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AS Geography Human > Food Supply > Flashcards

Food Supply Flashcards

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1
Q

What does agriculture mean?

A

The production of food,animal and other goods by the growing of crops and the rearing of animals

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2
Q

What does subsistence farming mean?

A

Where land will only produce enough for the farmer and his family to live on with very little or any left over

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3
Q

What does GM crops mean?

A

Crops that have genes from other plants or animals inserted into them to produce “better” versions - may cause long term environmental and health problems

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4
Q

What is the Green Revolution?

A

A movement which started in 1960s which resulted in increased yields in developing countries through use of high yield varieties,fertilisers and irrigation

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5
Q

How many calories does a person have per day?

A

2,795

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6
Q

What is the impact of trade on developing countries?

A

The rate of global agricultural trade has increased but only at the rate of output.

Trade in manufactured goods have grown dramatically.
Therefore agriculture trade has become less important in terms of producing wheat for the exporting country.

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7
Q

What are the geopolitics of food?

A
  • Food aid
  • Trade
  • TNCs
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8
Q

Explain food aid:

A

Food aid can be a way of influencing recipient countries whilst at the same time riddling a developed country of surplus foodstuffs

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9
Q

Explain trade:

A

Global trade is controlled by developed countries. MEDCs often protect their farmers. Agriculture provides a third of export earnings for more than 50 countries (LEDCs)

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10
Q

What are TNCs?

A

Transnational corporations have the finances to buy land in LEDCs to be used for the production of cash crops which impacts the adversely on local farmers

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11
Q

Outline commercial farming:

A
  • Aims to make large profit
  • Often one single crop or animals
  • Needs good communications and markets
  • Typically plantations e.g sugar plantations in Barbados.
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12
Q

Outline subsistence farming:

A
  • Land will only support enough to feed farmer and family
  • Grows a large range of crops
  • Lack of finances leads to lack of fertilizers and technology
  • Range of crops causes balanced diet
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13
Q

Outline intensive farming:

A
  • High labour input relative to the area of land being used

- Example: Wet rice cultivation

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14
Q

Outline extensive farming:

A
  • Relatively low labour and capital inputs relative to the size of the area
  • Example: Grain production on American and Canadian prairies
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15
Q

Outline arable farming:

A
  • The growing of crops
  • Intensive small scale e.g. market gardening
  • extensive scale e.g. grains on American prairies
  • Usually flat land with the best soils
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16
Q

Outline livestock farming:

A
  • The rearing of animals
  • Land less favourable for arable farming used#
  • Intensive e.g. dairy farming
  • Extensive e.g. cattle ranching in Argentina
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17
Q

Outline mixed farming:

A
  • Both arable and livestock farming
  • Tends to be used in MEDCs to reduce commercial reliance on one type of crop/animal
  • Increases economic resilience and can increase profits
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18
Q

What is conurbations?

A

Extended urban area

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19
Q

What is horticulture?

A

Branch of agriculture that deals with the art,science and business of growing plants

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20
Q

What has increased food production?

A
  • The green revolution
  • Genetic modification
  • Land colonisation
  • Land reform
  • Commercialisation
    Appropriate technology solutions
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21
Q

What is the green revolution?

A

Refers to senes of research, development and technology transfer initiatives.

Occured between 40s and late 70s which increased agriculture production world-wide

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22
Q

What are the problems associated with the fertilizers in LEDCs?

A
  • High cost of fertilizers from MEDCs to LEDCs

- Environmental impacts e.g rain washing nitrates into river courses.

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23
Q

What are the advantages of the green revolution?

A
  • New strains of rice were introduced (IR8) which caused rice yields to treble
  • Dwarf varieties can be grown closer together and therefore more crops can be grown
  • HYVs withstand common crop disease
  • Shorter growing season meant an extra crop can grow
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24
Q

What are the disadvantages of the green revolution?

A
  • Increased use of chemicals damage the environment
  • Overuse of irrigation led to salinisation of soil
  • Agriculture biodiversity lost
  • Mechanisation increased unemployment and therefore rural-urban migration increases
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25
Q

What is genetic modification?

A

Genetically modified or GM crops are created taking some DNA from one species and adding it to the DNA of another species.

