WJEC Geography A2 Food Sustainibility

Created by: Amber
Created on: 11-04-13 18:47

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Food Sustainibility
- Factors that promote or hinder
  - Physical
    - Promote
      - Relief: gently sloping or flat is most efficient:L less water run off and soil erosion
      - Soil: fertility depends on air, water and nutrients increased fertility = increased production
      - Climate:: Incrased rainfall and temperature will promote growth to a degree, hot wet conditions are best
    - Hinder
      - Relief: Steep land increases run off and erosion
      - Soil: Dry soils with a small humus layer, aridisol or frozen soils can't support growth and hinder production
      - Climate: Low temperatures have lower production, <250mm rainfall reduces productivity
  - Technological
    - Promote
      - New equipment and technological developments increase productivity and yield = lower prices
      - Can provide additional employment
      - Food prices are lower from lower production costs
    - Hinder
      - Can cost people unskilled manual labour jobs if machinary can do it instead
  - Political
    - Promote
      - Syngenta and Royal Society of Chemistry set up the pan-Africa chemistry network to improve farming
      - Tax incentives, research and development can encourage farmers
      - Governments built roads, dams and infrastructure, encourages to increase production
      - Government subsidies for growing certain crops make them more profitable to farmers
    - Hinder
      - EU is aiming to replace 5% of transportation fuel with biofuel by 2010
      - In the 1960s and 70s, policites (Malaysia) encouraged cash crops eg. rubber
      - 1980s hi-tech equipment in Singapore destroyed crops due to climate
      - Governments focused on industry and development may forget agriculture
      - Governments can enforce limits and quotas
  - Economic
    - Promote
      - 4 new outlets and 200 new employees hired every day
      - Brazil and Vietnam are the biggest providers of arabia and robusta coffee
      - Bags of coffee bean bring in $800/kg and can be $50 a cup in NYC
      - Large amount of money available for R + D = better equipment= increased productivity
      - High demand means new shops are opened, more jobs are available and it reduces the unemployment rate
    - Hinder
      - 106 thou km2 used for coffee beans, not enough land to sustain demand, demand outweighs production, price increases
      - Top consumers eg. coffee shops in the US make the highest profit, producers make the least
      - Low yield, low revenue, can't survive
      - 85% artisanal vessels catch only small fraction of the world's fish
      - 15% of the world's vessels are industrial and catch 80% of the world's fish
- Obesity in the USA
  - 60 mil adults and 9 million children are obese
  - Caused by an imbalance between eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise
  - Being overweight/ obese increases the risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipletemia and stroke
  - Obesity is measured by BMI
  - In 1991, there were 4 states with an obesity rate of 14-19% and no states over 20%
    - In 2004, there 7 states with 15-19%, 33 states with 20-24% and 9 states over 25%
  - Health cost is $395 per person anually
  - It costs society $117 bil
  - It is partially due to fast food and packaged drinks being readily available
  - Needs to prevent obesity and engage in physical activity
  - Causes 100-400,000 deaths yearly
  - In 2008, 58 mil were pre diabetic, 236 mil were diabetic and 90-95% were type 2
- Famine in Kenya
  - Drought stretched back from 2000, 1997, 1992 and 1987
  - 2 years without rain, last rain was 2004
  - Human fatalities were counted in dozers
  - 100s of rotting animal carcasses
  - Children admitted to hospital with malnutrition went from 2 a week to 4 a day
  - 90% of Wajir districts 407,000 population were in a near catastrophic situation
  - 3.5-4 million people faced starvation
  - 11 million people were affected across East Africa
  - Half of all cows and sheep in Wajir district died
    - Animals left were too weak to produce milk and too emaciated to be slaughtered for meat
  - They appealed for $150 mil in aid
    - Received £12.7 mil from Britain
- Genetically Modified Crops
  - For
    - Crops may have pest resistance built in, reducing pesticide usage
    - They may have tolerance to herbicides
    - There can be higher yields for the same cost
    - They can be adapted to different conditions e.g. desert or tundra
    - May be able to make plants disease resistant
    - Crops can be made more nutritious
  - Against
    - Cross contamination with plants that shouldn't be treated e.g. organicc
    - Suggested link to cancer
    - Unknown effects on ecosystem
    - More expensive than regular crops and requires development
    - Success is marked with antibiotic, consumpution may result in bacterial resistance
- Management
  - Hydroponics
    - Thanet Earth, Kent
      - Tomato plants over 15m tall
      - 7 commercial greenhouses will be 'mono-crop'
        Grow one product, but possibly numerous varieties
    - Costs less
      - Crops don't contaminate soil
        Maintenance required is high
        Any failure in the system leads to plant death
        
