Food: Gateway 1 (Indicators, Causes and Consequences of Variance in Food Consumption

Question 1

List the indicators of food consumption

Answer 1

1. Food consumption per capita
2. Daily calorie intake per capita
3. Percentage of starchy food staples

Question 2

What is food consumption per capita and how is it measured?

Answer 2

• Average amount of food each consumes each year
• Measured in kg/capita/year

Question 3

What is daily calorie intake per capita and how is it measured?

Answer 3

• Energy obtained from food consumed by each daily
• Measured in kilocalories

Question 4

What is percentage of starchy foods consumed and how is it measured?

Answer 4

• The amount of starch taken as a staple
• Meausured in percentage of all calorie intake

Question 5

What are the broad categories of the causes for variance in food consumption patterns?

Answer 5

1. Economic
2. Socio-cultural factors
3. Political factors

Question 6

What are the economic factors for the causes of variance in food consumption patterns?

Answer 6

1. Disposable income
2. Pricing

Question 7

What are the socio-cultural factors for the causes of variance in food consumption patterns?

Answer 7

1. Food preferences
2. Population growth
3. Religious belief

Question 8

What are the political factors for the causes of variance in food consumption patterns?

Answer 8

1. Stablility in food supply
2. Food safety

Question 9

How does disposable income affect variance in food consumption patterns? What kind of factor is it? Give an example.

Answer 9

Economic

• Disposable income = amount of income left after taxes
• Higher DI = more purchasing power for larger amount and variety of food
• Usually more meat

Eg: Taiwan (1959-1991)
- High economic growth, became DC
- Rice consumption halved, meat quadrupled, fruit climbed 5 times, fish doubled

Question 10

How does pricing affect variance in food consumption patterns? What kind of factor is it? Give an example.

Answer 10

Economic

• LDCs more affected by pricing than DCs because LDCs have less disposable income

Eg: Food price rising dramatically worldwide (2006-2008)
- Global food crisis
- Brought by economic, political instability, social unrest
- Prices of staples rose more than the rest
- LDCs: many on the brink of chronic hunger, led to riots and protests
- DCs: turned to cheaper options for food
- Speculation on food shares caused inflated demand on food, prices skyrocketed

Question 11

How does food preferences affect variance in food consumption patterns? What kind of factor is it? Give an example.

Answer 11

Socio-cultural

• Affected by health, morals, income and environment

Eg: Fast food vs organic food
- Fast food cheaper and convienient
- Organic food healthier, pricier, growing consumption in DCs due to rising health concerns

Question 12

How do religious beliefs affect variance in food consumption patterns? What kind of factor is it? Give an example.

Answer 12

Socio-cultural

• Affects choice of food and food preparation

Eg:
Islam- halal
Buddhism and Hinduism- largely vegetarian
Judaism- kosher foods

Question 13

How does population growth affect variance in food consumption patterns? What kind of factor is it?

Answer 13

Socio-cultural

• Pop. growth is higher in LDCs than DCs
• Greater demand for food in LDCs

Question 14

How does stability of food supply affect variance in food consumption patterns? What kind of factor is it? Give 2 examples.

Answer 14

Political
- Influenced by safety, nutritional level, availability, cost of food to the population
- Need the government to take action to ensure stability
- Actions include: increasing food production (tech, more land used for farming etc.), and increasing food import (easier in DCs as they have income to manage fluctuations in prices

Eg: Jamaica, 2004 hurricane disaster
- Unable to import food due to costs

Eg2: Zimbabwe, 2008 drought
- Ruined corn crops for rural and neglected areas

Question 15

How does food safety affect variance in food consumption patterns? What kind of factor is it? Give 2 examples.

Answer 15

Political

-System that provides guidelines and ensures proper handling, preparation and storage of food to prevent food-bourne diseases and removing food from shelves after sell-by dates

Eg: Mad Cow Disease
- Government had to cull cows and advise against consumption of beef

Eg2: Japan, Tohoku, 2011
- Nuclear reactor explosion contamintated farmland and water
- Seafood imports from Japan to Singapore restricted

Question 16

List the categories where there are consequences of variations in food consumption patterns?

