*The Challenge of Resource Management - Food Section C (Paper 2) Flashcards
This is one of the optional topics for 'The Challenge of Resource Management' topic. You have a choice between one of the following: food, water or energy. If you are unsure, ask your class teacher.
What is ‘food security’?
Having access to sufficient, nutritious and affordable food.
Which parts of the world consume high numbers of calories?
- Europe i.e. France
- North America (i.e. Canada and USA)
Which parts of the world consume low numbers of calories?
- South East Asia i.e. Indonesia
- Africa i.e. central Africa
Which parts of the world have a high global food supply?
- China
- India
- USA
- Brazil
- UK
Which parts of the world have a low global food supply?
Sub-Saharan Africa
Why do some countries have a high food production?
- Reliable farming methods
- High levels of intensive farming
- Suitable climate
- Government investment
Why do some countries have a low food production?
- Unreliable climate
- Frequent droughts
- Lack of investment / training
Name some areas of the world have food insecurity?
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
What is meant by ‘food surplus’?
A country that produces more food than it demands
What is meant by ‘food deficit’?
A country that produces less food than it demands
Why is food consumption increasing?
- Increasing global population
- Increasing wealth/affluence
How does economic development cause food consumption to increase?
- People can afford more variety of foods
- Wealthy countries import large amounts of produce
- Industrialising countries experience increasing populations which increases food demand
List the impacts of food insecurity
- Famine
- Undernutrition
- Soil erosion
- Rising food prices
- Conflict
What is ‘famine’?
A large scale shortage of food which leads to populations becoming malnourished.
What can cause famine?
- Drought leading to crop failure
- Political conflict
What are the consequences of famine?
- Serious malnourishment
- Weakness and inability to work
- Too weak to fight infection/ disease
- Death
What is undernutrition?
Lack of a balanced diet
What are the impacts of malnutrition?
- Weight loss
- Health issues
- Deficiency in vitamins and minerals
- Death
How does soil erosion link to food insecurity?
Insufficient knowledge of technology to effectively farm can lead to over cultivation of land. This dries out the soil and exposes it to winds which erode the soil. Cattle may overgraze or too many trees may be remove which causes soils to bake.
Identify the physical factors that can cause food insecurity
- Climate - too hot or dry to grow food
- Water stress - inability to water crops
- Pests / disease - inability to protect crops from diseases which can destroy a yield
Identify the human factors that can cause food insecurity
- Poverty - not being able to afford to buy or effectively grow foods
- Technology - not having the equipment to produce food
- Conflict - makes it difficult to obtain food, some militant groups may prevent food reaching places
How does food insecurity lead to increased food prices?
- Lower supply and high demand
- Rising cost of transport / fertilizers etc
How does food insecurity lead to social unrest?
Food riots when supply is low - often coincide with high food prices
How can food production be increased?
- Irrigation
- Aeroponics and hydroponics
- The ‘new’ green revolution
- Biotechnology
- Appropriate technology
What is irrigation?
Artificially watering land/crops
How does irrigation increase food supply?
- Irrigation can be used when there are water shortages
- Drip irrigation uses less water but directly waters crops
What are aeroponics?
Plants that are suspended in the air. They don’t need soil to grow
What are hydroponics?
Plants that grow in gravel mixed with a nutrient solution
How do aeroponics and hydroponics increase food supply?
- As they don’t require soil and much water, they are a more reliable yield
- Less likely to be affected by disease/pests
- Seasonal goods can be grown throughout the year
What is the ‘new’ green revolution?
A sustainable approach to farming that is more environmentally friendly that the initial Green Revolution of the 1950-60s.
How does the new Green Revolution increase food supply?
- Produces crops that are genetically modified to resist some diseases
- Move towards more organic farming methods to improve soil quality
- Use of irrigation
What is biotechnology?
Genetically modifying crops to improve yield
How does biotechnology increase food production?
- Genetically modified crops can withstand disease
- More resistant to drought
- Requires fewer resources to grow
What is meant by ‘appropriate technology’?
Technologies that are appropriate, suitable and affordable for the farmers that use them.
How does using appropriate technology increase food production?
Examples include water harvesting systems, drip irrigation, bicycles used to de-husk coffee beans. These strategies improve ability to produce crops quickly and efficiently.
What is the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS)?
An irrigation system that provides water for Pakistan’s farm land. It has 3 large dams with smaller dams to regulate water between the rivers connected in the system.
What are the advantages of Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS)?
- More water provided for crop production = higher yields
- Dams have provided potential for HEP
- More variety of food which has improved diets Increased profits from exported foods
What are the disadvantages of Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS)?
- Conflict over share of water
- Increased salinisation can be detrimental to soil quality
- Dams are costly to repair and maintain
- Water held in reservoirs evaporates in the summer
What is ‘sustainability’?
The ability to meet the needs of the current population without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs
What is organic farming?
Farming without using fertilizers or pesticides.
How can organic farming create a more sustainable food supply?
