Theme 3 - 3.2 - Food Production Flashcards

1
Q

Define system.

A

A practice in which there are recognisable inputs, processes and outputs.

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2
Q

Define irrigation.

A

Supplying dry land with water by systems of ditches and also by more advanced means.

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3
Q

Define economies of scale.

A

The reduction in unit costs as the scale of an operation increases.

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4
Q

Define agricultural technology.

A

The application of techniques to control the growth and harvesting of animal and vegetable products.

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5
Q

Define land tenure.

A

The ways in which land is or can be owned.

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6
Q

Define Green Revolution.

A

The introduction of high-yielding seeds and modern agricultural techniques in developing countries.

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7
Q

Why can farms and general types of farming be seen as systems?

A

They require INPUTS into the farm, PROCESSES which take place on the farm and OUTPUTS from the farm.

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8
Q

What is the aim of agricultural ‘systems’?

A

To produce the best possible outputs.

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9
Q

When is a profit generatedby an agricultural system?

A

When the income rom selling the outputs is greater than the costs of the inputs and processes.

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10
Q

Give some examples of inputs into a farming system.

A
  • Land
  • Energy
  • Labour
  • Machinery
  • Administrative and organisational costs
  • Fertlisers
  • Pesticides
  • Seeds
  • Soils and rain
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11
Q

What types of inputs into an agricultural system are there?

A
  • Physical (e.g. Climate, Relief, Soil)

- Human and economic (e.g. Machinery, Fertiliser, Labour)

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12
Q

Give some examples of processes in a farming system.

A
  • Preparing land
  • Ploughing
  • Harrowing
  • Manuring
  • Sowing
  • Fertilising
  • Weeding
  • Pest control
  • Harvesting
  • Animal rearing
  • Feeding
  • Milking/Shearing/Calving
    (- Recycling product from last year)
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13
Q

Give some examples of outputs from a farming system.

A
  • Crops
  • Animal products
  • Animals
  • Waste
    (- Profit)
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14
Q

What are the three types of output that a farming system produces?

A
  1. Main product
  2. By-product
  3. Waste product
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15
Q

Give an example of the main product, by-product and waste-product of a system.

A

System - Wheat farm

  1. Main product - Wheat grain
  2. By-product - Straw bales for animal feed
  3. Waste - Stubble, which is burned or ploughed in to enrich soil next year
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16
Q

Define arable farming.

A

Cultivation of crops and not animals. It can be concentrated on one or more crop.

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17
Q

Define pastoral farming.

A

Keeping livestock such as dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, pigs. (Crops may have to be grown to feed these)

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18
Q

Define mixed farming.

A

Cultivating crops and keeping livestock together on a farm.

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19
Q

Define subsistence farming.

A

The most basic form of agriculture, where the prodcue is consumed entirely or mainly by the family who work the land or tend the livestock.

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20
Q

Define commercial farming.

A

Farming where the onjective is to sell everything the farm produces, while maximising profit.

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21
Q

Define extensive farming.

A

Production of a relatively small amount of produce from a large area of land using low inputs of labour, fertiliser, etc. (but the total yield may be high)

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22
Q

Define intensive farming.

A

Production of a large amounts of produce from a small amount of land using high inputs of labour, fertiliser, etc.

23
Q

Define organic farming.

A

Farming which does not use manufactured chemicals - i.e. There are no chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides

24
Q

What do organic farms use instead of chemical fertilisers?

A
  • Animal and green manures

- Mineral fertilisers, such as fish and bone meal

25
Q

What distinctions are there between different farming types?

A
  • Arable, pastoral or mixed farming
  • Subsistence or commercial farming
  • Extensive or intensive farming
  • Organic or non-organic farming
26
Q

Define sedentary farming.

A

Farming the same area of land year after year.

27
Q

Define nomadic/shifting farming.

A

Moving from place to place to find grazing or fertile soils.

28
Q

What is the difference between arable, pastoral and mixed farming?

A

Arable: Cultivating crops
Pastoral: Rearing animals
Mixed: Mix of arable and pastoral farming

29
Q

What is the difference between subsistence and commercial farming?

A

Subsistence: Farming to feed the family of the worker
Commercial: Farming for a profit

30
Q

What is the difference between extensive and intensive farming?

A

Extensive: Low yield per area, over a large area
Intensive: High yield per area, over a small area

31
Q

What is the difference between organic and non-organic farming?

A

Organic: Does not use chemical fertilisers

Non-organism: Uses chemical fertilisers

32
Q

Give an example of commercial farming.

A

Cereal farming in the US.

33
Q

Give an example of subsistence farming.

A

Rice cultivation in the Ganges valley.

34
Q

Give an example of intensive farming.

A

Rice cultivation in the Ganges valley.

