Food Resources KQ3 Flashcards
Describe how climate change contributes to food shortage.
Climate change refers to the variation in the global climate in the long termand is caused by increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns. Climate change will exacerbate the conditions faced in many areas already experiencing droughts and floods. Existing farmland may no longer be suitable for farming and areas where certain crops may be grown will change. This may hence lead to food shortages in certain countries. For example, Tropical Sub-Saharan Africa is one region that already experiences food shortage. Due to climate change this area will experience up to a 50% reduction in food production that will worsen the food shortage problem already present.
Describe how extreme weather events contribute to food shortage.
These are weather events that may cause loss of lives and damage to property such as droughts, cold spells, heat waves and tropical cyclones. Droughts reduce the water supply required for plants to grow. Tropical cyclones may cause flooding of farm land. Extreme weather events may cause crop damage or make it difficult to grow crops and are likely to become more frequent as a result of climate change. For example, flooding that followed months of intense droughts caused food shortages in 2009 when floods destroyed 260,000 ha of crops and contaminated grain stocks in millions of homes, causing a loss of 900,000 tons of rice.
Describe how pests contribute to food shortages.
Pests are a major contributor to food shortage as they damage
food crops, e.g. wild rabbits, moles, insects. For example, In 2009, Liberia experienced an infestation of caterpillars that
devastated food crops in Northern Liberia affecting over 350,000 villagers.
Describe how civil strife contribute to food shortages.
Civil strifes are situations in which a country faces major internal conflicts, which may include riots, unrest or civil war. It can lead to disputes over control of resources that affect food production, such as land and water. Additionally, resources such as land, irrigation works or equipment may be destroyed, hindering food production. For example, The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) estimates that there are nearly 10 million people in need of food assistance in sub- Saharan Africa. This is due to the persistent civil strife that has displaced large numbers of people and disrupted food production.
Describe how poor governence can contribute to food shortages.
Poor governance (e.g. corruption, policy errors, inability to implement policy) can cause food shortages. Governments can threaten food security when they prioritise other developmental needs over ensuring food security. Hence, local farmers are left with smaller plots of land for farming as land is used for industry or settlements. For example, in 2010 in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 40,000 villages lost their land due to the building of mining, a steel plant and port. The villages lost the means to produce their own food or earn an income to purchase food..
Describe how the demand from emerging countries contributes to food shortages.
Some LDCs with developing economies have higher populations with increased disposable income, e.g. Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC). This results in an increase in food demand, especially for food products such as meat and dairy products. The higher demand can deplete global food inventories and may result in food shortages in poorer countries. For example, Brazil, Russia, India and China have rapidly growing economies. These countries have shown an increasing demand for food, especially meat and dairy products. This has, hence lead to more land in poorer countries being used to rear cattle for export and less land to grow crops to feed that country.
Describe how increasing oil prices contributes to food shortages.
Increasing energy costs leads to increase in transport costs, cost of fertilizer, machine operation costs and hence, the cost of food production. The increased costs in food production are then transferred to the consumer, increasing the price of food. However, the poor are affected the most causing food shortages as a large proportion of their income (60%) is already spent on food. For example, in 2007, global increases in the price of oil increased 160%. This caused food prices to increase dramatically around the world as much as 25% (Zimbabwe) causing food shortages in many LDCs, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Describe how the conversion of farmland to industrial crop production contributes to food shortages.
Farmlands are converted to grow cash crops because it is more profitable than growing food crops e.g. Corn, sugar cane, palm oil which is then used to produce biofuels. Therefore, less farmland is available to grow food crops which increases the price of food crops. Poorer consumers are affected by the increase in prices and consume less. For example, the International Food Policy Research Institute has estimated that between 2006 and 2007, 30% of the increase in the price of food was related to the production of biofuels. This caused food shortages in LDCs where people may not have been able to afford the increase in prices.
Describe how the lack of accessiblity contributes to food shortages.
