Food resources (KQ1) Flashcards
How do we measure global food consumption patterns?
- food consumption per capita
- daily calorie intake
- starchy staple as a % of all calories
What is food consumption per capita and what is recorded for it?
- refers to the average amount of food a person consumes a year
- measured in kilogrammes (kg/capita/yr)
- recorded for individual food groups (cereal, meat, vegetables etc)
What is total daily calorie intake?
- represents the total number of calories obtained from food consumption per person each day
What are staple foods?
- food that forms the main part of the diet
Why are staple foods important?
- they supply a major proportion of a person’s energy and nutrient needs
Why do food consumption patterns vary between developed and developing countries (political)?
- stability of food supply
- food safety
Why do food consumption patterns vary between developed and developing countries (economic)?
- disposable income
- pricing
What is disposable income?
- the amount of income left to an individual after taxes have been paid
how does economic growth lead to a larger amount and variety of food consumed?
- economic growth –> higher disposable income –> larger amount and variety of food consumed
What happens when there is more disposable income?
- they will consume a larger amount and variety of food (more meat & less cereals)
Why does consumption of meat increase when there is more disposable income?
- meat consumption is associated with wealth and status
What is an example of economic growth leading to consumption of a larger amount and variety of foods?
- 1959 - 1991: Taiwan (LDC) had a high economic growth
- rice consumption decreased by 1/2
- meat consumption increased by 4 times
- fish consumption doubled
When disposable income increases in DCs, how do diets improve?
- quality (not quantity) improve
- people in DCs are able to afford healthier food
-e.g. organic food and olive oil
Who is more affected by rising food prices and why?
- LDCs
- more affected as they have less disposable income
What is an example food prices rising and the impacts of it on DCs and LDCs?
- 2006 - 2008: food prices rose significantly worldwide
- LDCs could not afford staple food
- caused decreased consumption
- In DCs, the effects were not as significant
- as people could still afford staple foods
Why do food consumption patterns vary between developed and developing countries (socio-cultural)?
- food preferences
- population growth
How has fast food consumption changed in LDCs (India case study)?
- in 1991, fast food chains like Mcdonald’s and Pizza Hut were allowed to set up in India
- many people chose fast food over local food
- in 2009, about US$400 million was spent on fast food
- generally, fast food consumption has increased
How has fast food consumption changed in DCs
- although fast food is popular, people avoid them as they are unhealthy
- people are concerned over how it is prepared and processed
- generally fast food consumption has decreased
What kind of food is preferred by people in DCs?
- organic food
What is organic food?
- food grown without the use of artificial inputs
Why do more people choose organic food in DCs?
- due to the perceived health benefits
- they want to avoid potentially harmful pesticides used in normal farming methods
What are some examples of demand for organic food?
- in 2011, a survey in the USA revealed that 58% of the population prefer organic food
- in 2009, a report stated that the demand for organic food has grown by about 20% every year since 1997
How does population growth impact food consumption patterns?
- as population increases, demand for food worldwide increases
How is the world population set to change?
- increase from 7 billion to 10 billion (2050)