G - Food Production

Question 1

What are the environmental impacts of increased food production?

Answer 1

• Transporting food longer distances - food miles - increase carbon footprint
• Environmental degradation
• Rely on imported food

Question 2

Explain how increased food production increases carbon emissions

Answer 2

• People in the UK demand out-of-season produce -> food is imported. 1/2 of veg and 95% of fruit from abroad in low season
• 11% carbon emissions from importing food to UK
• Crops grown in UK using technology produces carbon emissions
• Chilling British produce uses energy -> overtake carbon cost of shipping in

Question 3

Explain how increased food production caused environmental degradation?

Answer 3

• Populations increase -> pressure to increase food production
• Some need to farm on unsuitable marginal land
• Poor-quality of land becomes poorer
• As crops harvested, no goodness is returned to soil - becomes exhausted
• Lack of vegetation makes is prone to soil erosion

Question 4

Explain the main example of a political factor?

Answer 4

• The River Indus
• Flows through India and Pakistan
• Independence Act of 1947 (signed 1960)
• Construction of 2 dams for Pakistan
• Resentment in Kashmir in India as people think farming and irrigation has suffered due to deprived of water should have been theirs
• 2006 negotiations talk of India building Wuller Barrage - controlling Pakistan’s water

Question 5

What are the main social issues of growing crops?

Answer 5

• Health
• Safety
• Quality of life

Question 6

What is the main positive social impact?

Answer 6

Growing cash crops offers income and economic benefits

Question 7

What are social problems around Lake Naivasha growing flowers?

Answer 7

• Fertile land is used for growing flowers not food
• Local farmers say the flowers take more water than they should legally have, leaving them short
• North and east of Mt Kenya is struggling for water
• Water levels are falling - 20,000 people could be supplied with water that is used for flowers
• Chemicals sprayed lead to chest problems
• Fertaliser can sweep into water supplied

Question 8

What are economic impacts?

Answer 8

• Get money for crops -> allows investment + other items can be bought
• Need to intensify production -> increase use of fertilisers and pesticides
• Cycle of rural debt is created