Sean's thing Flashcards
What is the global pattern of food consumption?
CHINA
Employs over 300 million farmers
Only 15% of land is actually cultivated
75% of cultivated land is used for growing food crops
25% of all food grown is rice (staple food source)
From 1978 – 1999, China saw a rise in most foods of 300%, and in some aquatic products experienced a rise of over 1000%
Caused mass depletion of aquifers
What is the global pattern of food consumption?
USA
2.2 million farmers, covering just under 1 billion acres, with a further 850,000 people employed in the farming sector
USA has an extremely high yield compared to most countries, due to developments in technologies
Produces 257 million tonnes of corn each year
Wheat, cow’s milk, and soybeans all reaching about a quarter of that at 65 million each year
What is the global pattern of food consumption?
KENYA
Dominated by subsistence agriculture with farmers being desperate to feed their own families
Half of production is non marketed (subsistence)
Agriculture takes up 24% of the countries GDP
Accounts for 18% of employment, and 50% of export revenues
What is the global pattern of food consumption?
UK
Highly intensified and mechanized production, designed to produce large amounts efficiently for exportation
Agriculture accounts for 0.5% of GDP
Use of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides
Maximization of land (Fig.16) to try and produce the highest number of yields. No longer individual farmers, and many are supported by larger firms
What factors promote or hinder food production?
CLIMATE, UK - CAMBRIDGE
Low temperatures limits the type of crops which can be grown ranging between 8-17 during the growing months from April to October, only allowing for the growth of Wheat, Poultry and Potatoes
Precipitation ranges from 33 to 54, peaking in June, with this being the main hindrance in the growth of crops with the need to supplement water supplies through irrigation
What factors promote or hinder food production?
RELIEF/ GEOLOGY - CAMBRIDGE VS LAKE DISTRICT
Cambridge is surrounded by high quality soils such as Alluvial and Peat
Allows for development of crops such as wheat and rape seed
Geology in the lake District means that no crops can be grown due to the poor acidic soil conditions
The mountainous regions also makes it very hard to farm any crops, and therefore it relies almost all on livestock, especially sheep
What factors promote or hinder food production?
Political, Trade Blocs, vs. Agreements
Trade blocs such as the EU allow for the free movement of goods and services, meaning that EU countries can compete against cheaper LEDCs
USA exports exceed $137 billion of food, with EU exceeding $120 billion as a total
Political agreements such as fair trade increased wages for workers in LEDCs, increasing them on average by 400%
Fair trade has been involved in $4.98 billion worth of trade, has 1.2 million farmers, and over 60 different countries engaged in it
Can food production be sustainably increased?
Cambridge Innovation Farm (booklet)
Cambridge innovation farm is an initiative of £2.7 million set up by the government to try and cope with the increased pressure on food supplies
Attempts to increase crop yields by 20%
Solely uses sustainable resources including sustainable energy and other energy sources such as Willow
Improved conditions of food, with reduction in toxins, alongside added nutrients and vitamins
Hydroponics/Aeroponics (booklet)
Growing plants in nutrient fed water
Similar to hydroponics, but is grown in air instead having the same pros and cons
+ No need for soil, so can be grown in most areas, and all year round
+ Eliminates plant diseases and weeds with no outdoor pests, resulting in reduced costs
- Can only grow certain plants such as
- Involves a huge energy cost in controlling the temperature
- Only grown in LEDCs due to the cost of technology
GM (booklet)
Indirect control of pests through the alteration of a crops DNA
Increased from 1.7 million hectares in 1996, to 175.2 million hectares in 2013, with 18 million farmers using them with almost half in China alone
BT Maize has its DNA altered so that it can protect crops for around £1billion worth of damage each year by pests
Still a large number of concerns over health risks, however was approved by the federation in 2011, and then larger exporters such as China in 2013
Green Rev/ Blue Rev
Occurred during the 1940-60s, aiming to increase agricultural produce especially in LEDCs, with development in high yield crops, pesticides and fertilisers
• Golden Rice
• Prevents 1-2 million deaths a year
• Provides Vitamin A in deficient countries
• Reduces blindness, with expected impact of 500,000 people
60% of fisheries are endangered
75% are overfished
Blue revolution intended to introduce methods such as Aquaculture to try and reduce impact on fisheries, by storing fish in circular tanks
• Increased employment by around 1000 businesses
• Shrimp production increased from 26,000 to 700,000
• Has led to 12,500 birds being trapped each year
WATER - what are the main case studies for “What physical factors determine the supply of water?”
- Murray Darling Basin (1200-600mm rainfall/ annum. Affected by El Nino)
- London Basin vs Lake District
(chalk aquifer vs granite and shales)
WATER - What are the main case studies for “How can water supply and demand be managed sustainably?”
Murray Darling
(water trading, cap, environmental flow)
Three Gorges Dam
(10% energy increase, 200 million provided with water)
Australian irrigation
(half-drip system, to trigger plants to believe they are in drought to preserve water)
WATER - human activites influencing supply and demand
Residential, SE Britain
- Highest water usage
- Low level rainfall
- Pop growth 0.8% annually
- Jan 2012 - 29.6% reservoirs ‘exceptionally low’, 40% below normal
ENERGY CASE STUDIES (4)
- China (fuel increase 5.3%/ yr, 22% export renewable energy)
- France (Nuclear - 75% of all energy + can recycle nuclear energy)
- UK (11% energy from wind supplies, 15% by 2020)
- Global (Kyoto - carbon credits, 192 countries)
