Food Production Flashcards
Pastoral farming
The rearing of animals
Livestock
Animals that are domesticated and reared on a farm
Arable farming
The growing of crops
Crops
Type of plants that are grown on a farm eg. Wheat, corn , rice and barley
Mixed farming
Farming that rears and cultivate(grows) crops
Subsistence farming
Farming that involves only rearing enough animals or growing enough crops to support immediate friends and family.
—>the crops are called “subsistence crops” a surplus maybe produced time to time which is sold
Sedentary farming
Farming that takes place in a permanent location. The farm and the farmer stays in the same place every year
Shifting cultivation
Farming that moves from one location to another every couple of years
Aquaculture
The farming of aquatic plants and animals eg mussel, fish and seaweed
Commercial farming
Farming purpose of making profit
Typically large scale the crops produced are called “cash crops” and sold for money
Nomadic farming
Farming that moves from one place to another usually with the rainy season to find water and grazing areas for animals
Human inputs
- labour
- machinery (tractors etc)
- buildings( barns,silos)
- seed to grow crops
- animal feed
- fertiliser and pesticides
- calves,chicks, piglets
Government influence
Market influence
Physical inputs
Soil- if soil is fertile then arable farming is likely to happen, if it less fertile and can only support grass then pastoral farming is likely to occur
Precipitation- water that helps water the crops
Sun-energy to help plants and animal to grow
Alluvium-this is mineral and nutrient sediment that is transported by rivers and deposited in flood plain in times of flood
Flood water-floods not only bring alluvium but also water to keep ground moist
Relief- if land is flat then it is easier for arable farming to occur.if land is hilly then pastoral farming is more likely to occur
Drainage-important that the fields are well drained so they aren’t permanently flooded apart from rice most crops and animals can’t survive bring permanently submerged
Processes
Rearing- caring for and support of animals to maturity
Shearing- removing of wool form animals, normally sheep
Ploughing- turning over the land and preparing it for planting seeds
Fertilising -adding chemicals to the soil to try and make it more fertile
Weeding-removing alien plants from crop field
Irrigating- watering land
Cultivating-to care for and grow crops
Harvesting-the collection of crops at the end of the growing season
Slaughtering- the killing of animals once they have reached maturity and ready to sell
Planting-putting seeds into the ground
Outputs
Profits
Meat products (pork,lamb,chicken,beef,wool)
Milk
Waste (animal excrement)
Methane (mainly from cows)
Crops (corn,wheat, carrots, potatoes)
Intensive farming
Where large amount of produce is generated form small area of land
Extensive farming
Where is small amount of produce is generated from a large area of land
The influence of natural and human inputs on agricultural land use
NATURAL FACTORS
Temperature (affected by latitude, altitude and distance from the sea)
Precipitation
Steep land slope make machinery difficult, only suitable for sheep
Soil needs to be fertile for it to be effectively farmed
Flat areas
The influence of natural and human inputs on agricultural land use
HUMAN FACTOR
Economic:
Transport-cost of growing different crops in different areas
Markets-prices for products can change year on year
Capital-investment in machines can be expensive, limiting consumer demand
Technology-requires investment but is vital for food security
Social:
Tradition- farmers in certain regions tend to produce things the same way
Land tenure- inheritance laws have banned equal division of land to stop subsistence farming
Government policies- the government may control surplus, loans and income supplements or own the land
Scale of production
Farms in MEDCs may be run by large companies-economies of scale, reducing the unit of cost of production and wiping out smaller farms -high capital allows them to acquire lots of land
LEDC may have smaller farmers due to spoilt of inheritance
Methods of organisation
Commercial farming- is highly modernised eg auto magic drivers and chemical sprays, systematic, high capital intensive
Subsistence farming- focuses more on tradition doing things by themselves
Products of agriculture system
Commercial farms-will produce things Ona massive scale, but may be focused on selected few crops
Subsistence farms- will focus on small amount of products, but may have wider range of products
Causes of food shortages natural
- desertification
- landslide
- pest
- marginal land
- unsuitable land
- inappropriate climate eg drought
- tropical storms
- flooding
Causes of food storages economic
- poor transport reduces incentives
- high prices due to shortages
- debt
- war
- poor economy limits government support in investment
Causes of food shortages human
High birth rate
High population density
Over population
Weak workforce means not enough suitable people to farm
Soil erosion/soil exhaustion
Effects of food shortages
Malnutrition, which increase proneness to disease and limits their physical/intellectual potential, reducing their incentive to work, leading landlocked countries into a cycle
—> leads to scurry,rickets and protein deficiency leading to bone deformities/swelling
Reduces quality of life
Reduces incentive to work
More likely to fall ill
Land may be well tended
Other economic production may fall further
Increased in food prices
Crime increased like looting
Programmed solution to food shortages
FOOD AID
Relief food aid- given during crisis
Programme food aid- given to local governments to sell
Project food aid - targeting specific groups in a country
—> positive
-keeps people alive
—> negative
- dependant on aid overly can worsened situations and damage the agriculture economy
- expensive( transport)
Green revolution
- created the HYV boosting yield 2-4 times
