Food production and consumption. Flashcards
How has the rate of food production changed in the last 50 yrs and why?
It has increased globally due to technological advances in the industry (pesticides, rotary combines - parts of tractors that minimise waste, and modern irrigation techniques to increase efficiency. This has allowed humans to produce more food from less land.
Do all countries produce similar amounts of food?
No, some produce loads, others very little.
Which areas produce a lot of food and why?
East Asia and North America.
- Favourable climates
- Lots of investment into farming
Which areas produce little food and why?
Central America and Africa.
Lack of resources in farming equipment.
Large areas of land that are not suitable for farming and agriculture. E.g. Sahara poor soil.
Unsuitable climates - some areas are too hot or dry for rainfall to occur.
Why is food consumption per person increasing?
As the global population is increasing, so food production is increasing; additionally the world is becoming more economically developed so people are eating more (rise in middle classes).
Are countries consuming the same amounts of food per capita?
No, consumption per capita varies from country to country.
Which countries have the highest calorie consumption per capita rates in the world? Why?
Developed countries/areas such as North America and Europe are consuming a lot. They can afford to import large food quantities, have a lot of middle class people on high incomes, who can afford more food than they require, and have a consumerism culture, making people more greedy and overconsume.
Which countries have the lower calorie consumption per capita and why?
Less developed areas like Africa and parts of South America and Asia as there are less supplies as the country cannot afford to import much, driving prices up, combined with poorer people, who are not able to consume sufficient calorie intakes.
Where is the amount of consumption changing globally?
In NEEs as their wealth increases.
Is food distribution equal in countries?
No, especially in large countries where in some parts people have food in surplus and others there are deficits.
Why do the types of food consumed vary?
Usually do to different levels of development - meat is more expensive to produce than veg so it costs more to buy; more meat per capita will largely be consumed in developed countries as a result. The average meat consumption in developed countries compared to developing in 2013-15 was 65.7kgs to 26.6kgs.
How are farms open systems?
Farms are open systems because they exchange matter and energy within their environment.
Matter is exchanged in the form of inputs such as water, fertilizers, and seeds, as well as outputs such as crops, animals, and waste products. Energy is exchanged in the form of solar radiation, which is converted by plants into chemical energy through photosynthesis. This chemical energy is then used by the plants and animals in the ecosystem to sustain life processes.
Moreover, farms are affected by external factors such as weather, pests, diseases, and market conditions, which can influence the magnitude of production from the farm. These interactions with the external environment make farms open systems.
What is agricultural productivity?
It is the measure of the amount of food that is produced in an area and is the ratio of output (food produced) compared to the inputs (e.g. human labour and capital). It looks at what goes in compared to what comes out of the farm system to determine how productive and efficient a farm is.
How does the type of agricultural system affect productivity?
Commercial farming - farming to profit. High productivity and is more common in developed countries. They benefit from EOS too.
Subsistence farming - farming to feed the family. Common in poorer regions and has lower agricultural productivity due to less demand and less outputs relative to inputs.
Intensive farming - as much as possible produced from land. Two types:
- Labour intensive farming uses a lot of labour but little capital.
- Capital intensive - high capital and low labour (can use automation etc.)
Extensive farming - Low labour and capital input and produces less than intensive (opposite). Often will see small numbers of livestock grazing proportionally large lands - inefficient but more eco friendly.
Nomadic farming - farmers moving from place to place to farm or produce food- usually in areas where land is unfavourable and cannot be sustainably farmed, so have to move to survive.
How does the physical environment influence agricultural productivity?
Climate
- The climate affects how successfully plants can grow in areas and the animals that can survive there.
- Some crops are adapted to particular climatic conditions. (Pineapples in tropics.)
Soil
- Some areas are unsuitable for farming as there is not enough soil or the soil is poor quality.
- Different soil types are suited to different types of farming. E.g. some soils are too shallow to grow crops so will be used for grazing and have livestock.
