(8) resource reliance

• a resource: a stock or supply of something that has a purpose and derives a benefit
• 3 most important resources = food, water, energy
• food = malnourished from food insecurity - less nutrients = become ill = miss school = less educated
• water: needed for drinking, sanitation, growing and cooking food, used for hydroelectric energy, used in industry = lack of food or income = less developed people
• energy = needed for basic standard of living - eg. heating/lighting = alternate - fire, gasoline = can still have basic standard of living = important in industry - eg. manufacturing
• carrying capacity: the maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported on our planet
• scarcity = the gap between limited resources and limitless wants
• consumption: the act of using up resources or purchasing goods and services
• mechanisation of farming: reduces biodiversity = reduces habitats and changes landscape, fertiliser = contaminate water

  • Bigger fields = produce higher quantity and easier for machinery use - reach demand
  • Soil churned = release carbon dioxide to atmosphere = climatic effects
  • fertilisers - eutrophication = contaminate water - effect aquatic life
• Deforestation:

  • Eg. Amazon, Equator
  • Largest impact = needed for farming
  • Techniques needed to clear (slash and burn) = loss of habitats = reduce biodiversity = species become endangered - localised impact
  • Carbon storage (global impact) = declined as biomass decreased = more carbon in atmosphere = environmental change
• Commercial fishing:

  • 1 billion rely on fish for diet
  • Overfishing by using nets and trawlers = good for demand but fish stocks deplete (not naturally replenish) = also dredge coral = affect wildlife and ecosystems
  • Fish farming = high waste of fish = more algae = less oxygen to water = decreases aquatic life
• Impact of Coal Mining:

  Quarrying leaves a waste heap and open pits

  Washing process contaminated water and soil with sulphur and carbon contributing to acid rain.

  Danger of landslips in highland areas due to soil erosion and localised flood risk.
• Impact of natural gas and oil drilling:

   - produced the least C of FF

  • Extraction from rock formation leas to water pollution
  • Pumping oil and gas to the surface can lead to major oil spills - BP oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico = big global impact
  • Fracking  - new form of extracting gas - pump a mixture of water and sand and chemical under high pressure into deep shale rock to split forcing gas and oil to surface. E.g. USA- positive it has reduced countries CO2 emissions.
• Impacts of nuclear power:

  • Nuclear power less CO2 - only 2% of CO2 of coal burning
  • Need to mine for radioactive isotopes e.g. Uranium. Involves quarrying leading to deforestation,  soil erosion and leaching. But smaller quarries as small amount needed.
  • Large quantity of water required for cooling nuclear reactors- can be sea water but it can become contaminated with radioactive materials
  • Nuclear waste key issue - material needs to be stored in concrete steel for 50 years before being buried underground/sea. They can still emit fatal level of radiation from 30 - 24,000 years.
• Impact of renewable energy:

  • hydroelectric power - vast quantities of water needed - many can be reused but excessive evaporation and silting (sediment being deposited on a river bed) can occur.
  • Energy required during construction - affect local ecology and life cycles
  • Flooding of landscape to create reservoir
  • 3 Gorges Dam China - blamed for landslides, water pollution, flooding and droughts
  • geothermal - e.g. Iceland - very efficient
  • Clean and minimal c02
  • Water can be reused
• UK - no longer mine but import. This has led to abandoned quarries, toxic soils and abandoned building
• Food insecurity = people aren't able to get enough food to be able to meet their dietary needs to stay healthy and live an active lifestyle
• Physical factors

  Climate: 

   Too cold climate and dry - can't grow much food eg. Ethiopia

  Extreme weather events - eg. droughts and floods also affect supply

  Bigger issue in future - climate change

  Cant control climate - control irrigation
• Physical factors

  Water Stress:

  Water necessary for crops and livestock to survive

  Low rainfall areas or droughts - suffer more

  Over-extraction = less ground water = desertification

  Eg. Australia = land becoming desert = desertification = can't keep up with food demand
• Physical factors

  Water Stress:

  Water necessary for crops and livestock to survive

  Low rainfall areas or droughts - suffer more

  Over-extraction = less ground water = desertification

  Eg. Australia = land becoming desert = desertification = can't keep up with food demand
• Human Factors

  Poverty:

  Cant afford to buy food - don't own land to grow own food

  Affects ability to farm well as cant afford pesticides or fertilisers

  Poor countries cant afford to import food

  (Corrupt) government should put more money into food security
• Human Factors

  Technology:

   mechanisation of farm equipment = increase amount of food able to be produced = more efficient

