resource management Flashcards
what percentage of total food consumed is imports in UK
40% - is increasing
why does uk import so much food?
availability of cheaper food abroad
uk climate unsuitable for production of some foods
demand for more exotic and seasonal produce all year round
impact of importing food
travels long way, adds to carbon footprint - from commercial cultivation and transport.
agribusiness
recent trend in uk farming
land intensely farmed to maximise amount of food produced, pesticides and fertilisers widely used, machinery costs high but increase efficiency, small number of workers
example - lynford house farm, east anglia
organic produce
farming without the use of artifical chemicals - many people choose to pay higher price
example - riverford
began on farm in devon, now delivers organic vegetables from farms in devon, yorkshire, peterborough and hampshire, reduces food miles, provides local employment
what is a resource
stock or supply of something that has value or purpose - food water energy
most HICs have plentiful resources - many imported
many LICs and NEEs lack resources and struggle to improve quality of life
why is food significant
poorly balanced diet can lead to disease/illness, people need to be well fed in order to be productive, obesity is increasing problem
global inequalities of food
over 1 billion people do not get enough calories
under/malnutrition affects further 2 billion - countries in sub-saharan africa suffer most
why is water significant
essential for drinking
vital for crops
used to produce energy
global inequalities of water
variation in climate and rainfall affect supply
capture storage and extraction is expensive
many poor countries have shortages - use most water for agriculture
HICs use most in industry
why is energy significant
needed for light, heat and power
powers factories
provides fuel for transport
global inequalities of energy
richer countries consume more that poorer
middle east is major oil supplier but its own consumption is low
NEEs becoming more industrialised so demand will increase
water demand in UK
almost 50% used domestically
demand estimated to rise by 5% because of rapidly growing population, more houses increase in the use of water-intensive domestic appliances (dishwashers)
what is water SURPLUS and where does it occur in uk and why
supply exceeds demand
north and west
because there is quite heavy rainfall but not as high population as some places
what is water DEFICIT and where does it occur in uk and why
demand exceeds supply
south and east
because there is lower rainfall but a higher population
what is water stress and where does it occurs the most in uk
water stress happens where there is water deficit
south east
challenges with water transfer
effect on land and wildlife
high cost
greenhouse gases released by pumping water over long distances
maintaining water quality
by environment agency:
filtering water to remove sediment
purifying water by adding chlorine
imposing strict regulations
what have some groundwater sources been polluted by
industrial sites discharge
agriculture chemical fertilisers
leaching from old underground mines
how has uk’s energy mix/usage changed
consumption has fallen due to to decline of heavy industry and energy conservation - low energy appliances, building insulation, fuel-efficient cars
renewable has become more important but coal and gas are the biggest sources
why has energy mix/usage changed
about 75% of uk’s known oil and gas reserves used up
concerns about greenhouse gas emissions
uk’s energy security
affected because becoming increasingly dependent on imported energy
will fossil fuels continue to be important in the future and why
yes
uk’s remaining reserves will provide energy for several decades
coal imports are cheap
shale gas deposits may be exploited in the future
economic impacts of nuclear energy
power plants expensive to build
decommissioning old plants is expensive
new plants provide jobs
environmental impacts of nuclear energy
problem of safe processing and storage of radioactive waste
waste ca harm local ecosystems
economic impacts of wind farms
high construction costs
local homeowners can have lower energy bills
environmental impacts of wind farms
visual impact of landscape
helps reduce carbon footprint
noise from wind turbines
global patterns of food consumption
canada usa and europe consume the most calories
sub-saharan africa’s daily calories intake per head in below recommended 2000-2400kcal
why is global consumption increasing
growing population
increasing levels of development so people can afford to buy more food
improved transport and storage means more food available
global patterns of food supply
usa brazil and uk have high outputs due to intensive farming ad investment
china and india have large populations and high agricultural outputs
sub-saharan africa produces less food due to unreliable rainfall, low investment and lack of training
food security
having access to enough affordable nutritious food to maintain a healthy life
food surplus
more food produced than needed by their population
food deficit
not enough food produced to feed population and have to rely on imports - can lead to food insecurity
food supply (affect of climate)
regions experiencing extreme temperature and rainfall struggle to produce food
food supply (affect of technology)
HICs - mechanisation and agribusiness give high levels of productivity
food supply (affect of pests and diseases)
spread from the tropics with rising temperatures
food supply (affect of water stress)
lack of water affects many areas that suffer food scarcity
food supply (affect of conflict)
can lead to destruction of crops and livestock
food supply (affect of poverty)
