Increasing Food production Flashcards
Why does global food production need to increase?
To cope with population growth and increasing consumption in more developed countries.
What 5 methods increased food production in the green revolution?
- High yield varieties of crops and animals developed by selective breeding.
- Monocultures. The growing of one crop over a large area.
- Irrigation technologies
- Agrochemicals such fertilisers and pesticides
- Mechanisation
What are the costs of the green revolution?
Intensive farming methods lead to environmental problems. Monoculture reduces bio-diversity. Irrigation can lead to low groundwater levels. Agrochemicals cause pollution.Pesticides can lead to the development of pesticides.
What are genetically modified crops?
Crops that have been altered by the addition of genes to give them beneficial characteristics.
Once genetically modified, what can the new crops do?
Produce pesticides, be pesticide intolerant, become disease resistant and have a higher yield.
What are the concerns about GM crops?
Crops grown resistant to agrochemicals may encourage farmers to use more agrochemicals as they know it will not damage their crop. Some GM crops cross pollinate, which could lead to weeds becoming herbicide tolerant. The pesticides produced by GM crops could harmother creatures e.g. butterflies.
How can land colonisation increase food production?
It gives people access to land to grow food.
What is land colonisation?
When humans move to an area that has previously been unused e.g. rainforests
What are the disadvantages of land colonisation?
Environmental damage like deforestation and conflicts with indigenous people.
What is land reform?
The redistribution of land, e.g. from the government to local people.
What are the negatives of land reform?
Conflicts over who is entitled to the land and human rights violations if the previous owner is forcibly removed.
Define commercialisation.
The change from subsistence farming to commercial farming.
How does commercialisation increase food production?
Through the use of capital-intensive green revolution technologies. Commercial farms are able to produce high value food and cash crops.
What is the disadvantage of commercialisation?
The best land is used for cash crops, so locals suffer and food shortages are created.
What are appropriate technology solutions?
Simple, low cost technologies that increase food production. They are made and maintained using local knowledge and resources, so are fully suitable for a particular area
Give an example of an appropriate technology solution
The Universal Nut Sheller. It is a simple hand-operated machine capable of shelling 50kg of nuts per hour.
How much is the Universal Nut Sheller?
$50 USD
How many people will one universal nut sheller serve?
2000 people
What were the issues of land reform in Zimbabwe?
It was undemocratic as white farmers were forced from their land and redistributed to black indigenous Zimbabweans.
What are the benefits of drip irrigation? An irrigation technology.
It delivers water near to the plants root, meaning the risk of run off and evapotranspiration are reduced.
What is integrated pest management?
The combination of natural predators, mechanical trapping devices and pheromones to disrupt pest mating.
What has happened to the Mediterranean fruit fly as a result of IPM?
The fly has been eradicated using the Sterile Insect Technique.
What is the Sterile Insect Technique used as part of IPM?
A large number of insects are sterilized using gamma radiation. Sterilized males are then released, they mate with females but produce no offspring. The sterile males quickly outweigh wild males so the population rapidly declines
