Food & Resources Flashcards
(25 cards)
What are the economic reasons for variations in food consumption?
DP
Disposable income, Pricing
- DISPOSABLE INCOME (income left after taxes)
DCs more disposable income, lower % spent on food (less quantity & variety)
● [Taiwan}: From 1959 to 2008, consumption of meat increased by 4 times with high economic growth.
LDCs less disposable income, higher % spent on food (more quantity, ex. & variety)
● [DRC]: 60% of every $1 increase in income goes into food spending
- PRICING
LDCs have less disposable income, more affected by food prices, as they consume smaller variety
● [World Financial Crisis]: Increase in food prices pushed 100 million people into hunger and poverty worldwide
DCs have higher disposable income, less affected
What are the political reasons for variations in food consumption?
SF
Stability of food supply (LDCs), Food safety (DCs)
- STABILITY OF FOOD SUPPLY
- Civil War, depleting food stocks
● [2011 Libya Civil War]
- Natural Disasters; Droughts
● [Zimbabwe]: Droughts destroyed most of country’s corn harvest - Resources & Technology
Unlike LDCs, DCs can have stable food supply
● STOCKIPILING in storage facilities
● DIVERSIFIED food sources for stability
● INCREASE LOCAL production: urban/vertical farms
- FOOD SAFETY
- DCs ensure food is handled, produced stored properly, LDCs cannot
What are the socio-cultural reasons for variations in food consumption?
PP
Food preferences, fast food/organic
Population growth (LDCs)
- PREFERENCES
- Globalisation, Fast food chains set up in LDCs
● Many people in LDCs choose to eat fast food; convenient
- People in DCs are more health conscious and educated
● Many people in DCs avoid processed/fast food eat more organic food, greater awareness to health benefits - POPULATION GROWTH
● LDCs:
- Higher pop. growth
- Production cannot keep up with increased demand
- insufficient supply, more demand, leads to food shortage
● DCs:
- Less rapid pop. growth
- More stable supply, sufficient for everyone
What are the health impacts of inadequate food consumption? (LDCs)
MS
Malnutrition, Starvation
- MALNUTRITION
- Measured by a person’s weight in relation to height, age gender
- Body does not receive enough nutrients to maintain healthy tissue and organ functions -> Death
● [According to WHO]: Malnutrition is underlying cause for pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and measles child deaths in LDCs
● Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia) & elderly with digesting problems in DCs - STARVATION
- Extreme hunger and malnutrition from severe lack of food
- Skeletally thin, organs damaged -> Death
- More common in LDCs due to greater poverty, lack of resources to recover from natural disasters, unstable political situations -> Food Shortages
● [Mali 2012]: 5 mil threatened with starvation due to poor harvests & rebellions
What are the economic impacts of inadequate food consumption? (LDCs)
LDD
Lower productivity,
Diversion of financial resources
Debt from food/financial aid
- LOWER PRODUCTIVITY
- Malnourished workers fall sick more often
- Decreased production of goods
- Less economic growth - DIVERSION OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HEALTHCARE
- Malnutrition-> higher demand for healthcare, overall healthcare costs increase
- Public health expenditure increases
- More spent on healthcare, Less spent on education, transport & housing
- Slows country’s economic growth - DEBT FROM FOOD AND ECONOMIC AID
- Food and economic aid from other countries help to cope insufficient food supply only in the SHORT TERM
- Worsens a country’s national debt (in the long run)
● USA provides food aid to LDCs , BUT, they have to pay for American suppliers & transport on their ships
● Increases costs, was cheaper to purchase local
What are the political impacts of inadequate food consumption? (LDCs)
SOCIAL UNREST
- People are malnourished, causes them to revolt
- Political instability and unrest
● [Mozambique}: Violent protests after increased wheat prices when people were poor & starving
What are the social impacts of inadequate food consumption? (LDCs)
SCAVENGING
● [Smokey Mountain, Philippines]
- Inadequate food, people look in rubbish dumps
- Scavenged food contains high levels of bacteria or chemicals/heavy metals
- Public nuisance, targets of physical & verbal abuse
What are the health impacts of excess food consumption? (DCs)
OBESITY
- Excessive amount of body fat stored in body
- Increases risk of diseases such as
● Coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers
What are the economic impacts of excess food consumption? (DCs)
- LOWER PRODUCTIVITY
- Illnesses, workers fall sick more often,
- Decreases goods production,
- Less economic growth
- Illnesses, children fall sick more often
- Spend less days in school
- Lose education opportunities
- Affect future employability
- Illnesses, farmers innovate less, farming methods less enhanced.