poorest people cannot afford technology, irrigation or fertilisers
impacts of food insecurity (famine)
widespread shortage of food causing malnutrition, starvation and death
from seasons of low rainfall, poor harvests and death of livestock
sometimes conflict blocks aid which makes it worse
impacts of food insecurity (rising prices)
because of increased cost of fertilisers, food storage and transportation
impacts of food insecurity (soil erosion)
the removal of fertile top soil layers by wind and water:
overgrazing - animals reduce amount of vegetation which exposes land
growing too many crops - uses up valuable nutrients
cultivation of marginal land to increase food production
deforestation - removes protective covering, increases surface runoff
impacts of food insecurity (undernutrition)
lack of balanced diet, deficiency in minerals and vitamins
causes lots of deaths
impacts of food insecurity (social unrest)
food riots linked to large increase in price of food
increasing food supply (irrigation)
artificial watering of land
involves construction of expensive dams and reservoirs
benefits larger commercial farming
increasing food supply (aeroponics)
plants sprayed with fine water mist containing nutrients, excess water reused, enables small scale farmers to increase yields and lower production costs
increasing food supply (hydroponics)
roots of plants submerged in water with dissolved nutrients, mineral wool used as growth medium, grown at waist height so easier to harvest
increasing food supply (appropriate technology)
using skills or materials that are cheap and easily available to increase output without putting people out of work
particularly for people living in poorer countries
increasing food supply (biotechnology)
genetically modified crops which produce higher yield and use fewer chemicals
opposition in uk because of environmental and human health effects
increasing food supply (the new green revolution)
focuses on sustainability and community, in 2006, indian government began ‘second’ green revolution - water harvesting, irrigation, soil conservation, irrigation, improving seed and livestock quality using science and technology
allowed indian state Bihar to double rice output
IBIS
largest continuous irrigation system in world
three large dams and over a hundred small dams regulate water flow
link canals enable water to be transferred between rivers
smaller canals distribute water across the countryside
over 1.6 million km of ditches and streams provide irrigation for pakistan’s agricultural land
why is indus river important
sources its water from melting snow and heaving rain from the himalayas
south pakistan gets lower levels of rainfall than restof country so relies on the river for irrigation
farming important due to increasing price of food - pakistan grows a surplus of food but the cost has increased 18% within the last year, 37% of pop. face food insecurities
water extremely important for successful farming - irrigation can double amount food produced
advantages of IBIS
- increased amount of land irrigated which increases amount of crops grown
- large portion of pakistan economy made up of agriculture so important to keep farmin running and profiting
- reservoirs home to fish farms, provides jobs and source of protein for locals
disadvantages of IBIS
- isn’t distributed fairly (inequality), could be source of conflict
- farmers not trained in irrigation, leads to more levels of salt in salt (salinization) damages crop growth and leave ground unfarmable in future
- costly to maintain and repair
what is sustainable food supply
ensures that fertile soil, water and environmental resources are available for future generations
sustainable food supply (permaculture)
system of food production which follows the patterns and features of natural ecosystems
harvesting rainwater
crop rotation
managing woodland
sustainable food supply (urban farming)
cultivating processing and distribution of food in and around settlements
turn waste land into productive farmland, providing jobs, easier access to healthy food
sustainable food supply (fish)
setting catch limits
monitoring fish breeding and fishing practices
sustainable food supply (meat)
small-scale livestock farms - free range or organic methods
may be more expensive
quality and animal welfare standards higher
sustainable food supply (seasonal food consumption)
in past, food was only available ‘in season’ local food sourcing more sustainable - reduces food miles and carbon footprint
reduces energy need to grow and transport food, reduces CO2 emissions, gives support to local community, food from a long way might be more expensive, food production follows natural seasonal cycle
reducing food waste
improve food storage methods
clearer best before/use by dates
more sensible approach to food past sell by date
using sealed bags to make fresh food last longer
makeuni county
eastern kenya
average annual rainfall 500mm - effects crop output and health of pop. which affects development
pop. 885000
makueni food and water security programme
improving access to a clean and safe water supply by building sand dams
rainwater harvesting tank on the school roof
providing a reliable source of water for crops and livestock
training programme to support local farmers
growing trees - reduce soil erosion, increase biodiversity, provide medicinal products
impacts of makeuni programme
crop yields and food security has increased
water-borne diseases have decreased
less time wasted fetching water - more time for work or education
school has safe and clean water supply
how do sand dams work
trap sand laden water
sand sinks
water and lighter fertile silt flow over the dam, irrigating land
water stored in dam can be pumped out and used to supply village
