Impact of inadequate food consumption on individuals and countries
when people do not consume enough food, they become sick more often, become less productive at work or go to work fewer times than usual
can lead to problems on a larger scale such as food riots, crimes and protests
has impacts on individuals and countries
health
economic
political
SOCIAL
state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely absence of disease or infirmity
malnutrition
condition where body does not get sufficient or balanced nutrition it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ functions
results in death or long-term development problems individually
can be measured through someone's weight in relation to gender, height and age
underlying cause of child deaths associated with diahorrea, pneumonia , malaria and measles
read pg 110
also affects people in DCs
thousands of elderly die of malnutrition as they have difficulty digesting or chewing food
people with eating disorders such as nervosa or bulimia may develop malnutrition as result of indigesting too little food
however people in LDCs are more affected than people in DCs
see pg 111/geog notes
starvation
severe shortage of food may cause it
state of extreme hunger from severe lack of food
extreme form of malnutrition
body becomes skeletally thin and organs become permanently damaged
if not addressed, person might die
more common in LDCs as...
greater number of people living in poverty
lack or absence of resources to recover from natural disasters
unstable pollitical situation, such as rebellions and wars
98% of people facing starvation are found here
more than 60% of them are from LDCs in asia
the rest found in sub-saharan africa, south america and central america
asia pacific had the largest number of starving people followed by sub saharan africa
more than one in 3 people are malnourished in sub saharan africa
can be caused by weather conditions and wars
read pg 112
inadequate food cnsumption has a negative impact of the individual and the economy as a whole
lower productivity
insufficient food supply can have negative impact on community
when workers consume imbalanced amounts of food, the fall SICK easily
lowers productivity
productivity: rate at which goods and services are produced
leads to lower INCOMEdue to inability to work as productively
children suffering from inadequate food supply will fall sick more often leading to loss of school days and educational opportunities
there is significant link between nutrition and productivity
may be less innovative, experimental, and unable to implement improvements
diversion of financial resources to health care
public health expenditures will increase when demand for health services increases
because more sick ppl
increases overall cost of health care
for LDCs, more spending on health care means less money to education, housing,transportation and agriculture
slows down economic growth
long term debt to food and financial aid
food and financial aid can be given out to help people and ocuntries cope with insufficient supply to food
financial aid may lead to long term debt problems for receiving country
read textbook pg 113
rather than helping the country, such aid, often called tied aid, serves to increase national debt of LDCs to DCs
inadequate food supply lead to inadequate food consumption, causing many people to become malnourished, starve or even die
such conditions may cause political instability in form of wars and social unrest
SOCIAL UNREST
political situation where people protest and behave violently often to communicate their unhappinessabout a political situation
read pg 113
malnutrition linked to poor literacy
children who are malnourished are less able to read or write than those fed healthier diet
children's brain can be permanently damaged if don't receive right nutrition in first 2 years
1/4 of the children have development impaired by malnutrition and claims quality schooling can be cancelled out by malnourishment
some people resort to survival responses such as scavenging to overcome inadequate food supply
scavenging--searching through things that others throw away
food is so hard to come by in these cases that scavengers eat whatever they find in order to prevent starvation
scavenging carries health risks because scavenged food may contain high levels of mercury and lead
scavenging can place people in dangerous or illegal situations in search of food such as trespassing private property
scavengers are perceived as nuinsance and thus verbally and physically harassed
in places like Manila, people sift through rubbish for meals people threw out
in large landfill, smokey mountain, many poor families set up makeshift homes near dump to have easy access to waste. they make living by picking through rubbish
IMPACT OF EXCESS FOOD CONSUMPTION ON INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES
excess food consumption has different impacts on individuals and countries. they are...
health
economic
social
excessive consumption of food will have adverse effects on health
obesity and related illness
person's health can be negatively affected by excessive consumption of carbohydrates,vitamins,minerals and protein
OBESITY is condition of having excessive fat accumulation due to over-consumption of nutrients, to the extent that it may have a negative impact on health
the accumulated body body fats can have adverse impacts on health
obesity affects most of the body's systems and can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers*
obesity on average reduces a person;s lifespan by 9 years
Obesity is more common in DCs than in LDCs
because they have a higher disposable income and stronger purchasing power, leading to high claorie intake of the people in LDCs
ocesity is increasing in DCs
Most of the cases of obesity is by consumption of sweetened beverages, potato chips and fast food
read pg 115
apart from obesity, other illnesses related to excessive food consumption include kidney failure, liver diseases and hypertension. these conditions can be brought about by excessive consumption of salt, sugar, alcohol, processed food and red meat among others
excessive food consumption often leads to obesity, lowers economic productivity and diverts financial resources from other sectors of the economy to health care
lower productivity
health impacts of obesity have resulted in more workers being absent from work and taking more days of leave due to obesity-related health issues, thus leading to lower productivity.
