Food security Flashcards
Food security
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization ~ FAO
Food security exists when all PEOPLE , at all TIMES -
have PHYSICAL and ECONOMIC access -
to SUFFICIENT , SAFE and NUTRITOUS food-
that meets their DIETARY NEEDS and FOOD PREFERENCES -
for an ACTIVE and HEALTHY life.
The FOUR pillars of of food security
World Food Programme (WFP) :
AVAILABLITY ~ sufficient quantities of food determined by food production , stock levels and net trade.
ACCESS ~ concerns about individuals access to food has resulted in a greater policy focus on incomes , expenditure , markets and prices.
UTILISATION ~ adequate diet, clean water , sanitation and healthcare to reach a state of nutritional well-being.
FAO added :
STABILITY ~ a population , household or individual has access to adequate food at all times.
This can be impacted on by adverse weather, political instability or economic factors.
CHRONIC food insecurity
- LONG TERM or PERSISTENT
- Occurs when people are unable to meet their minimum food requirements over a SUSTAINED period of time.
-Results from extended periods of poverty and inadequate access to resources.
- Can be overcome with long term development measures such as EDUCATION and productive resources such as CREDIT.
TRANSITORY food insecurity
- SHORT TERM and TEMPORARY
- There is a SUDDEN drop in the ability to produce or access enough food to maintain a good nutritional status.
- Results from short term SHOCKS and FLUCTUATIONS in food availability and access due to variation in food production, prices and household incomes.
- Can be overcome with early warning capacity and safety net programmes.
The Global Hunger Index
Measures hunger at global, regional and national scales.
Designed to raise awareness of geographical differences in hunger and how these change over time.
4 indicators:
UNDERNOURISHMENT
CHILD WASTING ~ proportion of children under the age of 5 with a low weight for height.
CHILD STUNTING ~ the proportion of children under the age of 5 with low height for their age, reflecting CHRONIC undernutrition.
CHILD MORTALITY ~ deaths of children under the age of 5.
Results of The Global Hunger Index
GLOBALLY:
2000- 29.0 entering the SERIOUS category
2019 - 20.0 in between the MODERATE and the SERIOUS category.
NATIONALLY:
Some countries still have alarming levels of hunger :
- Chad- natural and human crises
- Madagascar
- Yemen- civil war
- Zambia
- Central African Republic - conflict
The Global Food Security Index
- Provides a worldwide overview of countries most and least vulnerable to food insecurity.
- Combines 34 indicators
- These cover 3 key areas:
AFFORDABILITY
AVAILABILITY
QUALITY
SAFETY
Of food across 113 countries.
The influence of GLOBALISATION on food security
- Since the 1970’s , and especially since the end of the Cold War , greater INTERCONNECTEDNESS has increased transnational flows of people ,goods and information.
- Improved access to global food sources have had distinct impacts on international trade in food, diets and societies.
- In many regions , consumers do not have to wait for seasonality of food products because they can be sourced from across the globe.
The globalisation of the food industry
raises several issues including :
- Food miles
- Inequalities between TNC’s and small food
producers. - Obesity
- Food prices
Obesity
- Globalisation has majorly influenced dietary patterns.
- As countries DEVELOP and AFFLUENCE increases , consumption shifts towards foods that are more expensive (meat & dairy) and more processed.
- The number of fast-food outlets promoted by TNC’s also increases.
Obesity in China
- Between 1961 and 2015 , the average Chinese person went from eating 4kg of meat per year to 50kg , pork being the most popular.
- A major investment focus for fast-food retailers:
- Accounts for half of the total revenue of
Yum brands ~ 8400 - The largest number of KFC’s ~ 5900
- 2700 Mcdonald’s outlets in 2019
KFC - has developed local supply chains and has adapted its products to local tastes such as fried dough sticks and rice porridge.
Obesity in the USA
- More than TWO-THIRDS of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.
- More than 12.7 million American children are obese.
- A greater waist size, increases the risk of the development of diabetes as it is found me in the top 10% of measurements were 20x more likely to develop the disease.
- Obesity cost Americans $147 billion each year, obese individuals pay $1429 more each year on medical costs than those of a normal weight.
- West Virginia has the HIGHEST obesity rate of 37.7%
- Colorado has the LOWEST obesity rate of 22.3%
- Americans eat 23% more calories than they did in 1970 due to a boom in meat consumption.
- Fast food makes up 11% of the average American diet
- Overweight or obese individual miss approximately 56% more work days than people of a normal weight, due to medical issues.
Food production methods 1:
Arable & Pastoral
Arable:
- the growing of FOOD CROPS
- usually on fairly level and well-drained
soils.
Examples ~ The Nile valley & The Great Plains.
Pastoral:
- the raising of LIVESTOCK
- usually in areas unsuitable for arable
farming.
- soil often has limited fertility.
- becomes ineffective when the carrying capacity of the area is exceeded.
Examples ~ hill sheep farming in Wales.
Food production methods 2:
Subsistence & Commercial
Subsistence:
Provision of food by farms for:
- Their OWN CONSUMPTION
- LOCAL COMMUNITY
- subsistence farms are vulnerable to SHORTAGES due to the lack of capital and other ENTITLEMENTS.
Examples ~ wet-rice farming in India
Commercial:
- farming for PROFIT
- LARGE SCALE
- high capital inputs
Examples ~
- CATTLE RANCHING in South America
- PALM OILL plantations in Malaysia.
Farming production methods 3:
Shifting & sedentary
Shifting cultivation~ a SUSTAINABLE method of the ROTATION of FIELDS rather than a rotation of crops.
- confined to a few ISOLATED places
- LOW population density
- LARGE areas of land and limited food
demand.
Examples ~ the Amazon Basin
Sedentary ~ farmers remain in ONE PLACE and cultivate the SAME LAND year after year.
Examples ~ dairy and arable framing in the UK.
Food production methods 3:
Extensive & Intensive
Extensive:
- LARGE-SCALE commercial farming
- Labour and capital are LOW in relation to
the area farmed.
- Yields per HECTARE are LOW
- Yields per CAPTIA are HIGH
Examples ~ Canadian Prairies cereal farming
Intensive:
- SMALL-SCALE
- Labour is HIGH
- Capital inputs & yields per hectare are
HIGH.
Examples ~ horticulture in the Netherlands.