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26
Q

Give an example of GM crops:

A

Adding genes of a pesticide-resistant weed to a cereal crop meaning the whole field can be sprayed with pesticides without harming the crop.

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27
Q

What are the advantages of using GM crops:

A
  • Increased yield
  • Crops can be modified to include extra vitamins and nutrients
  • Crops can be modified to remove allergic reactions
  • May reduce dependence on chemicals
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28
Q

What are the disadvantages of using GM crops:

A
  • Cross-contamination of crops in adjacent fields
  • Destruction of wildlife by application of herbicides
  • Long-term impacts on health are unknown
  • Possible development of ‘super-bugs’ and ‘superweeds’
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29
Q

What is irrigation?

A

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops.

Newer systems such as drip irrigation (where the water is delivered near the root area) are more efficient and reduce the risk of runoff

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30
Q

What is land colonisation?

A

Using new areas for agriculture that were not previously used.

To provide land for subsistence farmers or to grow cash crops like Soya (e.g. in areas of Brazilian rainforest).

Can include deforestation, draining marshland or land reclamation from the sea.

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31
Q

What is land reform?

A
  • This is the redistribution of land and can include transferring land to State ownership.
  • Can be an effective method to eradicate food insecurity and alleviate rural poverty. Has worked in Kerala.

E.g. Kerala’s land reform programme – a socialist model for boosting local production. Each family given 8ha of land.

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32
Q

what is commercialisation?

A

Increasingly, supermarkets in the developed world are sourcing food products directly from developing countries.

This can lead to a reduction in food crops for the resident population as farmers grow cash crops instead.

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33
Q

What is appropriate technology?

A
  • A level of technology which can be used and maintained by the people using it.
  • It is technology which is appropriate to the land, wealth, skills and resources of those using it.

Well-known examples of appropriate technology applications include: bike- and hand-powered water pumps and the universal nut sheller.

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34
Q

What strategies have been put in place to control the level and nature of food production in the EU?

A 
Subsidies, 
Tariffs,
Intervention pricing, 
Quotas; 
Non-market policies
Environmental stewardship.
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35
Q

What is the The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)?

A

The aims:

  • Increasing agricultural productivity
  • Ensuring a fair price and therefore standard of living for farmers
  • Ensuring reasonable prices to consumers
  • Reducing reliance on imported foodstuffs.
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36
Q

What are the problems of the CAP?

A

Food surpluses as farmers were paid for production – led to ‘wine lakes’ and ‘food mountains’.

Extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides which damaged the environment.

Farmers were paid to maximise production so ripped out hedgerows, cleared woodlands, drained wetlands etc.

Friction between the EU and trading partners over EU subsidies.

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37
Q

What are tariffs?

A
  • Import tariffs (tax) are applied to goods imported to EU
  • Aim is to keep prices high for EU farmers by making imports same price (so EU farmers’ prices can’t be undercut)
  • Some countries experience lower tariffs within the scope of various trade agreements.
  • Protects the EU market and reduces food imports.
38
Q

What is Intervention pricing?

A

A guaranteed price for each commodity.

If the market price falls below the intervention price the EU buys the foodstuff to raise the price to intervention level.
This produces a guaranteed market for the farmer (reduces the need to ‘overproduce’)

39
Q

What is a quota?

A

Quotas are used to reduce production.

EU imposed quotas on bananas from Ecuador and Honduras in the late 1990s to try to protect their former colonies

40
Q

What is subsidies?

A
  • Money paid to farmers to grow certain types of crops.
  • Policy intended to help make EU self-sufficient.
  • Subsidies are paid on the amount of land growing the crop rather than crop yields.
41
Q

What is the problem with subsidies?

A

Overproduction:
Reforms now mean crop-specific subsidies have been phased out and replaced with agri-environment agreements for environmentally friendly farming techniques.

42
Q

What is set aside?

A

Set-aside was a term for land that farmers were not allowed to use for any agricultural purpose.

Was introduced to ease the problem of overproduction and to encourage the development of wildlife habitats.

43
Q

What are agri-environmental systems?

A

Agri-environmental systems include

  • Single Farm Payment,
  • Environmental Stewardship,
  • Organic Farming Scheme.