Answer 16

HEPS

1. Health impacts
2. Economic impacts
3. Political impacts
4. Social impacts

Question 17

What are the negative consequences of variations in food patterns on health?

Answer 17

1. Malnutrition
2. Ill-health
3. Starvation
4. Obesity

Question 18

What are the negative consequences of variations in food patterns on economies?

Answer 18

1. Lower productivity
2. Higher public health expenditures
3. Long term debt

Question 19

What are the negative consequences of variations in food patterns on political issues?

Answer 19

1. Social unrest

Question 20

What are the negative consequences of variations in food patterns on society?

Answer 20

1. Scavenging
2. Food wastage
3. Dieting

Question 21

Describe malnutrition as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 21

• Not enough nutrients to maintain healthy tissues and organs
• Affects LDCs more than DCs

Eg: Congo- 75% malnourished
Eg2: 5 million children die each year from malnutrition worldwide

Question 22

Describe ill-health as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 22

• Due to inadequate food consumption

Eg: Vitamin A; visual impairment, diarrhea and measles (body unable to fight diseases); more so in LDCs

Eg2: Vitamin D and calcium; osteoporosis, more fragile bones; common in both DCs and LDCs

Question 23

Describe starvation as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 23

• Extreme hunger from severe lack of food (extreme malnutrition)
• More so in LDCs (poorer, unstable political situations)

Eg: Mali, 2012
- 5 million threatened with starvation due to poor harvest and civil rebellion

Question 24

Describe lower productivity due to malnutrition as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 24

• Imbalanced nutrients; fall sick regularly, less goods produced
• Children fall sick regularly; loss of school days, educational opportunities; less able to seek employment

Eg: LDCs
- Low productivity
- Poor health
- Farmers less innovative, less experimental, unable to implement improvements

Question 25

Describe higher public health expenditures as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 25

- More people fall sick--> greater demand for health services--> increase cost of providing healthcare Eg: LDCs - Increased to healthcare--> less for development of other areas (education, housing, transportation etc) - Slows development

Question 26

Describe long-term debt as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 26

- Food aid and financial aid given to help people and countries cope Eg: USA - Contributes 50% of global aid - Food aid has to be purchased before export - Prices are 34% more expensive than local prices - LDCs incur losses up to USD$7bn--> leads to national debt

Question 27

Describe social unrest as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 27

- Situations of inadequate food supply bring about political instability Eg: Mozambique, 2010 - Food prices rose by 30% due to drought in Russia - Peaceful marches turned to violent demonstrations, wounding and killing

Question 28

Describe scavenging as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 28

- Searching through what had been thrown away in order to consume whatever is fouond to prevent starvation - Carries health risk as food carries high bacteria or chemicals - Place scavengers in dangerous situations - Perceived as a nuisance to public Eg: Philippines, Smokey Mountain - Set up makeshift homes next to dump to have easy and quick access to waste; make a living through picking through rubbish

Question 29

Describe obesity as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 29

- Leads to health problems such as high blood pressure, coronary heart diseases diabetes, cancer - More so in DCs than LDCs Eg: USA - 31% by 2000 - Rising incomes of LDCs making it more common there too Eg2: Mexico, South Africa

Question 30

Describe lower productivity due to obesity as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 30

- Imbalanced nutrients; fall sick regularly, less goods produced - Children fall sick regularly; loss of school days, educational opportunities; less able to seek employment Eg: USA - High BMI more likely to fall sick or be injured at work--> higher compensation claims paid--> cost company more in productivity and insurance costs

Question 31

Describe dieting as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 31

- Needs to be carried out healthily - Inappropriate methods may lead to depression or other illnesses **Benefits** - Healthier - Employment oppotunities (jobs in weight loss industry - Economic value (USD$20bn in USA)

Question 31

Describe higher public health expenditures due to obesity as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns.

Answer 31

- Higher treatment for obesity related illnesses--> more funds channeled to healthcare system--> less available for economic development

Question 32

Describe food wastage as a consequence of variations in food consumption patterns and give an example.

Answer 32

- Societies with excess food less careful in handling food - Large amounts are wasted Eg: DCs vs LDCs - DCs: 115kg/capita - LDCs: 11kg/capita - Esp so in DCs - More waste generated--> strain on landfills--> resources used for food production wasted