Food resources (factors affecting intensity of food) Flashcards
Factors affecting intensity of food production and supply?
- —> physical
- —> social
- —> economic
- —> political
- —> technological
physical factors?
- —> climate
- —> soils and drainage
- —> relief
climate
Climate: average condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time
- —> temp that regularly falls below 5°C make it difficult for crops to grow
- —> high temp & high rainfall conducive for plant growth
- —> However, temp required for growth varies among crops
EG
- —> crops like peas, strawberries and brocolli require cooler climate
- —> optimal temp required for growing soybean is 25°C to 28°C
- —> greenhouse create optimal conditions for plant growth
- —> USA, Canada, Netherlands
soils and drainage
Fertile soil
- —> depends on availability of air, water, nutrients from minerals in the soil
- —> rich in minerals
- —> minerals essential for plant growth (N, P, K)
- —> found in floodplains along a river, in areas near volcanoes
Soil drainage
- —> ability of soil to retain or drain off water
- —> improper soil drainage may hinder growth of crops
soil drainage examples
- —> Mekong Delta, Vietnam
- —> flat terrain
- —> large water supply
- —> fertile soil
- —> high production of rice
Oats:
- —> sandy soils
- —> well drained
Rice
- —> more clay
- —> retain large amounts of water
Relief
Relief: slope and altitude of a land surface
Slope
- —> slopes modified to create flat land for farming
- —> Terracing: cutting of steps into a hillside to create flat land
- —> allows unsuitable slopes to be used for farming
- —> relief steeper: rain more likely to remove topsoil
- —> topsoil is the layer of soil rich in nutrients
Altitude
—-> altitude increases, temp decreases
relief examples
slope
- —> Longji rice terraces, China
- —> Sapa, Vietnam
- —> Banaue Rice Terraces, Philippines
altitude
—-> Cameron highlands: strawberry plantations
political factors
- —> govt policy
- —> ASEAN
govt policy
- —> agriculture policy
- —> food policy
agriculture policy
agriculture policy: policies pertaining to domestic agriculture
government:
- —> decide how limited resources like money and land could be used
- —> influence intensity of food production
- —> may choose to channel resources into educating farmers on more efficient ways of farming
agriculture policy examples
- —> India
- —> Punjab Agriculture Department
- —> 2012
- —> ensure greater productivity from its farmland
- —> start education for its wheat farmers
- —> farmers taught about best available seed varieties, pesticide treatment and irrigation methods
food policy
Government decisions affect food:
- —> production
- —> procession
- —> distribution
- —> package, purchase
- —> security
ways to ensure food security
- —> stockpiling
- —> diversifying source of food supply
Stockpiling: storage of food for emergencies
Diversifying food supply:
- —> importing food from diff sources
- —> buffer against food shortage and price fluctuations
food supply example
- —> Singapore
- —> in the past, SG relied on Malaysia for vegetables
- —> imports from China, USA
- —> NTUC Fairprice purchases vegetables through contracts with Indonesian farmers
ASEAN
—-> organisation of 10 SEA countries
Aims:
- —> increase economic growth
- —> increase social progress
- —> foster cultural development
- —> protect regional peace and stability
ASEAN examples
- —> 2011
- —> ASEAN signed agreement w China, Japan, South Korea
- —> the ASEAN plus three emergency rise reserve (APTERR)
- —> it is a commitment from big rice producers to provide rice to countries that signed the agreement
- —> During a disaster, reserve will be used to provide rice to countries that have signed the agreement
- —> China: 300 000 tonnes
- —> Thailand: 15 000 tonnes
- —> SG: US$ 107 500