        Can be used in places with bad soil e.g. desert
        Overall, it is sustainable
      - Bugs/pests reduced
  - Aeroponics
    - Lim Chu Kang, Singapore
      - Process of growing plants without soil
        Water transmits nutrients
        Sometimes considered a form of hydroponics
    - Savings in water and land
      - Growth of network of fine lateral roots
        Cutting edge technology to cultivate
        
        Might go against some cultures or traditions
        Not available to all developing countries
        Overall, it is sustainable
  - The Blue Revolution
    - Zomba West, Malawi
      - Chambo and Mlamba fish being bred
        Manure from farms used as fertilizer in ponds, silt in ponds used as crop fertilizer, crops used to feed animals (intergrated agri/aqua culture)
        
        Fish provide locals with protein, increase life expectancy HIV
        1,200 affected helped, fish intake 150%
    - Increased from 26,000 in 1970 to 700,000 in 1990
      - Retail value over £20 bil
      - 85% of farmed shrimp production in Asia
        Large expansion led to degredation and loss of natural resources
        100,000 Mangrove trees lost in Thailand
        Salinisation of waterways ruins fishery and crop production
        Average farm lasts 2-5 days before serious pollution
        
        Overall, it is sustainable
  - The second green revolution
    - India
      - All had a shorter growing season
        Planting of high yield types increased from 12%-67% between 1970-90
      - First country to benefit from the use of high-yielding variety seed program 1996
      - All responsive to fertilisers
      - HPV introduced new drought resistant cereals
    - Research, development and technology transfer initiatives increased agricultural production around the world
      - Credited with saving 1 bil people from starvation
      - Change in production to sustain growing population
      - Targets all aspects of modern agriculture: irrigation,fertiliser, crop protection and seed technologies
        New varieties produce 2-4 times the previous yield
        Diet in rural areas can become more varied
        Shorter season allows growing of extra crops
        
        Rural debt as farmers borrow money for chemicals and GM seeds
        Increased rural - urban migration
        
        Some countries highly depend of transnationals for supplies
        Overall, it is not sustainable
- Case Studies
  - Relationship between supermarkets and farmers
    - Supermarket Code of Practice was introduced in 2002
      - 4 supermarkets involved: ASDA, Safeway, Sainsbury and Tesco
    - More than half (58%) of farmers asked didn't think it made a different
      - 52% thought they were being paid the same or less
      - 37% of fruit and veg growers said they received the same or less than the cost of production
  - Food production and technology
    - Agricultural technology is the primary factor in increasing food productivity
      - Leads to lowering food prices, cheaper food releases income that can be spent on other goods
    - New technology can provide additional rural employment
    - Food prices are lower, but balance of benefits between consumer and producer depends on the nature of the economy
  - Soil Degredation in Zimbabwe
    - Climate (hot dry season followed by wet) makes it vulnerable to fluvial erosion
    - Decline of fertility
    - Results in siltation and sediment build up
    - 2 types of land ownership: communal and private
      - Private owners have more incentive to look after land
    - Production: 0.4 tonnes per hectare per year Degredation: 30 tphpy
  - Rice Production in Laos
    - Increased from 1.4 mT in 1986 to 2.5mT in 2004
      - Policy changes have contributed to growth
        Rice yiels increatsed at an anual rate of 2.6%, while land expansion was only 1.8%
        Mostly due to the use of modern varieties and GM crops
        Food on national level has improved, households are still not secure
        Population growth is increasing demand, expected 8.8 mil people by 2020
Low technology, labour intensive cheap fisheries
- Hinder
  - 106 thou km2 used for coffee beans, not enough land to sustain demand, demand outweighs production, price increases
  - Top consumers eg. coffee shops in the US make the highest profit, producers make the least
  - Low yield, low revenue, can't survive
  - 85% artisanal vessels catch only small fraction of the world's fish
  - 15% of the world's vessels are industrial and catch 80% of the world's fish
All responsive to fertilisers

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WJEC Geography A2 Food Sustainibility

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