Lowers environmental degradation that the CAP/Green Revolution instigated. Takes land out of cultivation and lowers production at the same time

44
Q

What is single farm payment?

A

In 2003, a major EU policy change meant farmers could claim single farm payment.

Single Farm Payment pays farmers to lower production and the impact of intensive farming. It pays farmers to care for the environmental maintenance of their land.

45
Q

Give example of single farm payments:

A

Soil management requirements:

Where land has carried a crop of oil-seeds which have been harvested using either a combine harvester, you must ensure that one or more of the following provisions is met:

  • The stubble of the harvested crop remains in the land
  • The land is sown with a temporary cover crop
  • The land is left after harvest with a rough surface e.g. by ploughing, discing or tine cultivation
46
Q

What are the different levels of environmental stewardship schemes?

A

1) Entry Level Stewardship (ELS)
2) Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS)
3) Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)

47
Q

Outline entry level stewardship:

A

ELS is a ‘whole farm’ 5 year agreement open to all farmers and landowners that aims to tackle countrywide environmental problems such as diffuse pollution, loss of biodiversity and landscape character, and damage to the historic environment

48
Q

What are the management options available for ELS?

A
  • Arable land
  • Buffer strips:
  • Boundary features
  • Encouraging a range of crop types
49
Q

Outline organic entry level stewardship:

A

Farmers receive double the payment of the ELS

Not all of the farm has to be organic

50
Q

Outline higher level stewardship:

A

Fulfilling all the requirements of ELS, the HLS has the primary objective of resource protection, and secondary objectives of historic conservation, flood protection and genetic conservation.

51
Q

What are the management options available for HLS?

A
  • Historic environment
  • Arable land
  • Inter-tidal and coastal land
  • Hedgerows
52
Q

What are the changes in demand for food?

A
  • Growing demand for high value food exports from developing countries (e.g. Soya and beef farming in the Amazon Basin, Brazil).
  • Good for some farmers – provides source of income
  • All year round demand for seasonal foodstuffs particularly
53
Q

What are the potential problems with the changing demand?

A

1) Deforestation and land clearance for growing cash crops
2) Farmers reliant on one cash crop
3) Use of chemicals can damage environment
Fewer crops for domestic market may lead to food shortages.
4) Distances foods are transported – food miles and contribution to climate change.

54
Q

What is organic produce?

A
  • Crops grown or animals reared according to certain standards
  • Involves crop rotation
  • Very limited use of pesticides allowed
  • Natural fertilisers used
  • Animals must have space
  • 3.9% of the UK’s agricultural land is now organic (2008)
  • This is 10% increase on 2007
55
Q

What are the problems with organic produce?

A
  • Yields are lower with organic produce – can organic farming sustainably feed a growing global population?
  • Produce is more expensive – can all of us afford to eat organic?
  • Weeds may have to be controlled by hand
  • Labour costs per unit of land are much higher
    When a farm converts it takes 2 years. Produce cannot be sold as organic during this period.
56
Q

Outline local and regional sources of food:

A

The 5 big supermarkets (Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda and Morrisons) sell over 70% of food in the UK

Supermarkets control the price of produce. They have the power to dictate to the farmer how much they will pay for their produce.

Increasing consumer interest in locally produced foods via Farmer’s Markets and direct marketing where produce is delivered to the customer’s door weekly (Riverford, Devon or Leigh Court Farm, Abbots Leigh).

57
Q

Describe rising food prices:

A

The FAO food commodity price index rose 40% during 07-08 and remains high and volatile

Food price increases led to riots in many LEDCs (e.g. Haiti)

58
Q

What is the role of TNCs?

A

A few transnational corporations or agribusinesses now dominate the food business in MEDCs.

The top 200 food-producing companies in the world account for £700 billion of food sales 50% of the world food market

Some companies own or control every stage of production e.g. Dole owns plantations, canning factories and distribution companies and is the world’s largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables.

59
Q

What are the problems with agribusinesses?

A
  • Distortion of local food sources as farmers grow to export
  • TNCs take profits back to the MEDCs in which they are based
  • Wide scale use of pesticides and fertilisers.
  • Destruction of traditional agriculture in favour of cash crops – leads to increased risk of food shortages in LEDCs (e.g. Mali)
60
Q

What are the environmental aspects of global food trade?

