GS+G- Case studies Flashcards
Talk about some facts about bananas
- one of worlds most commonly eaten foods
- 4th most important food for LIC’s, staple food for 400 million
- 5th most traded commodity
- 15million tones exported annualy
- Grown in hot rainy tropical climates
Talk about Importers of Bananas
- EU and US consume approximatly 27% of all total exports
- 90% of price paid stays in richer north who own the plantations
- 80% dominated by only 5TNC’s who can sell at low prices
Talk about exporters of bananas
- Dominated by Latin America and the Carribean- 13million tonnes
- Ecudor, Costa Rica, Phillipeanes, Ivory Coast
Talk about consumers of Bananas
- India is the largest producer and the largest consumer
- mexico and brazil also eat the largest amont
Issues of Banana trade
- Banana Wars- disputes of trade lastig 20 years until Geneva Banana Agreement. This settled any conflicts by eradicating unfair trading relationships driving the banana prices up
- Platations cost the environment due to deforestation and monoculture farming
- Banana varieties are suseptible to disease so are layered with pecticides
Talk about Fairtrade in Bananas
- in 2018, in in 3 bananas were fairtrade
- Aims to guarentee fair prices for farmers to help economic development
- Sales have increased dispite being more expensive
Talk about Nike Facts
- employs 25,000 directly and over one million involved
- in 2004, $1.6 billion profit
- More than 75% of workforce is in Asia
Talk about Nike as a spatial organisation
- Nikes HQ is in Beaverton, USA. Here research and development takes place as it employs over 5500 people with good transport and communication
- Sub-regions can be managed outside of main HQ in different countries for example theres a Europe Base.
- Manufacturing- Mainly takes place in Asisa due to low labour costs abd raw materials. as well as free trade.
- CHINA- employ over 200,000. many moved due to job opportunities creating an unequal flow of people
Impacts of Nike to host countries
GOOD
- Imporve level of skills
- encourafe transfer of technology
- increase employment, multiplier effect, standards of living
- Socio-Economic growth
BAD
- Ivestment may only be short term
- Majority of profits are sent to origin country
- managarial positions are brought in
- many jobs are low-skill
Impacts of Nike to country of origin
GOOD
- Overseas investment adds to income of whole nation via tax and profits
- Develops higher order jobs
- Wider share ownership
BAD
- Workforce may need to reclocate or visit overseas operations
Talk about facts about Antarctica
Antarctica is a vast and remote continent located at the South Pole which remains largely untouched by human activity due to its harsh climate and extreme environmental conditions. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, as far north as the Antarctic convergence are considered a global common
- covers a total area of 14 million km2
- The coldest, driest and windiest continent on earth
- 99% is covered in an ice sheet which contains arounf 70% of worlds freshwater
- It is the only continent that doesnt have a permanent population- around 4000 scientists and support staff are there during the summer
Talk about Climate change as a threat to Antarctica
The impact of climate change is most apparent in extreme latitudes like Antarctica. Here, global warming has driven significant changes in the physical and living environment like melting ice and deteriorating permafrost. Antarctic ice core analysis can be analyzed for carbon dioxide and methane content to help us understand these changes. According to the IPCC, Antarctica is facing the loss of ice from its huge ice sheet and further cra wcks and unstableness escpecially in the Ross ice sheet. The Antarctic peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming places in the world with air temperatures increasing by 3 degrees over the last 50 years.
Talk about Fishing and Whaling as a threat to Antarctica
Whaling for meat and oil became a large industry in Southern Ocean in 19th century. Fishing became the main economic use of the seas during the 60’s and 70’s during which large Russian and Japanese fhishing fleets fished cod and krill stocks. However, these collaped late 70’s. If the krill numbers disappear, the whole food chain will collapse.Many organisations protect seas and krill for these reasons.
Talk about mineral and resources as a threat to antarctica
As of yet, there has been no mineral extraction. The Antarctic Treaty created a Protocol in Madrid 1991, banning all mineral extraction until 2048 where it will be revisited. Antarctica holds rich reserves of minerals that can only be used for scientific research. Countries alike US and China have stated thet want to revisit the ban sooner
Talk about tourism and research as a threat to Antarctica
The development of small-scale tourism began in Antarctica in the 1950’s with commercial tour opertors providing passenger ships. Since then, numbers of tourists has increased from 9,000 to 55,000. Although it is small-scale so relitivly sustainable but it can disrupt breeding patterns and land through oil spills and pollution. All tour operators are members of IAATO ensuring that tourism is environmentally friendly. The MS explorer capsised creating a 1 mile oil spill affecting 2,500 penguins.
