Global growth of food production and trade

Question 1

Define global food systems

Answer 1

The production of food and its processing and distribution throughout the world.

Question 2

Patterns in the global spread of food production and trade

Answer 2

Humans beginning to transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle towards cultivating and domesticating crops and animals. Agriculture making a more settled lifestyle leading to modern world. From agriculture growth of civilisation and food systems.

Question 3

Growth of trade in food commodities

Answer 3

Trade in food led to the establishment of shipping routes and eventually to the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Food helped make connections between different cultures and global food systems.

Question 4

Define commodity

Answer 4

A raw material or primary agricultural product that can be brought and sold like coffee.

Question 5

Growth of trade in grains

Answer 5

The movement and growth of the grain trade began with corn in Mexico, rice in ancient china, wheat and barley from Egypt

Question 6

Development of railways and grains

Answer 6

The development of railways and steamships meant that grains could be traded from local areas to international markets, continuously growing.

Question 7

Growth of trade in tea and coffee

Answer 7

Coffee is believed to be the second-most globally traded commodity after oil. In the ancient world, the domestication of camels made it possible to undertake long-distance trade, particularly in spices.

Question 8

Growth of trade in chocolate

Answer 8

Mesoamerica the birthplace of chocolate, that’s where the cacao tree was thought to have been cultivated. Christopher Columbus is said to have brought the first cacao beans to Europe.

Question 9

Growth of trade in sugar

Answer 9

Sugar was a rare and costly commodity, the growth sugar production soon spread from New Guinea and India, to the Mediterranean then after constantly spreading. Sugar was no longer considered a luxury item and was widely consumed everywhere.

Question 10

Growth of trade in salt

Answer 10

Salt was one of the first food commodities to be traded. It used to be such a valuable commodity that in some places, its value was equal to that of gold.

Question 11

Growth of trade in old

Answer 11

The Greeks traded olive oil and olive trees with the Phoenicians in the eastern Mediterranean. Olive oil became a major export product.