Food Security

Question 1

Statistics relating to food consumption and production:

Answer 1

1. Roughly half of the total food requirements were met by the UK itself
2. Not food self-sufficient
3. UK household wasted £470 of food a year, high availability vs consumption

Question 2

Allotments:

Answer 2

1. Locally sourced food reduces food miles to a minimum, promotes activity and improves community cohesion
2. Sheffield University study in 2014 said that quality of allotment soil is better than most commercial arable farms
3. Rising prices have led to long waiting lists, not everyone has access to them.
4. Climate of the UK, not everything can grow

Question 3

Green Revolution:

Answer 3

1. A large scale attempt to introduce high yield varieties during the1960s
2. Not seen as a success
3. Use of machinery meant that people lost traditional employment
4. Increased production, lower prices, lower farmer wages
5. Diesel pumps were provided for irrigation, used up ground water even faster, farmers couldn’t afford to repair them or buy fuel

Question 4

Organic Methods:

Answer 4

1. Grown without any chemicals and the livestock are not with feed that has artificial additives

Question 5

Intensive farming:

Answer 5

1. High levels of input(machinery, seeds and chemicals) to ensure high level output from each hectare of land
2. This increases the yield, the health of the soil is affected.

Question 6

Fairtrade:

Answer 6

1. Started in 1988
2. Social premium paid to local producers
3. This ensures that farmers get their fair price
4. Protects their income from fall and encourages them to farm sustainably
5. Also funds improvements for the community like water supply.