What are the causes of INEQUALITY in Global Food Security? Flashcards
Key Idea ~ a number of INTERRELATED factors can influence food security
Physical factor ~ SOIL TYPES
CLAY:
- heavy & acidic
- high levels of nutrients and organic matter
- small particle size
- high water retention can lead to
waterlogging.
PROBLEMS ~ poorly drained , acidity
SOLUTIONS ~ drainage pipes , add lime
SANDY:
- well drained
- light
- less acidic
PROBLEMS ~ prone to drought, leaching
SOLUTIONS~ irrigation, add clay
SILTY:
- poor organic matter and mineral content.
-small pore size means water is retained
PROBLEMS ~ moisture deficiency
SOLUTIONS ~ irrigation
LOAM:
- well aerated
- little erosion
- best for agriculture due to mix of clay, sand and silt.
Physical factor ~ SOIL CHARACTERISTICS
TEXTURE:
- The size of mineral particles in the soil.
- Determines the soils ability to store
nutrients and hold moisture.
STRUCTURE:
- The way the soil particles are bound together to form soil aggregates
- Allow water , air and plant roots to penetrate the soil.
NUTRIENT SUPPLY:
- Chemical elements are supplied by the soil for GROWTH.
- nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium
- Partly decomposed matter increases nutrient supply.
Physical factor ~ TEMPERATURE & GROWING SEASON
Crops require :
- a minimum threshold temperature
- a growing season of a specific length
Examples int the UK:
- Cereals ~ temperature of 6 degrees
- Cotton ~ 200 day growing season
- Wheat ~ 90 day growing season
Physical factor ~ PRECIPITATION & WATER SUPPLY
EFFECTIVENESS & SEASONSAL DISTRIBUTION :
- In some countries there is an UNCERTAIN balance between precipitation and food production.
Example ~ INDIA:
- Depend heavily on the annual monsoon rains.
- If these are late or fail, it severely impacts on food security.
INTENSITY & DURATION:
- Prolonged periods of moderate intensity rainfall can INFILTARTE the soil.
- Heavy down pours promote RAPID RUN-OFF.
- Moisture often fails to reach the root zone of crops.
Physical factor ~ ALTITUDE
Shows how climate , soils and growing seasons are all INTERLINKED.
As height INCREASES:
- Temperature DECREASES
- Snow and precipitation INCREASES
- Growing season DECREASES
- Soils take longer to develop
- Nutrient recycling is slower
- Leaching ( wash away of nutrients)
becomes more frequent.
Physical factor ~ ASPECT
- The compass orientation of a slope.
- Determines MICROCLIMATE
In the northern hemisphere, south-facing slopes :
- Receive more SUNLIGHT
- Warmer and have drier soils
- crops can grow at HIGHER ALTITUDES
North-facing slopes have LOWER:
- Temperatures
- Evapotranspiration
Physical factor ~ SLOPE ANGLE
Affects:
- Rate of erosion
- Use of machinery
- soil depth
SOIL ON STEEP SLOPES :
- Thin
- Poorly developed
- Excessively drained
SOIL AT THE BASE:
- waterlogged
SOIL ON GENTLER SLOPES:
- less movement of water through soil
- less erosion
- reduced leaching
SEP factor ~ Land Ownership
Farmers are either:
- Owner occupiers
- Tenants
- Landless labourers on state-owned farms
RUSSIA:
- 26,000 farms are private
- The vast majority remain under state ownership
BANGLADESH:
- ‘share- cropping’
- Landlord provides inputs for farming
- In exchange for a share of the harvest
- usually 50%+ leaving farmers poor & food insecure.
SEP Factor - Technology
- Technological developments such as new strains of seeds and fertilisers & new methods of irrigation can improve production.
- However , it FAVOURS AC’s due to their greater CAPITAL reserves & EXPERTISE.
- Creates a larger divide between the food insecurity of AC’s and LIDC’s .
- LIDCS often used appropriate technology which are often more SMALL-SCALE.
Example ~drip irrigation schemes & simple tools manufactured locally.
SEP Factor ~ Capital
AC’s farming is CAPITAL INTENSIVE:
- Investment is supplied by banks , private investors & Governments.
LIDC’s farming is LABOUR INTENSIVE:
- Limits output leading to food insecurity
SEP Factor ~ Competition
FOOD MARKETS:
- DECREASE in competition
- Due to the growing dominance of retail chains, agribusiness & TNC’s.
-Caused exploitation of prices paid to farmers for their produce and the prices consumers have to be for food.
SCARCE RESOURCES:
- Greater competition for land, water & energy.
- lad is lost to urbanisation
- Government decision to grow biofuels on good quality agricultural land , decreases food production.
SEP factor ~ Land Grabbing
Land grabbing ~ the acquisition of farmland in developing countries by other countries seeking to ensure their own food security.
WHY:
Countries such as China & India :
- shortage of productive land
- water scarcity
- price fluctuations
TWO TYPES OF INVESTORS:
- Countries with land an water constraints but rich in capital e.g The Gulf States
- Countries with a large populations and food security concerns e.g China & India
The advantages & disadvantages for target countries ~ Land Grabbing
ADVANTAGES:
- Creation of local employment
- Development of rural infrastructure
- Resourcing and introduction of new agricultural technologies
- Creation of local food surpluses
DISADVANTAGES:
- Local farmers displaced from their own land with no alternative employment
- Creation of unequal power relations between foreign national government and local farmers.
Thomas Malthus Theory
KEY IDEA:
An OPTIMUM population exists in relation to food supply an that any increase in population beyond this THRESHOLD would lead to:
‘ WAR, FAMINE & DISEASE’
TWO PRINCIPLES:
- Population growth is geometric
- Food supply growth is arithmetic
This means population growth would inevitably OUTSTRIP the growth in food supplies.
Malthus’ ‘preventative checks’ and why his theory was proved INACCURATE
- Malthus argued the ‘natural checks’ ( famine, disease & war) could be AVOIDED
PREVENTATIVE CHECKS such as :
- Abstinence
- Later marriage to control fertility
PROVED INACCURATE:
- Food production has increased massively
over past two centuries - High yielding variety of crops (HYVs)
- Use of AGROCHEMICALS
- Land reclamation
Ester Boserup Theory
KEY IDEA:
- Agreed population growth will increase the demand for food
- However, it will push up prices and incentivise farmers to raise production
- Population changes drive the intensity of agricultural production
- ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’
Current food productivity needs to be ENHANCED:
- Cultivating more land
- Advanced technology
- Intensifying production e.g irrigation &
multi-cropping - Elimination of food waste
CONCERNS for Ester Boserup theory
- Places with the GREATEST FOOD SHORTAGES tend to have the LOWEST agricultural technology levels
LICs still have effective systems:
- Harvesting water form the air
- Create indoor lighting by using recycled
soda bottles
