Food resources

• What is our case study of a large scale agricultural development?

  The Indus Basin irrigation system
• Where is the Indus Basin Irrigation system?

  In India and Pakistan. India controls the East, Pakistan controls the West
• What are the features of the Indus Basin River System?

  3 large dams

  45 canal control points, which release water

  Largest Dam: Tarbela holds 100 million cubic metres of water

  1.6 million km of ditches and streams
• Why is the Indus Basin irrigation system needed?

  -Dry agricultural land in the South of Pakistan

  -37% of Pakistan's population face food insecurities
• What are the advantages of the Indus Basin irrigation system?

  - 40% more land can be farmed

  - Increased crop yields: wheat by 36%

  - Fish farming can happen in reservoirs, proving protein

  - Hydroelectric power is generated

  - Agriculture-based industries have grown, like tractors
• What are the disadvantages of the Indus Basin irrigation system?

  - High costs to maintain reservoirs

  - Can cause soil to become saltier - salinisation

  - Some farmers take unfair share of water
• What strategies make food production more sustainable?

  1. Organic farming

  2. Permaculture

  3. Urban farming initiatives

  4. Fish and meat from sustainable sources

  5. Seasonal food consumption

  6. Reduced food waste and losses
• What is organic farming?

  Food which is produced using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods on organic farms.
• How is organic farming sustainable?

  - Improves the environment

  - Better Quality of life for farmers - cheaper to produce, less exposed to chemicals
• How is organic farming less sustainable?

  Increase food miles and energy consumption if shipped from LICs to HICs
• What is permaculture?


  Co-operating with natural systems.

  Aims to be sustainable, productive, non-polluting and healthy
• What are examples of permaculture?

  - Organic farming

  - Using crop rotation

  - Eating local, seasonal food

  - Managing woodlands
• What is urban farming?

  Cultivation , processing and distribution of food in and around settlements
• What are the benefits of urban farming?

  - Greater choice of fresh food available

  - New jobs are created in urban areas

  - Attracts wildlife

  - Social benefits for the community
• What is an example of urban farming?

  Turn wasteland into productive land

  Improve diets, foster community, provide jobs in an area affected by deindustrialisation

  Over 150 raised garden beds
• Why does meat production need to be made sustainable?

  - Animals eat large amounts of feed

  - Uses lots of energy

  - Lots of waste produced (poo)

  - Overgrazing is common
• How can meat production be made sustainable?

  - Free-range farming (allowing the animals to go outside)

  - Small-scale farms

  - Certifying schemes using logo
• Why is eating food out of season less sustainable?

  Requires importing food -->

  Transport around the world has high food miles and carbon footprint.
• Why does fish production need to be made more sustainable?

  - 87% of the world's fisheries are over-exploited

  - Closed mesh nets are used, which catches all fish, and the smaller ones are chucked back into the sea

  - Nets can damage ecosystems
• How can fish production be made sustainable?

  - Setting catch limits to monitor fish breeding and practices

  - Encouraging line fishing

  - EU Common Fishery Policy limits fish catches from member countries
• How can seasonal food consumption be done in a sustainable way?

  Buying local food from farmers markets. This:

  - Supports the local economy

  - Reduces transportation

  - Is more likely to be in season

  - May be cheaper
• What problems are caused by food waste?

  - ⅓ of all food is lost or wasted

  - This would increase food supply and security

  - Decomposition of food in landfill contributes to increase in greenhouse gases

  - Water, land and energy is used in the production
• How can food waste be reduced?

  - Improved food storage and distribution - refrigerated containers and climate warehouses

  - Clearer use of best before and use by

  - Sealed plastic bags make food last longer

  - Using cooling systems if there are no fridges
• What is our case study for a local scheme in an LIC or NEE to increase sustainable supplies of food?

  The Makueni Food and Water Security Programme
• Where is Makueni?


  It is a county in Kenya, where most people live in isolated rural villages.

  Project was based in two villages, Musunguu and Muuo Wa Methovini
• What food do they grow in Makueni?

  Cereals, like beans, millet and sweet potatoes
• What are the issues in Makueni?

  The soil is high in nutrients as it is volcanic

  There is very little and unreliable rain, so there are crop failures.
• Who created the programme?

  In 2014, the charities Just a Drop and African Sand Dam Foundation
• What are sand dams?

  Sand dams are concrete walls built across sandy riverbeds that can capture water.

  
  

  The water is stored within the sand, safe from disease and unable to evaporate. It can be easily extracted via pipework connected to hand pumps and taps.
• What has the programme included?

  - Improving access to a clean and safe water supply - built sand dams

  - Rainwater harvesting tank on Kanyenyoni school roof

  - Training local farmers

  - Growing trees to reduce soil erosion and provide medicinal products
• What has the impact of the programme been'?

  - Crop yields have gone up

  - Water-borne diseases have reduced

  - Less time is spent fetching water - more time for work or education

  - School now has a safe water supply
• why is global food consumption increasing

  - development means people can afford more food

  - growing populations (e.g. India Indonesia china)

  - more availability of food due to better transport & storage
• what is food security

  when people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious good to maintain a healthy and active life
• what is food insecurity

  being without reliable access to enough amounts of affordable, nutritious foods
• what is food supply and demand like in HICs

  - sufficient rain/warmer temp enhances food production

  - quarter of diet is meat and other animal products

  - only quarter of diet is cereals

  - agribusiness is common
• what is food supply and demand like in LICs

  - unreliable climate limits food production

  - over 70% if diet is cereals and potatoes

  - lots of food produced locally by famers (uses more basic methods)
• what factors affect food supply

  - climate

  - water stress

  - pests and diseases

  - conflict

  - technology

  - poverty
• how does climate affect food supply

  affects type of food grown (e.g. rice grows in warm wet places like china)

  
  

  climate change causes less reliable rainfall in sub sarahan Africa, affecting yield and soil quality
• how does water stress affect food supply

  lack of water - areas more likely to become dry and desertified

  increase demand for irrigation
• how do pests and diseases affect food supply

  locusts can devastate food crops

  Tsetse fly can kill cattle

  pests & diseases spread wider as global temps rise