- Lower crop yield & production
- Lower food supply
- DIVERSION OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HEALTHCARE
- Illnesses -> higher demand for healthcare, overall healthcare costs increase
- Public health expenditure increases
- More spent on healthcare, Less spent on education, transport & housing
- Slows country’s economic growth
What are the social impacts of excess food consumption? (DCs)
FD
- FOOD WASTAGE
- Societies with excess food available contribute most food wastage
- Edible food wasted by consumers & producers affects landfills
- Waste of resources - DIETING
- People who are obese choose to go dieting to lose weight
- Improper dieting habits results in depression or diet-related physical illness
What are the physical factors affecting intensity of food production?
- CLIMATE
[Temp]: < 5°C, very difficult for crops to grow
● Peas, broccoli, strawberries: colder climate
● Tomatoes, Soyabeans (25-28): hotter climate
[Rainfall]: different for variety of crops
● Rice requires more water than soyabean
[High temp & rainfall/Tropics]
- More conducive for plant growth
{Tropics}
- 22°-33°C
- >2000mm rainfall annual
- 2-3 harvests a year
- greater crop yields
[Long winters-> lesser harvest]
- Low temp unsuitable for plant growth, food production can occur only during warmer season -> lesser harvest
[Extreme temp from climate change]
- Cattle & Poultry become stressed
- Suffer from infections & produce less milk/eggs from fungus/bacteria
- Shelters to protect from harsh weather
- SOILS & DRAINAGE
[Soil fertility]
Crop yields vary on availability of nutrients in soil at location (volcanic areas, river deltas)
- Fertile soil rich in nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium)
- More nutrients = Greater Crop yields
[Soil Drainage]
- Ability of soil to retain/drain off water
- Improper soil drainage -> roots deprived of air and nutrients-> hinder crop growth
● Oats requires drier, well drained soils;
● Rice requires wetter, water retaining soils
- RELIEF & ALTITUDE
[Steep relief]
- Rain is more likely to run down steep hills, removing nutrient rich top soil
- Reduced soil fertility
- Less suitable for crop production
- Well drained soils on steep hills suitable for crops like grapes, tea, coffee
- *Slopes can be modified to be TERRACED (TERRACE FARMING) to create flat land
● Banaue Rice Terrace in Philippines/ Longji Rice terrace in China
[Altitude]
- Higher altitude: Lower temp
- Conducive for crops that require lower temp: eg. strawberries
What are the economic factors affecting intensity of food production?
PDA
Purposes of Farming, Demand & Capital, Agri-businesses
- PURPOSES OF FARMING
[Subsistence Farming] (production of crops for personal use)
- Family/animal labour
- Small land, simple farming tools used, seeds from previous harvest
- Low crop yields
[Commercial Farming] (cash crops)
- Large scale production of crops -> sold for profit
- Larger land area and machinery used, hired labour (Tractors, Combine harvesters, livestock)
- High crop yields
- DEMAND & CAPITAL
Greater demand = Greater intensity of food production
- China: Wealthier and larger population
- Higher demand for meat
->More corn needed for livestock
-> Increased local production
-> Increased overseas imports from USA
-> More livestock reared for meat
-> Greater demand = Greater intensity
- AGRI-BUSINESSES
- Businesses involved in food production (large scale, commercial farming eg. Dole)
- Invests in research & development of crops for greater yield
- Greater financial capacity -> withstand impact of environmental changes & maintain - production intensity
- In comparison, small scale farmers have less financial capacity to recover losses
What are the political factors affecting intensity of food production?