- More natural and less damaging to the environment
- Lack of fertilizers and pesticides means less of a reliance on unsustainable resources
- Reduction in air miles are food tends to be sold locally
What is ‘permaculture’?
Producing food in a way that mimics natural ecosystems.
How can permaculture create a more sustainable food supply?
- Individuals encouraged to grown own foods
- Altering diets to fit what is naturally produced
- Eat organic and locally sourced food
- Practicing crop rotation so to not exhaust soils
- Growing a mix of crops to make use of space and light
What is ‘urban farming’?
Using land in urban areas to farm e.g. roof tops, abandoned land.
How can urban farming create a more sustainable food supply?
- Range of fresh foods available which improves diet
- Creates employment
- Adds greenery to cities
- Urban areas become less dependent on intensive agricultural practices
- Attracts wildlife to cities
How can sourcing meat and fish from sustainable sources create a more sustainable food supply?
- Reduces over fishing
- Cattle rearing often involves clearing land and is generally bad for the environment
- Grass-fed meat provides natural manure for soil
- Organic farming reduces waste, chemicals and energy used.
How can seasonal food consumption create a more sustainable food supply?
Eating food that is in season reduces the amount of food that has to be imported. E.g. eating peaches outside of UK harvest means they have to be imported meaning more food miles.
What actions can be taken to reduce food waste?
- Sealed plastic bags to preserve food for longer
- Educate public on ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ labels
- Changing approach to food past its ‘sell by’
- More careful food storage
How can reducing food waste create a more sustainable food supply?
- Schemes such as ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ encourages and educates people on how to avoid food waste
- Encouraging composting reduces landfill
- Reducing waste will reduce demand
What is agroforestry?
Growing crops in amongst trees
How is agroforestry appropriate for countries like Mali?
Desertification is likely as the land is dry therefore, planting crops under the shade of trees improves the nutrient and moisture content of the soil and prevents soil erosion.
How does agroforestry work in Mali?
Farmers plant crops amongst trees. The plants add nitrogen to the soil which means no fertilizers need to be added. Leaf litter adds further nutrients to soil. Trees protect crops from wind.
How is agroforestry in Mali an example of sustainable food supplies?
- Increases food production
- Maintains soil health
- Doesn’t rely on overuse of chemicals
- Can be used continuously
What is a resource?
A stock or a supply of something that has a value or purpose e.g. food, energy, water.
Name 3 resources people need?
- Food
- Energy
- Water
What is undernutrition?
A poorly balance diet lacking in vitamins and minerals
How does a lack of food affect wellbeing?
- Lead to illness
- Illness leads to inability to work
In which continent are most undernourished people concentrated?
Africa
Why does the UK import so much food?
- Cheap from abroad
- UK produced food can be expensive
- UK climate unsuitable for some food types eg bananas
- Demand for seasonal produce all year
- Demand for more choice
What are food miles?
The distance travelled by food imported into the UK
What is a carbon footprint?
The measure of carbon dioxide produced by certain activities
How does food generate a carbon footprint?
- Producing, processing and packaging food releases CO2
- Food needs transporting which releases emissions
How is the UK tackling it’s dependency on imported food and increasing air miles?
- Moving towards more agribusiness
- Producing more organic food
- Encouraging people to buy locally
What is food security?
Securing a reliable food supply by reducing dependence on imported food and growing more food in the UK
What is agribusiness?
A farming methods that involves large scale, intensive farming, including production of fertilizers, farming methods are managed by one big firm. The aim is to produce as much as possible.
What are the charactreristics of agribusinesses?
- High levels of investment
- Modern technology used
- Chemical fertilisers used
- Intensive production
What is organic produce?
Food grown without the use of chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides)
Name an example of a large scale agricultural scheme
Almeria, Spain
why is their a large scale agricultural scheme in Almeria?
- The average temperature is 20 degrees C
- The region benefits from about 3,000 hours of sunlight
- has average rainfall of 200mm each year.
- Greenhouses have been built on over 26,000 hectares of land and they are used to grow out-of-season fruit and vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes and melons.
- Over 50% of Europe’s fruit and vegetables are grown here
- It generates income of $1.5 billion each year for the economy.
- The greenhouses are owned by both large corporations and individual farmers.
what are the advantages of Almeria?
- Creates employment for locals
- Use of hydroponics and drip irrigation saves water
- a desalination plant has been constructed in the local area
- low energy costs due to natural high temperatures and natural sunlight
- reasonably cheap produce all year round
- High tech businesses become interested and base them selves in the local area to provide R&D jobs
- fewer chemicals used
What are the disadvantages of Almeria?
- workers live in poor conditions and receive low wages
- social unrest between immigrants from different backgrounds
- construction of greenhouses destroys eco-systems
- plastics and chemical containers are left around
- plastic is dumped in the sea instead of being recycled affecting marine wildlife
- health risks from pesticides which effects both workers and local residents
- natural water sources dry up in droughts