A

Issue of food miles:
- Due to changing consumer demands many foods now transported long distances.

  • Contribution to climate change through carbon dioxide emissions.
  • BUT – it has been suggested it takes less energy to import Spanish tomatoes than it does to grow them in greenhouses in the UK!
61
Q

What aspects of food production are unsustainable?

A

Policies such as subsidies which have encouraged the extensive use of chemicals

The urban hungry

Livestock – animal diseases - more than 600 million poor people in rural communities in developing countries depend on livestock for their livelihoods.

62
Q

What are the solutions to unsustainable food production?

A

Policies - Integrated Pest Management, encouraging the use of organic agriculture and FAO also helped negotiate the Rotterdam Convention, which ensures that trade in hazardous pesticides is closely monitored and restricted

The urban hungry- Promoting urban farms - City and suburban farms and gardens supply food to about 700 million city people – one-quarter of the world’s urban population

Livestock - FAO coordinates international efforts to respond to disease outbreaks such as Avian (bird) flu. It also tries to help poorer farmers boost trade in LEDCs

63
Q

How can food production be sustainable?

A
  • Adopting sustainable farming practices to avoid land degradation e.g. Use of agri-environmental systems (e.g. Single Farm Payment, Stewardship)
  • Reducing food miles, year round desire for seasonal foods – embracing local and regional food producers
  • Embracing organic farming, minimising use of agri-chemicals and sing sustainable science and green technology (e.g. IPM, drip irrigation, appropriate technology)
64
Q

What is the impact of climate change on food production?

A

Recent research suggest that global warming will increase crop yields at high and mid-latitudes – these are countries that already feed themselves and have low rates of future population growth.

Increased heat stress and evaporation of moisture from soils is likely to reduce yields in lower latitudes where food shortages are already greatest and predicted population growth rates highest.

65
Q

What is Dole’s role in food production?

A

The company is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.

Dole markets such food items as bananas, pineapples (fresh and packaged), grapes, strawberries, salads, and other fresh and frozen fruits and juices.

66
Q

What is Doles processing and distribution process?

A

Dole is a vertically integrated producer, owning plantations in Central America.

It operates a fleet of 19 container ships that are specially equipped to support refrigerated containers and having its own cranes instead of relying on port infrastructure.

67
Q

What are the benefits of Dole?

A

Dedication to the safety of employees, communities and the environment.

Dole is committed to nutrition education to communicate to the public the health benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Employees 34,500 individuals in LEDCs.

68
Q

What are the costs of Dole?

A

In 2001, Dole was involved in the suit against Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. over the potential misappropriation of Del Monte’s specially-bred pineapple.

Dole was named as a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of 73 heirs of victims of paramilitary violence in Colombia

69
Q

What is Cargill’s role in food production?

A

Some of Cargill’s major businesses are trading, purchasing and distributing grain and other agricultural commodities:

  • palm oil
  • trading in energy
  • steel and transport
  • the raising of livestock and production of feed
  • producing food ingredients.
70
Q

What is Cargill’s processing and distribution process?

A

Distribution centers provide quality, freshness and valued meat products to processors, distributors, retailers, and other institutions throughout the United States.

71
Q

What are the benefits of Cargill?

A

In August 2011, Cargill announced a new $3 million grant to TNC to protect the Brazilian rainforest and help farmers grow soy more sustainably. The grant expands a program that has already helped 383 farmers comply with conservation laws.

72
Q

What are the costs of Cargill?

A

Cargill is a major buyer of cotton in Uzbekistan, despite the industry prevalence of uncompensated workers and possible human rights abuses and the possible use of child labor in the production of its crops.

In 1971, Cargill sold 63,000 tons of seed government treated with a methyl mercury-based fungicide that eventually caused a minimum of 650 deaths when it was eaten as a food source.

73
Q

What was the problem with North Korea managing food supply?

A

The North Korean government made either short-sighted or deliberate policy choices that caused and/or perpetuated famine conditions.

There is evidence that a good portion of international food aid failed to reach the intended beneficiaries because the government improperly diverted relief to black markets or to politically favored segments of the population.

74
Q

What strategies were used to improve the situation with food supply in North Korea?