  New technologies produced - eg. Genetic engineering - protect crops from disease and increase yield = increase profit

  Need money to purchase machinery
• Human Factors

  Conflict:  

  Harder to trade - disrupt trade routes and political relationships

  Damage agriculture land or unsafe - hard to grow enough food

  Difficult access to food or farmland if fleeing homes 
• Human Factors

  Over farming:

  Grazing too much livestock = reduce vegetation and cause soil erosion

  Intensive arable farming = use up nutrients and make land infertile

  Reduce ability of land to produce food - not enough

  Common in LIDC or hot and wet climates - growing lots because of good land

  Monoculture - planting one type of crop - taking one type of nutrients - leave soil insufficient 

  Eg. Amazon rainforest - monoculture of soya farming
• Human Factors

  Food Prices:

   price of certain food changes based on supply and demand

  Covid and wars lead to increase in prices

  If price increases too much = cant afford and go hungry
• Thomas Malthus: The population of the world is growing exponentially, and the resources available to support it are not.

  • need preventative checks to limit population
  • thinks population grows at logarithmic rate
• TM:

  Positive checks: not good - include famine, disease = increase death rate and reduce population size

  Preventative check: things people can do reduce population growth eg. Contraception, delaying marriage, anti-natalist projects

   

  When lines cross over, people need to so the checks
• Esther Boserup: as population increased, more pressure on agricultural system = stimulates invention

  • technology changes = increased crop yield = not exceed resources
• TM evidence: 45% of worlds population will have insufficient water by 2050
• reducing soil erosion:

  • reduce in fertility + structure = topsoil lost
  • strategies = mulching = (putting biomass and leaves on soil = provide nutrients) = inter-cropping (alternate year with crops) = prevent desertification
• improving forecast: (easiest to achieve):

  • forecast help prevent crop loss = use phones
  • ACs protect against frosts with small fruits = fleecing, heaters
  • eg. 2014 Turkish hazelnuts = 75% of worlds hazelnuts destroyed by hailstorms and frost = extreme weather has large global impact on chocolate spread - eg. Nutella
  • eg. Christian aid in kenya = help small farmers forecast rainfall = help choose when to plant + harvest crops = reduce crop loss
• Conflict:

  • no workforce as joined military = can die or flee
  • crops damaged
  • land polluted by chemicals
  • infrastructure for irrigation destroyed
  • eg. Somalia - thousands of farmers left = unsustainable taxes enforced = reduce in food supply = food insecurity
• Reduce food loss + waste:

  • about a third of produced food is not consumed
  • food waste in farming processes = some people confuse use-by and sell-by dates ~
  • reduce food waste via portion control
  • supermarkets produce waste = imperfect food not sold - campaigns to encourage taste not appearance
• Reduce over-eating:

  • obesity is increasing globally = BMI = 30+
  • strategies = encourage health campaigns - eat healthier + less = reduce food demand
  • globalisation and increased wealth led to increased obesity
  • eg. New Zealand = immigration guidelines = cannot enter country without healthy BMI
• Decreasing reliance on other countries:

  • large TNCs = carry out all stages of production chain = vertical integration = (buys land in other countries)
  • eg. China buying land in Ethiopia for cash-cropping = export food to china
  • jobs for local farmers but no benefits for Ethiopia = land grabbing - china cut supply chain having a direct link to crops = more profit
  • need to become more self-reliant = promote food production within country
• All strategies to ensure food security reduce the food gap = multi-dimentional approach
• LIDCs = agriculture is not efficient = no irrigation = less food produced = food insecurity
• 89% increase of food parcels from 2019 - 20 = shows food insecurity
• change in food consumption and availability (4 marker)?

  consumption:

  food consumption fallen since 1940s - lower daily calorie intake now = needed more energy for manual labour jobs (calorie intake of 2350)

  in 2000, daily calorie intake was 2150 = healthier food now available - doesnt consider meals out = more societal activities now
• change in food consumption and availability (4 marker)?

  availability:

  availability risen = produce 60% of our own food

  security affected by location = less crops produces = less to export = higher demand = higher price

  harder to import as a landlocked country

  COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY in 1950s = increases production of certain crops = intensive farming

  growing demand for seasonal product eg. strawberry = increased imports