GAF
- GOVERNMENT POLICY (Plan of action by govt)
- Implement policies that affect food security
- Achieve food security and supply stability
- Everyone can obtain enough safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy lifestyle - AGRICULTURAL POLICY (Policies pertaining to domestic agriculture)
- Govt. decide how resources can be best used
- Channelling resources into educating farmers on more efficient farming, apply knowledge to to intensify crop production
● [ India, Punjap Agricultural Department]
● Education programme for wheat farmers
● Taught best seed variety, pesticide treatment, irrigation method - FOOD POLICY
[Stockpiling]
- Setting aside food to ensure food security for the people during food shortages and crises, eg. increased prices
[Diversifying food supply]
- Importing food from different sources to avoid on relying on a few countries
- Buffer against food shortages and price fluctuations
● SG used to buy veg. mainly from Msia, now buys from others eg. US, CN
- Govt encourages local companies to place contracts directly with farmers for an agreed price, reduces price fluctuations & distribution costs
● [ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserves, APTERR]
- Signed in Oct 2011, with Asean, JP, CN & SK
- commitment from big rice producers to supply rice to participating countries in event of disaster
- CN agreed to send 300k tons
- THL agreed to 15k tonnes
- SG contributed 107.5k USD
What are the technological factors affecting intensity of food production?
Green Revolution in the 1960s
HIMPF
Green Revolution
- Rapid increase in productivity of agriculture through use of science & tech
- HIGH YIELDING VARIETIES (HYVs)
- Improved strains developed through cross-breeding of selected varieties with favourable characteristics:
- Increased pest resistance -> lesser crops damaged -> increased crop yield
- Grows within shorter growing seasons ⇒ more harvests within a year, increased yield.
● [Wonder Rice, IR8]
- Grows within 100 days instead of 120 for non HYVs - FERTILISERS
- Chemical subs. added to soil to provide nutrients for healthy plant growth
- Increases crop productivity
- Nutrients depleted after continuous use and if not left to lay fallow, smaller crop yield
- Fertilisers replenish nutrients, increase yield - PESTICIDES & HERBICIDES
- Chemical sub. that kill pests & weeds
- Less pests, less crops damaged, higher yield
- Less weeds, less competition for nutrients for crops
● [California, USA} Malathion used widely in the 1980s to kill fruit flies in fruit orchards - IMPROVED IRRIGATION
- Supplying water without natural methods to help plants grow
- Supplies water to land otherwise too dry for farming, increases arable land for farming -> more crops grown -> higher yield
● [Libya, Great Man-made River]
- Network of underground pipes, canals, wells etc. that draw water from underground aquifers in Sahara Desert
- Channeled to coastal cities for agriculture, made it possible to grow crops in otherwise too dry Sahara Desert - MECHANISATION
- Allows farmers to perform tasks with machinery that otherwise would be done manually
- Speeds up processes eg. preparing, tending, harvesting, more crops produced per unit time
- Crop/Combine harvester to harvest, reduces reliance on human labour, increases productivity
What are the adverse effects of Irrigation? (Continuing intensification of food production)
SALINISATION
- Extensive irrigation without careful management
- Ground becomes waterlogged ⇒ roots of crops unable to obtain sufficient oxygen and nutrients and die.
- Excess water used for irrigation;
1. Saline irrigation water, not drained properly. ⇒ water evaporates, leaving behind the salt on the soil ⇒ resultant saline soil not suitable for plant growth.
2. Causes groundwater to rise and bring dissolved salt closer to top soil ⇒ resultant saline soil not suitable for plant growth.
● [Victoria, AUS Murray-Darling Basin]
➢ Land clearing and irrigation development -> naturally-occurring salts to accumulate in some parts of the basin.
➢ When the area is characterised by rainfall, low terrain and high
evaporation rate, salinisation occurs.
What are the adverse effects of Chemicals/fertilisers/pesticides? (Continuing intensification of food production)
EUTROPHICATION
- Overuse results in increased chemical concentration of soil
- Chemicals seep into groundwater, containing stream by surface run-off
- Become nutrients for algae to grow on water surface
- Excess nutrients led to ALGAE BLOOMS, causing Eutrophication
- Blocks sunlight from aquatic organisms & depletes oxygen
- Leads to death of aquatic life
- Decomposition of dead aquatic life further depletes oxygen level
● [USA]
- Pesticides from farmland contaminated groundwater
- Concerning as 23% of USA’s freshwater is from groundwater
What are the physical reasons for food shortage?
