Food shortages

Question 1

Definition of famine

Answer 1

When the demand for food exceeds the supply of food leading to undernourishment. Prolonged undernourishment can damage people’s heath and eventually lead to starvation.

Question 2

Human causes of famine

Answer 2

(7)
- Overpopulation: demand is higher than supply.
- Overgrazing: All vegetation eaten –> Reduce integrity of soil –> Topsoil erosion + soil degradation.
- Overcultivation: Grow too much on land –> using all nutrients and not giving them time to recover –> degradation –> yields decline.
- Pollution: Farming + industrial pollution degrade land + reduce yields of crops.
- Conflict: Fighting remove men from farming duties –> Reduce yield.
Conflict makes land dangerous to farm on.
Chemical/biological warfare –> degrades soil.
-Corruption: Gov officials + armies use crops for themselves –> general population goes hungry.

Question 3

Temperature –> famine?

Answer 3

Crops need steady + reliable temperatures – Temp too hot or cold can kill both crops and animals.

Question 4

Rainfall –> famine?

Answer 4

Shortage of rainfall –> crops die or needs irrigation.

Water for irrigation not available –> crops die + yields reduce.

Question 5

Flooding –> famine?

Answer 5

Too much rainfall kills crops or wash away topsoil, reducing the soil’s fertility.

Question 6

Natural disaster –> famine?

Answer 6

Hurricanes, tsunamis + volcanoes –> destroy large areas of agricultural land.
Kill or injure farmers.

Question 7

Soil fertility –> famine?

Answer 7

Bedrock contains few minerals/

There is no flora and fauna to provide humus layer –> hard to cultivate.