can lead to lower income as they become less productive
children suffering from obesity may fall sick often,leading to loss of school days, and subsequentlyloss of educational opportunties
on national level, employees that are absent from work due to sickness may cost companies millions in productivity and insurance costs. even when employee is at work, poor health makes them less productive
eg. those with BMI of over 40 were 2 times as likely to fall sick or be injured while doing work, resulting in higher compensation claims paid. compensation claims are wages and medical payments to employees who fall sick or are injured while doing work
diversion of financial resources to health care
public health expenditure increases as result of treating obesity-related health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabeties. when more people suffer from obesity related diseases, govs will have to vhannel more funds ti health care system
this would reduce amount of funds remaining for economic development. when other sectors of economy receive less monetary support from gov with time,overall progress of country can decline
obesity is negatively related with productivity and work performance
an increased fat mass has been reported to inhibit spontaneous movement and result in poor health that reduces overall activity
there is strong relationship between bmi,decreased physical functioning and reduction in overall productivity
obesity exerts its effects on productivity not by increase in mortality
look at pg116
excessive food consumption has various impacts on society. eg food wastage and dieting
food wastage
societies with excess food available for consumption may result in large amounts of food being wasted
each year, consumers in DCs waste as much food as entire amount of food available in sub saharan africa for local consumption which is around 230 million tonnes
serious problem in DCs where both food producers and consumers throw away food that is still edible
amount of wasted food per capita is 95 to 115 per capita in DCs, compared to 6 to 11 kg per capita in LDCs
such food wastage affects country because it contributes to additional waste that must be disposed ehich puts more strain on landfills
resources such as water and oil used to produce food are wasted too
dieting
people may be overweight due to excessive intake of food
these people may choose to go diet to LOSE WEIGHT
practicing reducing the amount of food consumed in order to maintain ideal body weight
people who do this also engage in physical exercise
provides employment and value to economy
weight loss industry cost US$20 billion: diet books, medication, medical procedures for losing weight which can create jobs in health sector
has to be done healthily such as consuming food low in fats
inappropriate dieting may lead to depression and dieting-related physical illness such as iron deficiency anaemia where number of red blood cells are reduced due to insufficient food intake
WHAT ARE THE TRENDS AND CHALLENGES IN PRODUCTION OF FOOD CROPS
global food production must increase by 70% from 2012 to 2050 to meet the needs of increased populatioon
read pg 119
better info--teach farmers to increase crop yield
better seeds--30% more crop yield in drought-prone areas
better tools--50% more affordable than motorised pumps
better storage--protect crops from insects
how has production of crops changed since 1960s
FOOD PRODUCTION
PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING CROPS OR LIFESTOCK INTO MARKETABLE FOOD PRODUCTS
involves producers, distributors, and consumers
producers are farmers who are responsible for growing of crops and rearing of livestock
farmers sell harvests to industries that process and package crop or animal produce into food products
click to edit
distributors transport these food products to retail outlets such as supermarkkets where consumers can obtain food products for consumption
look at pg 120
Producers--food producers are farmers and ranchers involved in producing food
processing and packaging-- before produce reaches distributors, it needs to be produced or packaged by manufactorers of food products
processing involves procedures that convert plant or animal produce into food ready for consumption
distribution network--distributors ensure that food produced reaches food retail outlets
in some cases, consumers are able to buy directly from producers without going through a distributor
retailers retailers sell food produce to consumers at location such as supermarkkets or food outlets
consumers--refer to people who consume food
trends in production of food crops(rice and wheat ) from 1960s
since 1960s,theres an increased production of wheat and rice
increased intensity of production of crops
intensification refers to increase in productivity in farm. productivity of farm is measured by amount of crops produced compared with amount of resources suxh as land and labour, used to produce the food
productivity measured by calculating ratio of output to per unit area of land to input per unit area of land
productivity=output per unit area/input per unit area
2 ways in which it can be measured
labour per unit area refers to number of people working on unit area of land. when less labour used to produce same amount of crops, thsis shows increase in farm productivity
labour per unit area=nuber of workers/land area (hectares)
crop yield refers to amount of crops produced on unit area of land. wehn less labour is used to produce same amount of crops, shows an increase in farm productivity
crop yield=amount of crops produced(tonnes)/land area (hectares)
look at pg 121,122,123
world production of rice rose steadily from 525.5 million tonnes in 1970 to 1119.2 million tonnes in 2010 . in 2010, global average rice yield was 4.3 tonnes per hectare, compared to 2.4 tonnes per hectare in 1970. due to rapid population growth and increase in demand for food, countries have intensified food production to meet demand
what factors affect intensity of food production
intensity of food production is affected by combination of factors
physical
economic
political
technological advances
concerned with how physical features of place, such as climate, soil , drainage and relief affect intensity of food production on piece of land
climate