35
Q

Give an example of extensive farming.

A
  • Cattle ranches in Australia

- Cereal farming in the US

36
Q

What types of factors influence agricultural land use?

A
NATURAL
- Physical
HUMAN
- Economic
- Social/Cultural
- Political
37
Q

Explain how physical factors affect agricultural land use.

A
  • Temperature -> Each crop requires minimum growing temperature and minimum growing season
  • Latitude, altitude, distance from sea -> Affect temperature and moisture
  • Precipitation -> Amount and distribution
  • Soil type and fertility
  • Aspect and angle of slope
  • Water availability
38
Q

Explain how economic factors affect agricultural land use.

A
  • Cost of growing/rearing
  • Price of product -> May change frequently
  • Cost of buildings and machinery -> Difficult to change produce type
  • Size of farm -> Economies of scale
  • Cost of transport of produce to market
  • Country’s agricultural tech level
39
Q

Explain how social/cultural factors affect agricultural land use.

A
  • Tradition -> Some cultures value certain arming types
  • Land tenure -> Inheritance laws have an impact on size of farm
  • Gender -> In some societies, women have unequal access to and control of land
40
Q

Explain how political factors affect agricultural land use.

A
  • Policies -> Controls on production, etc.
41
Q

What 3 food problems were highlighted by the UN in 2012?

A
  1. Global grain reserves at critically low levels
  2. Rising food prices creating unrest
  3. Extreme weather resulting in climate being ‘no longer reliable’
42
Q

What are some causes of food shortages?

A
NATURAL
- Soil exhaustion
- Drought, Floods + Tropical Cyclones
- Pests
- Disease
HUMAN
- Low capital investment
- Rapidly rising population
- Poor distribution / Transport difficulties
- Conflict situations
- Lack of emergency plans
- Corruption and political instability
- AIDS
- Higher demand for meat and dairy in MEDCs
43
Q

What are some effects of food shortages?

A
  • Low birthweight children -> Prone to illness and short lifetime
  • Reduced resistance to disease
  • Reduced capacity to work
  • Marasmus
  • Kwashiokor
  • Death
  • Reduced brain development
  • Impact on country’s economy
  • Livestock deaths
  • Loss of education
    BUT ALSO
  • Encourages food aid
  • Encourages more efficiently farming techniques to be created
44
Q

What is marasmus and what are the characteristics?

A
  • Disease caused by malnutrition that affects children under 1 year old
  • Characteristics: Old man’s face, anxious look, thin muscles, little fat, very underweight
45
Q

What is kwashiokor and what are the characteristics?

A
  • Disease caused by malnutrition that affects children 1-5 years old
  • Characteristics: Ginger hair, moon face, thin muscles, swollen extended belly, skin change, usually underweight
46
Q

How can crop production be increased?

A
  • GM crops
  • Better irrigation
  • Change in crop type
  • Fertilisers
  • Grazing quotas
  • Crop rotation
47
Q

What are some possible solutions to food shortages?

A
  • Food aid
  • Green Revolution + HYVs
  • Land reform -> Increasing farm size + setting upper limit to land ownership
  • Appropriate technology -> Low-cost irrigation schemes + building simple water-pumps
  • Education
  • Improving distribution
  • Population policies
48
Q

What is the Green Revolution?

A

An increase in crop production in developing countries achieved by the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties.

49
Q

What are the different types of aid?

A
  • Governmental -> Given by rich country to poor country, but often with ties
  • International organisations -> Given by organisations like the World Bank
  • Voluntary -> Non-governmental organistaions, like Oxfam, collect money and gifts from people in LEDCs
50
Q

What are the different time periods for aid?

A
  • Short-term/Emergency -> Needed to cope after natural disasters, etc.
  • Long-term/Sustainable -> Organisations help people in LEDCs to sustain themselves
51
Q

What are the advantages of food aid?

A
  • Can save lives in times of disaster
  • Helps rebuild lives after disaster
  • Can improve healthcare + infrastructure
  • Encourages development of local skills
  • Improves health and living standards
  • Can help countries use their natural resources + develop power supplies
52
Q

What are the disadvantages of food aid?

A
  • Increases dependency on donors
  • May not reach those in need -> Due to corruption
  • Can put economic or political pressure on receiving country
  • Expensive -> Transport costs
  • Use of money may be heavily influenced by donor
  • Tied aid -> With strings attached
53
Q

What are some disadvantages of the Green Revolution?

A
  • High fertiliser and pesticide amounts needed -> Cost economically and environmentally
  • Salinisation and waterlogged soils -> Increase due to expansion of irrigation
  • Chemical effect on biodiversity
  • Health problems due to contaminated water
  • Some crops are low in minerals and vitamins