quality of food served
• convenient and affordable
• globalisation has enabled fast food outlets to set up in LDCs e.g India
• In DCs, people are trying to move away from fast food due to the health complications that arise from overconsumption of such foods.

organic food:

• food preferences in DCs are largely influenced by the health concerns about conventional methods of growing food, such as the risks of cancer from use of pesticides in farming.
• more people opt for organic food due to the perceived health benefits associated with them

e.g in the USA, 58% of the population would prefer to eat organic food over non-organic food

Question 5

explain how population growth has caused food consumption patterns to vary

Answer 5

population growth rates are higher in LDCs than DCs as a result of lack of family planning and a need for farm labour. This results in increasing demand for food in LDCs than DCs.

Question 6

explain how stability of food supply causes food consumption patterns to vary

Answer 6

• governments can obtain food supply by increasing food imports or increasing food production
• stability of food supply affected by civil war, natural disasters
• during the civil war in Libya in 2011, the UNited Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) reported that areas with heavy fighting faced water and food shortages while safety concerns in other areas restricted people from venturing out.
• natural disasters: e.g Zimbabwe faced food shortage in 2008 after a severe drought.

Question 7

explain how food safety causes food consumption patterns to vary

Answer 7

• it is crucial to ensure food is safe for consumption and the government plays a key role in ensuring this.
• tsunami in Japan that caused nuclear meltdown in 2011 caused radiation to contaminate farmland and water resources -> SG restricted seafood imports from Japan to ensure the safety of consumers in SG.