Sustainable Food Flashcards
How many people were living with food insecurity in 2006?
850 million
What did the Green Revolution bring?
globally food was grown at lower cost, and globalisation has facilitated the movement of food more cheaply over larger distances
How many are in food entitlement deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa?
96%
How many more people per year join the world’s hungry?
4 million
What are the short term threats to food availability?
Climate change, biofuels competition
What are the two types of farming technique?
Eco-centric or techno-centric
What are under pressure at a farm level?
Soil, water and biodiversity
What does under-nourishment register at?
Less than 2000 calories per day
What does under-nutrition do?
Weakens people’s ability to fight infection - accounting for 12% deaths worldwide
What the root causes of under-nutrition?
Unfair trade, trade restrictions and SAPsMilitary and civil conflictShort term climate change
How many adults are overweight in the world?
1.6 billion adults (25%)
What is the western-style diet known as?
Globesity
What does overnutrition lead to?
- Cardiovascular disease- Diabetes- Musculoskeletal disease- reduced life expectancy
What is the correlation between obesity and affluency?
There is not a straightforward correlation between between levels of affluency and obesity
Why are the Russian Steppes fertile lands?
Fertile, deep black chernozem soils, key supplier of foods
What are the characteristics of soil?
Depth, degree of acidity, moisture-holding capacity, texture and susceptibility to erosion
What are the threats of:- Machinery- Chemical Fertilisers- Pesticides- Herbicides and fungicides- Anti-biotics
- Machinery: Pollution - fossil fuel consumption + increased air miles- Chemical Fertilisers: Pollution - eutrophication of water- Pesticides: Toxic materials such as DDT entering the food chain- Herbicides and fungicides: Same as above- Anti-biotics: Anti-biotic resistant bacteria
Two ways of improving food supply
Intensification: yielding more from existing farm landsExtensification: New areas are farmed in marginal lands made possible by tech
What was the Green Revolution?
- 1960s, increased production in Asia and Africa through High Yield Varieties (HYV) of wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and millet- Talks of a second Green Revolution - Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) = Rockerfeller and Gates funded - integrated pest management (IPM)
what is the Gene Revolution?
Genetic modification - DNA splicing to gain resistance to herbicidesTNC controlled, such as Monsanto
What are the arguments against gm crops?
- could virtually eliminate biodiversity- few tncs control - monopoly - seeds are infertile - problem is not shortage, but distribution of food- fear of Frankenstein crops
What was the blue revolution?
Aquaculture - growth of fish in controlled environments - industry is growing some 10% per year
What are the issues with technological advances
Maintenance issues - expensive - Russian donations of tractors to Africa symbolic
What is high technology?
Precision / smart farming - information technology to optimise output Satellite navigation - 2cm fuel and seed supply accuracy PNT technology - using controlled fertilisers - amine Infrared technology to scan soils - degradation in Kenya
Intermediate technology, what is it?
Low tech ideas - permaculture, zero grazing technology
What is Via Campesina?
Global international peasant movement - food sovereignty over security
