Food Resources KQ1 Flashcards
Compare the variation in food consumption between DCs and LDCs using the 3 indicators of food consumption.
DCs consume higher amounts of meat and vegetables per capita as well as higher amounts of food overall than LDCs. LDCs consume higher amounts of cereals per capita than DCs. Daily calorie intake has also been increasing globally since 1964 (both DCs and LDCs). DCs consume greater amounts of food than LDCs and have a higher calorie intake than LDCs. Starchy staples form a higher percentage of all calories in LDCs (70%) than in DCs (30%).
Describe the changing food preference of cereals in DCs and LDCs.
As income increases in DCs and LDCs, consumption of cereals per capita decreases. Also, as income increases, local cereal is substituted with alternative cereals. Especially in Japan, China and South Korea rice is substituted by wheat.
Describe the changing food preference of meat in DCs and LDCs.
As income increases, consumption of meat increases. In LDCs as income has increased since the 1960s, consumption of meat has increased more than three times as people can now afford to buy meat. In DCs, consumption of meat has remained high since the 1960s. However consumption of red meat has decreased due to health concerns.
Describe the changing food preference of fruits and vegetables in DCs and LDCs.
As income increases, consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased in LDCs as people can now afford to buy fruits and vegetables. In DCs, consumption has increased due to raising awareness of the health benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables.
How does disposable income affect the variation in food consumption between DCs and LDCs?
Disposable income is the amount of money people have left over after taxes are paid. Although disposable income has increased for both DCs and LDCs, people in DCs generally have more disposable income than people in LDCs. Thus, food consumption in DCs continue to be greater than in LDCs as people in DCs can afford more food. In LDCs 60% of the increased goes to food, specifically more meat and less cereal. This is due to the higher prestige associated with meat consumption. In DCs, only 20% of the increase is spent on food, mainly on food that has been found to have health benefits. For example, In LDCs, consumption of meat has increased by 150% while in DCs, consumption of meat has also increased but only by 44%.
How does fluctuations in food prices affect the variation in food consumption between DCs and LDCs?
People in LDCs are generally more affected by food prices than people in DCs. In DCs only about 20% of increased income spent on food, in LDCs, up to 60%. When the price of food increases, many people in LDCs find that they cannot afford to consume as much food as before. However, people in DCs have higher disposable income and can
continue to afford to get as much food as before. People in DCs also have the option of selecting less expensive foods (which people in LDCs do not have). For example, from 2006-2009 prices of food rose dramatically worldwide, especially prices of staples. In LDCs people could not afford enough food and over 100 million people were left in chronic hunger and poverty. In DCs, although people were not as badly affected as in LDCs, they had to select cheaper food options.
How does population growth affect the variation in food consumption between DCs and LDCs?
The world’s population is expected to rise from 7 billion to 10 billion by 2050. This growth will mainly occur in LDCs. This will increase the growth in consumption. LDCs are less able to provide food for the increases in population and further decrease the per capita food consumption in those
countries relative to DCs. The growth in population to 10 billion in 2050 will require an increase in food production by almost 50%. Many LDCs are not able to afford or to produce enough to meet this increase in demand relative to DCs.
How does the ability of a country to provide a stable supply of food for its citizens affect the variation in food consumption between DCs and LDCs.
A stable food supply provides safe and nutritious food to all people in a country at all times. Governments can increase food production or increase food imports to ensure a stable food supply especially during times of food shortage caused by civil unrest or natural disasters.
However, many LDCs have a lower ability to increase their food stocks than DCs, due to a lack access to technology and resources to implement technology on a large scale. LDCs also lack the financial ability to import more food. Civil unrest and natural disasters can also contribute to a
decreased ability for a country to supply food to its people. For example, after a severe drought in 2008, Zimbabwe faced a food shortage.
They were not able to import food due to the lack of foreign exchange. In 2011, during the civil war in Libya, the UN World Food Programme reported that food stocks were rapidly being depleted and not being replenished.
How does the ability of a country to ensure that food is safe for consumption affect the variation in food consumption between DCs and LDCs.
Food safety refers to the system that ensures proper food handling, preparation, and storage to prevent foodborne diseases and contaminated food from reaching consumers. Food safety in DCs is generally higher than in LDCs ensuring a
steady supply of food as DCs have greater resources to ensure proper food handling and storage. Thus the supply of food in DCs are higher than in LDCs. For example, spoilt food lost due to improper storage methods can be as high as 40-50% of all the food that is produced in some LDCs. This decreases the amount of food available in LDCs.
Discuss the health impacts of inadequate food consumption.
Inadequate food consumption has a negative impact on health. Malnutrition occurs when the body does not get sufficient or balanced amounts of nutrients to maintain healthy tissues and
organ functions. In LDCs, malnutrition is the underlying cause of 52% (around 5
million per year) of all deaths in children under 5 associated with diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and measles. Also, LDCs are more heavily affected by undernourishment than DCs, where 16% of people in LDCs suffer from undernourishment. Inadequate consumption of food leads ill health. For example,
deficiencies in vitamin A can lead to visual impairment and blindness, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies lead to osteoporosis and fragile bones. Where food is practically lacking, starvation may occur. The body becomes skeletally thin, and organs become permanently damaged which eventually leads to death. In 2010, 98% of people facing starvation were found in LDCs.
Discuss the economic impacts due inadequate food consumption that is lower productivity.
Inadequate food consumption causes lower productivity. Due to ill health caused by inadequate consumption of food, worker productivity will also decrease due to increase in the number of sick days workers may need to recover. Inadequate food consumption leads to ill health, which results in loss of school days and thus loss in educational opportunities and future economic opportunities.
For example, in LDCs like India and Ethiopia, studies have linked inadequate food consumption to lower levels of productivity. According to the report, malnutrition costs India at least $10 billion annually in terms of lost productivity, illness, and death.This will lead to slower rates of economic development of a country.
Discuss the economic impacts due to inadequate food consumption that is higher public health expenditure.
The ill health brought about by inadequate food consumption also leads to higher public health expenditures. This will raise the cost of providing health care to a country, which diverts financial resources from other areas such as education, housing, transport, and agriculture. Thus, a country’s economic development is slowed down.
Discuss the economic impacts due to inadequate food consumption that is long term debt.
Food and financial aid may be given to countries to cope with insufficient supply of food. However financial aid may lead to long-term debt problems for the receiving country. For example, the USA provides about half of all global aid, however the food has to be purchased from their suppliers and transported on their ships making it 30% more expensive than locally produced food. This means that despite financial aid, LDCs still incur losses around US$5 – US$7 billion. This may increase the national debt of LDCs to DCs.
Discuss the political impacts due to inadequate food consumption.
Inadequate food consumption that stems from an inadequate food supply can cause political instability in the form of social unrest. People protest or behave violently, often to communicate their unhappiness about the situation. For example, when food prices in Mozambique increased as much as 30% in 2010, protests over the rising food prices turned violent resulting in 400 people injured and at least 10 dead.
Discuss the social impact due to inadequate food consumption that is the scavenging of food from rubbish bins or from landfills.
Some may resort to scavenging to overcome inadequate food supply. Scavenging carries health risks and exposes people to high levels of bacteria causing illness, dangerous chemicals which may lead to poisoning/death, e.g., mercury, lead, dangerous or illegal situations in their search of food leading to arrests, e.g., trespassing private property. For example, in the poorest parts of Manila, people scavenge through rubbish in a
landfill known as ‘Smokey Mountain’ for food and other recyclables. Many families have set up slums near the landfill that have no sanitation, water or electricity.
