4: Resource Reliance

• What level of food security does the UK currently enjoy?

  A high level of food security
• How many countries supplied food to the UK in 2013?

  23 countries
• What percentage of foods that can be produced in the UK are actually produced there?

  68 percent
• What does the average food waste per UK household in 2013 indicate?

  High supply of food compared to consumption
• How many people are in food poverty in the UK?

  4 million people
• What was recommended in June 2014 regarding the UK's food security?

  Plan ahead for climate and global demand changes
• What significant change regarding food supplies occurred in 2021?

  Links to the EU changed
• What are the benefits of allotments in the UK?

  • Locally sourced food reduces food miles
  • Promotes healthy outdoor activity
  • Improves community cohesion
  • Provides positive use of open space
• What issues are associated with allotments in the UK?

  • Rising food prices lead to long waiting lists
• What are urban gardens and their purpose?

  • Larger projects for growing food
  • Promote healthy eating
  • Involve individuals or small cooperatives
• What is the Incredible Edible Todmorden scheme?

  • Locals plant crops in public spaces
  • Includes roundabouts, road verges, and gardens
• How has food consumption changed in the UK since the 1940s?

  Overall food consumption has fallen
• What was the average daily calorie intake in the UK in 1940?

  About 2350 calories
• What was the average daily calorie intake in the UK in the 1960s?

  About 2600 calories
• What was the average daily calorie intake in the UK by 2000?

  About 1750 calories
• How does the calorie intake data change when including drinks and sweets?

  It increases to about 2150 calories
• What is the current food availability situation in the UK?

  Most people have enough to eat
• What percentage of food does the UK produce?

  About 60 percent
• What can affect food security in the UK?

  Where the food comes from
• What historical event reduced food availability during WW2?

  Global food shortages and German attacks
• What policy was introduced in the 1950s to increase food production?

  The Common Agricultural Policy
• What was one effect of the Common Agricultural Policy?

  Increased production of certain crops
• What has increased the availability of seasonal products in the UK?

  Growing demand for year-round availability
• What is the role of food banks in the UK?

  Provide emergency food support
• How do food banks operate?

  Food is donated and sorted for distribution
• How many people relied on food banks for support?

  Over 1.5 million people
• What seasonal demand issue do food banks face?

  High demand around Christmas
• What was the goal of the intensification of agriculture from the 1940s to the 1980s?

  To improve food security by increasing production
• What methods were used in the intensification of agriculture?

  • Higher yielding crops and animals
  • Monoculture practices
  • Improved irrigation technology
  • Increased use of chemicals
  • Mechanisation of farming processes
• What was the impact of intensification on cereal crop imports?

  Decreased from 70% to 20%
• What are the negative outcomes of intensifying farming?

  • Vulnerability of monoculture crops
  • Environmental damage
  • Reduced biodiversity
  • Soil pollution and erosion
• What is hydroponics?

  Growing plants without soil in nutrient solutions
• What facility uses hydroponics for large-scale production?

  Thanet Earth in Kent
• What percentage of the UK's supply of peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers does Thanet Earth produce?

  Over 10 percent
• What are the benefits of hydroponics?

  Year-round growth and reduced reliance on imports
• What are some disadvantages of hydroponic schemes?

  High setup costs and energy requirements
• What does Esther Boserup's theory emphasize?

  • Positive aspects of a large population
  • More hands to work as population increases
  • Pressure on agriculture stimulates invention
  • Technological changes improve crop strains
• What evidence supports Boserup's theory?

  • Green Revolution with high yielding crops
  • Introduction of genetically modified crops
  • Increased food production through technology
  • Terracing and reclaiming land for cultivation
• What are the limitations of Boserup's theory?

  • Unsuitable farming practices degrade land
  • Assumes a closed society
  • Population growth outstrips food production in some areas
  • Environmental health issues from chemicals
• What does Thomas Malthus' theory state?

  • Population grows geometrically
  • Food production increases arithmetically
  • Population will exceed agricultural capacity
  • Growth limited by misery and moral restraint