A

The World Food Programme has been given access to the country and currently is working to avoid famine conditions developing.

Supporting the government’s efforts to improve agricultural production and introducing food-for-work programmes.

75
Q

What strategies were used to improve the situation with food demand in North Korea?

A

Targeting particularly vulnerable groups, like nursing mothers, young children, the elderly and poor households in urban areas.

76
Q

What has been the response from the World Food Programme about North Korea?

A

The World Food Programme has been given access to the country and currently is working to avoid famine conditions developing.

An indication of the scale of the problem is that a survey carried out in 2002 found that 4% of the children were stunted in their growth, 20% were underweight and 8% were wasted.
These facts indicate that there are severe public health problems caused by malnutrition.

77
Q

How does the World Food Programme aim to prevent food shortages in North Korea?

A

Improving food security generally.

Targeting particularly vulnerable groups, like nursing mothers, young children, the elderly and poor households in urban areas.

Supporting the government’s efforts to improve agricultural production and introducing food-for-work programmes.

78
Q

What were the social impacts (Both positive & negative) of managing food supply in North Korea?

A

The North Korean population is given the opportunity to farm and work and ultimately earn more money. This will improve their standard of living. Current farmers are also being helped to improve their crops and overall farm conditions which will ultimately increase their standard of living again.

Only certain groups of people are being targeted, those who are not ‘vulnerable’ or farmers are left to suffer and remain without food.

79
Q

What were the economic impacts (Both positive & negative) of managing food supply in North Korea?

A

As farmers are getting help to improve their crops, more crops can be grown and sold. This will give more money to that individual as well as the economy.

80
Q

What were the environmental impacts (Both positive & negative) of managing food supply in North Korea?

A

The Land in North Korea is being used for sustainable farming instead of leaving it as dead land.

As these programmes are being introduced, more people will start farming. This would put strain on the land. Over farming may also ruin the soil and make it harder for crops to grow.

81
Q

What were the political / geopolitics impacts (Both positive & negative) of managing food supply in North Korea?

A

Korea had to open up to the world to stop famine, which brought publicity to the issues it was facing.

82
Q

Have managing food supply in North Korea been successful?

A

People are still starving with mass poverty. Only effective help has been from NGO’s, and that has only barely stopped disasters

83
Q

What was the problem with India managing food supply?

A

With India being the second most populated country in the world, it was expected they would have trouble with food supply…This was not the case.

However a significant percentage of India’s population suffers from chronic undernourishment and poverty.

84
Q

What strategies were used to improve the situation with food supply in India?

A

The Green Revolution has increased food supplies of key cereals.

India’s development into a Newly Industrialising Country (NIC) has meant India can afford to import some food supplies.

85
Q

What strategies were used to improve the situation with food demand in India?

A

India’s Congress-led government has acknowledged the importance of attracting more private investment to modernise the country’s food-supply chain to reduce wastage.

Too many restrictions on trade has led to large supermarkets not heavily investing in India.

86
Q

What were the social impacts (Both positive & negative) for managing food supply in India?

A

The most produced foodstuff in India is cereal, this may lead to health defects as cereals do not provide all the needed nutrition.

87
Q

What were the economic impacts (Both positive & negative) for managing food supply in India?

A

Due to the heat, huge amounts of fruit and veg are spoiled on their delivery to cities, especially during summer (although it is hot year round).
They are usually delivered in open top trucks, increasing risk.
This reduces the money the farmers get paid.

88
Q

What were the environmental impacts (Both positive & negative) for managing food supply in India?

A

By intensifying production on existing croplands, large tracts of wilderness have been spared from agricultural encroachment in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

High inputs of fertiliser and pesticide are required to optimise production - Costly for the environment. Salinisation has also increased with the expansion of irrigation.

89
Q

What were the political / geopolitics impacts (Both positive & negative) For managing food supply in India?

A

Employment has been created in industries supplying farms with inputs.

In some areas rural debt has has risen sharply as farmers borrow money to pay for these inputs.

90
Q

Has managing food supply in India been successful?

A

People in India are still starving with mass poverty. Especially in rural areas where over 70% of India’s 1.2 billion population live.

AS Geography Human (4 decks)

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