average condition of atmosphere of specific place over long period of time, usually over 30 years
affects type of crops that can be grown
eg temperature and rainfalll can affect growth of plants
temp affects rate of photosynthesis and seed germination
temp that regularly falls below 5 degrees celcius make it very difficult for crops to grow
temp required for growth varies among crops
pg 124 and 125
rainfall is important for plant growth
amount of rainfall needed varies among different types of crops
high temp and high rainfall is usually more conducive for plant growth
in places with these with these climatic conditions such as in tropics, long growing season enables farmers to have 2 or 3 harvests a year
because daily temp range in tropics is between 22 to 32 degrees
its average and annual rainfall is normally greater than 2000 millimeters
winter is unsuitable for plant growth
in places with long winters, food production can only occur during warmer seasons when temp and rainfall are suitable for growing crops
greenhouses may be used to create optimal conditions for plant growth
greenhouses are particularly useful in countries eg USA, canada and the netherlands
greenhouses overcame short growing season in these countries because kkey factors in growing crops such as temp, light and irrigation can be controlled in greenhouse. therefore , greenhouses enable certain crops to be grown throughout year
inportant for cattle and poultry to have favourable environment for growth because they may become stressed by extreme hot or cold temps
when cattle or poultry are stressed, they are more likely to suffer from infections or produce less milk or fewer eggs and die
they are also more likely to suffer from fungal or parasitic diseases, esp when conditions are wet or moist for long time
cattle and poultry may be put in shelters to protect them from harsh weather
soils and drainage
soil is top layer of earth's surface, made up of rocks, mineral particles and organic matter
soil fertility depend on the availability of air, water and nutrients from minerals from the soil
amount and type of nutrients found in soil varies across locations
fertile soil is rich in minerals
minerals essential for plant growth include nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium
fertile soil can be found in foodplains along river, deltas at river mouth and in areas near volcanoes
crops yields tend to be higher here
eg highly fertile soil, together with flat terrain and large water supply in mekong delta of vietnam, result in very high production of rice
soil drainage refer to availability of soil to retain or drain off water. improper soil drainage may hinder growth of crops
eg oats require sandy soils that are well drained. in contrast, soils with more clay and which retain high amounts of water are best for growing rice
relief
slope and altitude of land surface
slopes can be modified to create flat land land for farming
can be done through terracing,which is cutting of steps into hillside to create flat land for cultivation
allows previously unsuitable land to be used for farming
when it is steep, rain is more likely to remove the topsoil
topsoil is layer of soil that is rich in nutrients
because topsoil on steep soil becomes less stable when saturated with water and gets washed down slope
sloping land is suitable for certain types of crops such as grapes,tea and coffee
these crops grow best in well-drained soil on sloping land
temperature changes with altitude, higher the altitude of place, lower the temp will be
cooler temp of mountanious areas may be suitable for growing certain crops such as strawberries
pg 128
economic factors such as purpose of farming, and demand and capital affect intensity of food production
purpose of farming
pg 129
demand and capital
demand refers to people's willingness and availability to obtain particular food crop or product
demand for certain types of food affects intensity of their production
demand for food changes according to tastes and preferences of consumers, and affects amount and type of crops produced
amount of captial a consumer has , in form of money or other assets, affects whether demand can be met
china used to be producer and exporter of corn
more corn has been needed to feed lifestock as demand of meat by larger and wealthier population increased lately
as local production of corn was not able to meet increasing demand of food for lifestock,china started to import corn from other countries as USA
as china's population grew in wealth, this is allowed for demand for demand for more meat to be met
hence USA increased its production of corn for export to China to feed lifestock
more lifestock can be reared for meat
agribusiness
business or industry involved in food production
usually refers to large scale farming and related business activities such as commercial farming, processing,packkaging,distributing and retailing
pg 130 and 131
place importance on scientific and business principles in farming, such as by investing in research and development in food crops
larger companies are also more able to withstand impact of changes in environment,such as damage to crops caused by pests or flooding as compared to small scale farmers
small scale farmers may not be may not be able to continue farming after such setbacks as compared to larger companies that have greater financial capacity to absorb losses
there is also investment in food production, including research into producing crops with greater crop yields for larger companies
there is also investment in food production including research into producing crops with greater crop yields for larger companies
in order to ensure sufficient food supply for population of country, important for governments to make right decisions concerning agriculture and food
such gov policies will affect intensity of country's food population
political factors include regional organisations and agreements such as ASEAN that are also able to affect regional food production
government policy
plan of action by government in order to change specific situation
two types of government policies that affect food production are known as agricultural policy and food policy respectively
through these policies, food security of country can be achieved
food security exists when all people in that area are able to obtain sufficient quantities of safe and nutritious food to maintain healthy and active lifestyle
