Lesson 10- global food systems

Question 1

define TNCs

Answer 1

(TNCs) are companies/corporations that operate in two or more difference countries

Question 2

3 ways TNCs affect the quality of our food:

Answer 2

1. Produce as cheaply and efficiently as possible to maximise profits-> often highly processed produce, capitalise on families who have little money
2. Synthetic ingredients e.g. oils are used as alternative cost saving strategies rather than using expensive, natural ingredients
3. Artificial additives e.g. palm oil extend shelf life of products, keep it looking the same even if its old

Question 3

How many people in the world have obesity? Where is this most prominent?

Answer 3

1.9 billion- North America esp USA, Middle east- Oman

Question 4

How many people in the world are malnourished

Answer 4

800 million

Question 5

What are the long term implications of our growing consumption?

Answer 5

Increasing food miles (tropical produce wanted- the average food item in the UK before reaching a consumer has travelled 5000 miles, more weight loss drugs e.g. Ozempic used- impacts on NHS
-> Food TNCs have found more incentive ways of meeting this increased demand, avoiding a global Malthusian crisis- avoided through agrochemicals, GM crops etc

Question 6

what is palm oil?

Answer 6

an edible vegetable oil- comes from oils of palm trees

Question 7

What % of the World’s palm oil comes from Indonesia/Malaysia?

Answer 7

85%- rainforest countries

Question 8

In the US, what % of packaged goods sold in grocery stores contain palm oil?

Answer 8

50%

Question 9

True or False-
Global use of palm oil has quintupled since 1990

Answer 9

TRUE

Question 10

What are 2 problems with palm oil?

Answer 10

• Deforestation- Palm oil plantations currently cover more than 27 million hectares of Earth’s surface-> major driver in deforestation= destruction of rainforest in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil-> billions of tons of carbon pollution d2 wildfires
• Habitat loss- expansion of these palm oil plantations-> loss of habitats, threatening endangered animals e.g. in Borneo there has been a 50% loss of Orangutan species directly d2 deforestation of land for palm oil plantations

Question 11

What did Iceland do to tackle use of palm oil?

Answer 11

Iceland pledged in 2018 to go palm oil free- goal achieved in 2019- successfully removed from about 130 lines + Iceland also eliminated 29% of plastic packaging from its own label ranges since the beginning of 2018