Food Flashcards
(40 cards)
Green revolution term
- this term is used to describe a series of transformations in agricultural practice in many parts of the developing world
Why green revolution
- eradicate famine
- increase food production
- change LEDC subsistence farming to commercial farming (western values)
Biochemical transformation
(Green Rev)
- achieved by increasing crop yields: using HYV variations of rice
- used MEDC technology to raise production levels
- seed selection, fertilisers, pesticides: increase yields and avoid animal interference
Who is Norman Borlaug?
- been called the father of the Green Revolution as he began producing high yield varieties of rice: starting in Mexico 1943
- since has won a Nobel peace prize and been credited with saving more than 1 billion people from starvation
Mechanical improvements
(Green Rev)
IRRIGATION: artificial application of water to the land or soil, used to aid the growth of artificial crops and to dry areas, also prevents weeds growing
FARM MECHANISMS: increasing the use of machines to farm, increase outputs and reduce the amount of hard labour
Soil transformations / Land reform
(Green Rev)
People were stuck in a cycle of subsistence farming: this helped change the outdated cultural reactions of land ownership
HOW?
- joining smaller inefficient family land holding: make bigger profits
- lending money to farmers
- improving rural roads: transport links: better access to domestic and world markets
BUT had catastrophic impacts on many small farmers
Effects of the Green Rev?
- in less than 5 years, yields of rice, wheat and maize rose by up to 40% in many countries in Asia (India and Bangladesh)
- almost 90% of wheat fields have this in Asia
- saved over 1 billion people
- lots of innovations but also lots of consequences
+ve Green Rev
- some employment
- local infrastructure improved
- yields increased 3-5 times than traditional
- multiple cropping: more crops per year/ season
- varied crops: varied diet
- surplus: sell: improved standard of living: improve work: machines: positive cycle
-ve Green Rev
- poorer families could not afford to set this up: lose business to the bigger people
- borrow money: large debts: in corrupt business’ hands
- looks to be helping but only the Roundup fertilisers work: expensive: debt: money to big business
- personally and environmentally damaging
- new machinery: can’t keep running / loss of jobs
CASY STUDY: CEREALS
in LEDCS
- demand is higher than ever
- becoming more dependant as populations rise
- the net cereal imports of these countries rose from 39 million tonnes a year in the mid 70s to 130 million tonnes in 97-99
CASE STUDY: CEREALS
the big producers
- traditionally Australia, N America, Argentina and Uruguay
- now they have rivals: the EU
- from being one of the biggest importers in the 70-80s: they are now one of the biggest exporters
- lots of help from gvt to do this
CASE STUDY: CEREALS
world trade
- production of cereals has grown rapidly since the 60s
- in the 80-90s demand for cereals started to come from NICs: wanting to feed their working population: produce went up for everybody
- some counties were importing cereals just to feed their livestock: HOWEVER Japan stopped this and just import meat
CASE STUDY: CEREALS
why so important?
- rich source of carbs: essential for energy and survival
- basis for most people’s diets: in some LEDCs their entire diets
- around 35% of our cereals are made for livestock
CASE STUDY: CEREALS
the basics
Cereals: a grass crop: starchy grains used for food: usually a staple part of a diet
Types: maize, barley, wheat, oats etc
- the amount is ever growing: Maize (61- 205m / 05-711m) barley (61- 72m / 05- 139m)
- change over seasons: malting and livestock when too cold for wheat
Define glacier
A mass of ice, moving slowly
POLAR/ICE SHEET: mass covering the land
VALLEY: a tongue shaped mass of ice, moving slowly down a valley
Define ice sheet
A body of ice covering an area of at least 50000km2 they are dome shaped and ice flows outwards from the centre
(Today’s ice sheets cover Antarctica and Greenland, with smaller sheets covering areas of Iceland, Spitsburg and Norway)
Define ice ages
The common term for the period when there were major cold phases with glaciers and ice sheets covering large areas of the world (the last ice ages lasted from about 2 million years ago to about 10000 BP)
Define fluvioglacial
Processes and landforms associated with the action of glacial meltwater
Define periglacial
Processes and landforms associated with the fringe of, and area rear and ice age or glacier: permantley frozen ground
Define tundra
A vast flat, treeless arctic region in which the subsoil is permantely frozen (Europe and North America)
Reasons why environments are cold
- high latitudes (less solar radiation)
- high altitudes (lower air pressure)
- reflection (85-90% reflected by snow)
- sun angle (atmosphere length longer: reflection higher)
- middle of the continent (far away from the sea)
- less water vapour (less warmth trapped)
- few day light hours (lack of energy)
- lots of ice (makes cold air sink)
The movement of a glacier
- compressing flow
- extended flow
- basal flow (slippage)
- creep
- surges
- rotational flow
- internal flow
Compressing flow
Occurs when there’s a reduction in the gradient of the valley floor leading to ice deceleration and thickening of ice mass: leads to increased erosion
Extending flow
Occurs when valley gradient becomes steeper: ice accelerates and becomes thinner: reduces erosion