depends on stability of food supply as well as whether people have sufficient resources to gain access to it
agricultural policy
refer to policies pertaining to domestic agriculture
by deciding how limited resources such as money and land may be used, governments are able to influence intensity of food production
eg governments may choose to channel resources into educating farmers on more efficient ways of farming
in india, punjab agriculture department responded in 2012 to need to ensure greater productivity from its farmland
this was achieved by having starting an education programme for its wheat farmers
in india, punjab agriculture department responded in 2012 to need to endure greater productivity from its farmland
achieved by starting education programme for wheat farmers
farmers were taught about best seed varieties, pesticide treatment and irrigation methods
food policy
refers to decisionmade by fovernment that affects how food is produced, processed, distributed , purchased and packaged
as part of gov policy, food policy helps to ensure food security
some of the ways to ensure it include food stockpiling and diversifying source of food supply
for country to ensure stable supply of food, it has to ensure that food is readily available to its population
can be done through stockpiling of food that is either sourced from local farms or imported from overseas
stockpiling is setting and storage of food to ensure food security during emergencies
by stockkpiling, govs would still be able to provide food for their population should there be situations of food shortages or price increase of food items
importing food from different sources is way to diversify source of food supply
instead of relying on few countries for food supply, more food suppliers are sourced from more countries to buffer against food shortages mainly from malaysia
today , larger portion of vegetables are brought from countries such as china and as far as USA
sg gov encouraged local companies to place contracts firectly with farmers for agreed amount of price of food products
eg, NTUC purchases vegetables through contracts with indonesian farmers
ASEAN
orgaisation of 10 SEA countries
aims to accelerate region's economic growth , increase social progress , foster cultural development and protect regioonal peace and stability
in oct 2011, they signed an agreement with china, japan and south korea to ensure food security for its members
ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve Agreement is commitment from big rice producers to supply rice for reserve
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during times of disaster, this reserve will be used to provide rice to countries that had signed agreement
China agreed to provide 300000 tonnes of rice while thailand 15000 tonnes
in addition to rice, countries contributed financially in order to fund operation. for eg, sg funded US $107500
during 2012, thailand started a programme for ASEAN ntions to intensify rice to work in region
as leading rice producer in region, thailand has agreed to work with neighbouring countries such as cambodia to increase efficiency in rice production
refer to improvements in technology, especially inprovement in farming technology
eg green revolution
refers to rapid increase in productivity of agriculture through use of science and technology
spread worldwide in 1960s
called a revolution due to speed at which changes have occured
important because of its success in LDCs
eg improved corn varieties have been grown in Africa even though corn is not indigenous to it
corn is now most important staple grain in Eastern and Southern Africa
corn production in DCs such as England has increased as well
pg 134
high yielding varieties
fertilisers
(improved) irrigation
mechanism
improved strains of crops such as rice, wheat and other cereals that have increased growth rate
developed through cross breeding of selected varieties which are found to exhibit favourable characteristics
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pesticides
substances added to soil to provide nutrients for healthy plant growth. fertilisers are applied to farm because nutrients in soil will be depleted graudually, especially after continuous use of farmland
often, farmland is not given chance to fallow (be left withiut being sown for period of time in order to restore fertility)
small amount of nutrients in soil will produce smaller crop yield
application of fertilisers will bring nutrients back to soil, thus increasing crop yield
HYVs also require more fertilisers that non-HYVs crops
chemical substances used to kill insects and small animals that destroy crops
herbicides are used to kill weeds and other undesirable plants that compete with crops for resources
pesticide malathion was used widely in 19800s to address fruit fly problem in fruit orchards in California USA
FIGHT HIGH LEVEL OF PEST DAMAGE THAT FREQUENTLY OCCURS WHEN SINGLE CROP COVERS WIDE AREA
method of supplying water to land other than by natural means, such as rain, to . help crops grow
by supplying water to areas that used to be too dry for farming, irrigation has increased amount of arable land worldwide
eg, in north african country of Libya, great man made river is one of most extensive irrigation projects in world and has made it possible to grow crops in Sahara desert
it is network of underground pipes, canals, wells, reservoirs and tunnels that draws water from underground aquafiers deep in Sahara desert
water will be channelled to coastal cities of Libya for agriculture, domestic and industrial use
irrigation project will be completed in several phases and has since started to supply water in 1991
pg 135 for pictures and captions
some examples of irrigation methods are
flood irrigation: water delivered to whole surface, such as rice fields
centre-pivot irrigation: form of overhead sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe joined together and supported by trusses and suported by wheeled towers and moved mechanically around central point.
this rotation helps produce very distinctive series of circular patterns. as crops are watered by sprinklers, large area can be watered with small amount of water
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