CEP
- CLIMATE CHANGE
- Changing climate; existing farmland unsuitable for farmers
- Lengthen growing season -> crops farmed in areas deemed unsuitable in the past
- Global temperatures rise, current food production decreases up to 50% eg. Brazil, India
- Melting of glaciers eg. in Himalayas that provides river basins to irrigate crops during dry season -> Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports those glaciers could entirely melt by 2035 -> loss of water, smaller harvests
- Some production increases up to 35% eg. Argentina, China, Canada - EXTREME WEATHER
- Droughts, heatwaves, cold waves, cyclones etc.
- Difficult to grow or damages crops, causing food shortage
- Droughts reducing water supply available
- Tropical cyclones flood farmlands, destroying crops
- Climate change makes extreme weather more frequent - PESTS
- Locusts, caterpillars etc. damaging crops, decreasing yield
[Liberia, Northwest Africa] Armyworms in 2009 devoured plants & crops, affecting 46 villages, a major threat as they already had a serious food security problem
What are the political reasons for food shortage?
CP
- CIVIL STRIFE
- Internal conflict, civil war, unrest, riots
- Conflicts between various stakeholders over various resources needed for crop growth
- Destruction of resources needed for food production
- Desperation and frustration about food shortage, vicious cycle - POOR GOVERNANCE
- Corruption, policy errors, inability to implement policies
- Govts prioritise other projects instead of food security, less land for agriculture, less yield
- [India, Madhya Pradesh, 2010] ; Govt policy led to active development of mines, steel plant & port, 40k villagers lost farmland, villagers could no longer rely on subsistence farming to support themselves, too poor to afford food
What are the economic reasons for food shortage?
RSC
- RISING DEMAND OF DAIRY FROM EMERGING ECONOMIES
- Fast developing LDCs, Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC) contribute significantly to global economy
- Rising disposable income, high increase in food demand of dairy & meat
- Rapidly growing urban middle class, sustained growth of food demand, depletes food inventories, may lead to shortages in poorer countries - SOARING COST OF FERTILISERS & TRANSPORT
- Fertilisers prices increases, cost of producing food increases, price of food increases
- Energy cost increases, cost of transportation, machinery, fertilisers increases
- Modern Agriculture relies heavily on burning fossil fuels to farm machinery and transport produce
[Kazakhstan March 2011] Major producer of wheat had to sell it to neighbouring Tajikistan at a higher price due to fuel cost rise
Increase in food prices transferred to consumers, poor may not afford higher prices, cannot obtain sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs - CONVERSION OF FARMLAND TO INDUSTRIAL CROP PRODUCTION TO PRODUCE BIOFUEL CROPS (biofuels take up land instead of crops)
- Biofuels are fuels are energy from biological carbons, palm,corn sugarcane
- Growing crops for industrial use is more profitable
- Demand for biofuels increases due to climate change, more farmers convert their farmland to grow crops for biofuels
- Less land for food production, less food produced
[2009 US Department of Agriculture]: 25% of crops used for biofuels for cars instead of food (enough to feed 300mil people for a year)
[International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)]:
From 2006-2007 food prices increased 30% due to biofuels
What are the social reasons for food shortage?
LIR
- LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY
- Transport facilities (road & rail) + number & location of food outlets are impt to make food accessible to people living far away
- LDCs, food outlets few and far apart, ppl unable to obtain fresh produce easily -> smaller food intake - INADEQUATE LOGISTICS OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION & STORAGE
- Movement of food from farm to retail
- Depends on a good transport network
- Affected by mountains & landslides -> affects stability of food supply
- Significant when local production cannot meet demand, importing is necessary (need to diversify food supply)
[Timor Leste] Food shortages between harvests -> worsened by lack of storage facilities & difficulty accessing remote communities in country - RAPID POPULATION GROWTH
- According to Food and Agriculture Organisation, population est. to reach 10 bil by 2050
- LDCs -> HIgh birth rate & population growth rates, supply may not keep up with increasing demand (eg. Sub-saharan Africa)
Est. 75% of Sub-saharan Africa will depend on food aid by 2025
What are the technological strategies of overcoming food shortages?