Some residents in a country may not reach the food that is available. There may be limited road or rail links that are needed to transport the food to the country or the places where food is needed or food may not be able to be safely transported to where it is needed. Hence, people may have to travel long distances to obtain food and many may be unable to obtain fresh produce and thus have a smaller food intake. For example, in Africa, many rural communities may face food shortage due to the lack of reliable transport links to other parts of the country where food is available. In the Central African Republic, delivery of food to areas where it is required is hampered by civil war.
Describe how inedequate logistics of food distribution and storage contributes to food shortages.
Lack of a good transport infrastructure may hinder the delivery of food to certain areas in a country. Physical barriers (e.g. mountains) or events (e.g. landslides) may also affect food distribution. Some LDCs may not have proper and adequate food storage facilities. Additionally, spoilage of food in storage may also lead to food shortages. For example, one-third of the population in Timor-Leste experiences food shortages in between harvests. This is due to a lack of storage facilities and difficulty of accessing numerous remote communities.
Describe how rapid population growth contributes to food shortages.
World’s population will reach 10 billion by 2050 mainly in the LDCs. LDCs have a lower ability to increase food production or to purchase more food. Hence, these countries may face food shortages as population grows beyond the country’s ability to provide adequate food for the population. For example, it is estimated that by 2025, 75% of sub-Saharan Africans will have to reply on food aid. This is due to increasing populations as well as the small amount of available land for agriculture as well as rising temperatures.
Describe how the use of proper storage methods can help overcome food shortages.
When is food is stored properly, it can be kept fresh for an extended period of time. It also protects food from pests. This ensures that food can be safely stored to be used in times of food shortages. This strategy allows for crops to be distributed to places further away and the loss of crops to pests is also reduced. For example, in Timor-Leste, the building of food silos has helped to reduce the loss of crops to pest by 20% to 40%. However, refrigeration of food on a large scale is expensive and adds to the production costs. LDCs may also not be able to afford the cost of building refrigerated warehouses or airtight silos.
Describe how farming technologies can be used to help overcome food shortages.
The use of farming technologies like HYVs, irrigation, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and machinery can help increase yield of food crops. HYVs and fertilizers increase crop yields for farmers, irrigation allows more crops to be planted in a year and in areas that were previously too dry. Pesticides also reduce crop loss and machines speed up many of the activities related to sowing and harvesting, allowing for more harvests in a year. For example, Using HYVs, rice and wheat production in LDCs have increased 75% between 1965 and 1980 with only a 20% increase in land used for farming. However, many farming technologies are too expensive and unaffordable for many farmers, especially on LDCs. Also the use of irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides can lead to environmental problems such as salinization, soil erosion and chemical pollution, unless properly managed.
Describe how biotechnology can be used to help overcome food shortages.
Biotechnology refers to genetically altering crops to make them more resistant to diseases and to make them grow faster, thereby increasing crop yield. Genetically Modified (GM) crops have a higher yield than non-GM crops. This helps farmers earn a higher income and helps countries to be more self-sufficient in food production. Hence, food can be grown in places previously unsuitable for agriculture. For example, drought resistant corn is grown on the Western Great Plains of the USA where the maximum rainfall received per year is only 600mm; previously considered too low for corn production. However, GM crops require high capital investment. Thus, they are unaffordable for many small farmers. Also, consumers are wary of consuming GM food due to potential health risks.
Describe how multiple cropping and crop rotation can help overcome food shortages.
This is the practice of growing a single crop one after another or growing multiple crops simultaneously. By growing multiple, specially chosen crops, soil fertility can be restored without excessive use of chemical fertilizers increasing crop yields. Also some crops are natural pest deterrents and by growing those next to other crops can minimize the problem of pests, minimizing crop loss. For example, growing groundnuts and soya bean can replenish nitrogen in the soil that benefits crops that need nitrogen like corn and sorghum. The groundnuts, growing over the ground, also prevent soil erosion. Crops like garlic, pepper and onions deter pests and can be grown next to other crops like tomatoes.