- brought resistance to disease, more responsive to fertiliser and a shorter growing season
- farmer educated and offered credit to buy machinery
Positives
- long term planning
- diet more varied
- farming income has increased
Negative
- mechanization increased rural employment
- fertiliser affect economy and environment
- benefitted middle and higher income farmer
Solutions to food shortages
Building small wells to provide water for irrigation
Planting trees to conserve soil
Inter cropping to limit rainfall runoff
Improved food storage to allow it to last longer and be projected
Factors affecting food supply
Climate
—> higher temperatures and unreliable rainfall makes farming difficult
Technology
—> improvement in technology have increased the amount of food available
Pest and diseases
—> pesticides have increased crop yield
—-> farmers in LIC cannot afford them
Water stress
Irrigation system provide water for countries with unreliable or low rainfall
Conflict
—> war forces farmer to flee their land or to fight in conflict. Food can be sued as a weapon with enemies cutting food supplies in order to gain ground
Poverty
—> when people have less money they can’t afford they become unable to work, families in developing countries spend much of their income on food
Impacts of food insecurity
Famine
Soil erosion
rising prices
Social unrest
Subsistence farming
Plots of small land
Output are small
Too poor to buy fertilizer
Farmer use traditional method
Only provide food for families
There is no market for crops produced
Factors that will effect the farmer use of land
Flat land
Soil fertility
Amount of precipitation
Temperature
Lengths of growing seasons
Price of product
Amount of land available
Capital available
How to increase production yield
Farm the land more intensively
Use fertiliser
Irrigation
Pesticides
Use better quality seeds
More mechanization
Contour ploughing
Increase in amount of land used
Crop rotation
Terracing
Explain how farming can cause soil erosion
Overgrazing Over cultivation Removal of vegetation soil is bare Washed away by the rain Soil exhaustion
Ploughing up and down
Tractors
Short term response food shortages
Food aid
Government grants
—>better seed quality
—>fertiliser
-pesticides
Long term food shortages
Provide irrigation
TNC investment to create jobs to people can buy food
Reduce corruption
Anti Natalie policy
Better storage
Mechanisation
Ploughing
Edcate farmers about crop rotation
Reasons why countries experience food shortages
Infertile soil
Droughts
Overpopulation
War
Tsunami
Can’t afford fertiliser/pesticides
Volcanis eruption
Tropical storms
Lack of transportation to rural areas
Methods which can be used to reduce food shortages
Irrigation
Fertiliser
Pesticide
Herbicides
High quality seeds
Mechanic
Improve in food storage
Terracing
Increase arable land
Irrigation
Terracing hill sides
Deforestation
Use of machinery
HYV crops
Subsistence farmers
Small plot of land
Output small
Too poor to buy machinery or fertilizer
They use traditional methods
Their only way of providing food for their family
Many live on remotes areas
No market for crops produced
Explain the changes occur in percentage of primary , secondary and Teri that employment as country becomes more developed
Primary sector reduced
As importance of agriculture declines
Secondary sector increased
Manufacturing industry are introduced
However manufacturing will eventually begin to reduce of importance
Teritiary sector increased
Growth of service
Advantages of mixed farming
If crops fail the farmers will be able to depend on animals
Animal manure can be used for crops
Animals can plough
Can adapt to demand
Crop waste can be used for animal feed
Farmers can use all types of land
Explain the natural environment influence agriculture land use
Soil
- > poor soil will be used for grazing
- > good soil used to grow crops
Relief
- > flat land crops can grow
- > stepper area may be for grazing
Sunshine
-> crops will grow if there is enough sun
Temperature
- > cold area possible to graze sheep’s
- > crop aren’t able to grow in cold areas
- : warm temperatures for growth of crops
Precipitation
-> large amount of rainfall is needed for rice growing
Different strategies can be used in short term and long term to provide solution to food shortages
Emergency famine relief
Improved road network
Provide irrigation
Government grants
Better seed quality
Fertiliser
Pesticides
Ploughing
Reduce corruption
Crop rotation
Mechanisation
Causes of soil erosion
Deforestation
Grazing by animals
Removes vegetation cover
Over cultivation
Soil dried out by the drought
—> so it can be blown away by the wind
Heavy rainfall
Reasons why countries experiencing food shortages
Drought
Infertile soil
Increasing population
Crop diseases
War
Tsunami
Volcano eruption
Can’t afford fertiliser
Impacts of food shortages
Death
Conditions such as scurvy , rickets
People too weak to work
Can’t resist diseases
More looting crime increasing
Increased food prices
Different strategies food shortages
Emergency famine relief
Improve road
Use land for food crops for local people rather than export
Provide irrigation
Government grants
Better seed quality
Fertiliser
Pesticides
Better storage
Reduce corruption
Suggest reasons why many farmers carry out intensive farming
More profit
Higher yield
Smal area used
Afford fertiliser
Many access to many workers
Explain why war may cause food shortages
Farmer have to in army
Crops destroyed
Unsafe to farm due to bombings
Money on the army
Unable to transport food
Market destroyed
Increased food prices
People unable to work so cannot afford food
Explain how other economic and political factors may cause food shortages in a country
Lack of investment in agriculture
Poor road system
Many farmers produce cash crops
Aid is poorly distributed
People cannot afford food due to unemployment
Corrupt government
Cannot afford to import food
Explain why there are food shortages in some parts of the world
Poverty
Drought
War
Soil erosion
Infertile soil
No precipitation
Corrupt government
Poor storage
Natural disaster