With Adv & Disadv
SUB
- STORAGE
Use of refrigerated storage facilities & trucks to keep food fresh food for longer
Use of silos (airtight) to store crops
[Timor Leste] Silos reduced loss of crops to pests by 20-40%
+ve:
Food kept fresh for longer, crops can be distributed further away from production centre, larger variety of food available for more people
-ve:
Large-scale costly and adds to production costs
Silos are unaffordable for poor farmers
Fungus can develop when grains are not dried before being stored in silos
- USE OF FARMING TECHNOLOGY, (Green Revolution)
HYVs,Irrigation, Mechanisation, Fertilisers/Pesticides
High tech farming
[Increase of production of rice in LDCs by 75% from 1965 to 1980, despite 20% increase in land]
Computers in Singapore’s high tech farms reduce workers needed to help grow crops
+ve:
HYVs enable crops to be grown in places previously unsuitable for agriculture
Irrigation allows crops to be grown in dry climates
Computers reduce reliance on human labour
-ve:
- expensive farm technology,
Food production still remains low due to prevalent food shortage
- BIOTECHNOLOGY
GM food with favourable traits
GM crops have higher yield & shelf life than non GMs
[Drought-resistant corn]: Can grow with low rainfall and dry conditions, can be grown on Western Great Plains in USA
+ve:
HIgher crop yields, allow farmers to earn more
Enables countries to be self-sufficient, reduce reliance on imports
GM crops enables food to be grown in previously unsuitable agricultural conditions, stabilised crop yield
-ve:
Small farmers cannot afford GM seeds
Biotech is mainly used to increase yield of world’s 3 leading cereals, corn, soya bean & canola, limited in other crops
Bananas, Cassava important in Sub-saharan Africa where food shortage is most severe, use is limited
What are the agricultural strategies overcome food shortage?
- MULTIPLE CROPPING & CROP ROTATION
- Multiple cropping: Grow 2 or more crops on a single patch of land -> overcome erosion
- Minimises problem of pests, some crops acts as pest repellent, (pepper, garlic) strong smell repels aphids
- Reduced soil erosion prevents nutrients on topsoil to be washed away by rain
- Crop Rotation: Growing several crops on the same land in a specific order,following changes in season -> prevent decrease in soil fertility
- [Leguminous crops have roots that contain bacteria that produce nitrogen compounds, which are released into soil after they die. Acts as fertiliser for non-leguminous crops]
- WATER & SOIL CONSERVATION
No till farming
- Weeds are not removed/soil is not dug from planting
- Plant material from previous season are left on the surface
- Soil fertility and quality remains due to decomposition of plant material, nutrients are returned back to the soil
- Soil is conserved and remains fertile for longer
Why no till farming?
- Tilling is done by machinery, wheels cause soil to be compacted overtime
- Compacted soil does not allow water to reach crops’ roots, lower yield
- LEASE OF FARMLAND TO OTHER COUNTRIES
Countries lease farmland to countries with insufficient land for farming, Eg. Madagascar leasing to SK
+ve:
Generate income that may be channeled back help local farmers improve their farming methods, increase local+global production
-ve:
Land leased to other countries, local farmers have less land, worsens food shortage
[Ethiopia]: Leased farmland to other countries to generate income for economy, however, less land for local farmers, worsened food shortage
What are the social strategies to overcome food shortage?
- SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS
- Consumers purchase locally produced food, sold at lower prices with lower transport costs
- Helps to diversify sources of food supply on top of food imports
- Reduce reliance on imports
- Keep local farmers in business
- Lower cost is more affordable for consumers - POPULATION CONTROL
- In LDCs, food production rate lower than demand caused by rapid population growth
- Concerning as they already face food shortage
- People have to be educated on family planning
Villages introduced community-based family planning programmes to slow down growth to alleviate food shortage problem
What is a national agricultural policy?
SG: High tech farming, 1970s- present, [30 by 30]
Agrotechnology parks that house high-tech farms have been built.
These parks are equipped with the necessary infrastructure that modern day
farms require, such as computers.
Eg: Soil-less cultivation like
hydroponics and aquaponics
- Local farms produce up to 8% of vegetables, 8% of fish and 26% of eggs consumed in Singapore.
- Singapore can reduce its reliance on food imports.
High cost of setting up high-tech farms may translate into higher prices of food
produce for consumers.
- Shortage of trained workers for high-tech farming. It remains a small industry
- Competition from cheaper food imports. Most consumers still choose to buy cheaper food produce from neighbouring countries.
30 BY 30
Singapore Food Agency aims to:
- Transform Singapore’s agri-food industry into one that is highly productive, innovative and sustainable, to produce 30% of the nation’s nutritional needs locally by 2030.
