Social, Economic And Political Factors Affecting Food Security Flashcards
Land ownership - tenants, landless, employees on state-owned farms or commercial enterprises
Russia - Putin wanted to address land ownership in 2001 ( demand for private land has been low although private farmers in Saratov and Tatarstan has meant farming is more productive
26,000 private farmers - vast majority of other land is state-owned
China - pre 1949 ( small intensive farms worked by tenant farmers - paying half produce to the landlord
Post 1949 - Communist party redistributed land to the peasant farmers ( output was low and so farms were joined together into state run communes)
1982 - commune system was abolished and farmers took out contracts with the government to farm land rent-free
After producing a quota, the surplus was sold and improved food security. Land can now be sub-let
Bangladesh - share - cropping = farmers pay ‘rent in kind’ to the land owner to occupy the land
Bangladesh the landlord supplies the fertiliser, seed and machinery for a share of the harvest of 50% or more
This can result in farmers remaining poor and food insecure
Competition - in food markets
Increasing dominance of retail chains, agribusinesses and TNC’s - decreased competition
Leads to concern over the process paid to farmers for produce and the price consumers spend on food, particularly with food being the main expenditure for many people in the poorest income groups of AC’s and LIDC’s
Competition between AC’s and LIDC’S -any advantage LIDC’S do obtain is offset by government subsidies in AC’s For example the European market with food surplus and low global prices
Competition for scarce resources
Greater comp for land, water and energy resources
Agriculture land = lost to urbanisation and government decisions to grow biofuels on good quality land.
Technology
Improve production
Developments of new strains of seeds and fertilisers
Advances in mechanisation and land management ( irrigation )
AC’S can take more advance than LIDC’s due to capital and expertise
LIDC’S appropriate technology is MORE effective in improving food security ( drip-irrigation, simple tools manufactured locally rather than tractors and combines)
Land grabbing
Acquisition of farmland in developing countries by other countries seeking to ensure their own security
Globalisation has forced some countries short of productive such as India and china land by push factors such as price fluctuations, export restrictions on large producers and water scarcity therefore need to find alternative ways to improve food security.
Results in the poor people in target countries losing access to land that they may depend on.
Investors include:
- countries with water and land constraints but are rich in capital such as the gulf states
- counties with a large population and have food security concerns such as china and India
What are the benefits to target countries?
- local employment
- development of rural infrastructure
- resources and new intro to advanced technology
- local food surpluses and enhanced food security
What are the disadvantages to the target countries?
- local farmers may be displaced with no prospect of alternative employment
- unequal power relations between foreign governments and local farmers
- local farmers may face growing food insecurity if they do not gain from the produce.
Examples - china - democratic republic of Congo ( 2.8 ha for biofuel )
Kenya - Qatar ( 40,000 ha for fruit and veg cultivation in exchange for funding a $2.3 billion port )
Egypt - Sudan ( land for 2 million tonnes of wheat annually)
Land grabbing - Ethiopia
Ethiopian government currently lease out 1 million ha of land ( to investors growing cotton as a cash crop) and this is intended to triple which will be the size of Belgium
Benefits - boosted their GDP (over 3 years increased by 108% ), increased capital and technology
Growth has come from investors trying to get hold of fertile land
India paid $6.5 per ha and grow rice which is not a local food
How many people have been displaced - 280,000 people
Office for rural development say about benefits of ‘villageisation’ ( campaign moving people from their houses to purpose built houses which is funded by the world banks - brings food security and gives water,schools and services for those together
Displaced people were promised services that never appeared such as food aid was three months late and the Ethiopians cannot feed their children
Teachers never arrived meaning the children could not be educated which hinders there development.
Local tribes such as Nuers and Anuaks lose land due to taken land for commercial farms
Community have to survive of 2ha of land
Leased land in the Gambella region - India, China and Saudi Arabia
Food produced on foreign leased land - exported Europe
How have the Indian company improved productivity? 2 x crops a year, mechanics are improving efficiency and quicker.
Little government funding and equipment = limited production
