global food production

• processing, transporting and wasting food all lead to the production of greenhouse gases
• greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and cause our climate to change and the earth to get hotter
• just a small increase in average global temperature can massively affect the production of crops:

  • many crops will have lower yields
  • pests and organisms can reproduce more easily and can invade new regions that were too cold for them before
• drought:

  • a drought happens in an area that has had a lack or rainfall
  • crops struggle to grow or fail completely
  • rivers and lakes can dry up, killing fish and other wildlife
  • droughts can cause wildfires
• food poverty is when a person cant obtain nutritious food
• even in a relatively rich country such as the UK, millions of people live in food poverty
• food poverty is where a person isnt able to access or afford nutritious food
• people can live in food poverty if they dont earn enough money to spend on food or have no choice but to spend it on other things like debts or loans
• low income houses in rural areas might find it difficult to access nutritious food - households without a car or with insufficient access to public transport may have to shop in more expensive local shops, with less choice
• people in food poverty may buy cheap and unhealthy foods, which can lead to malnutrition and diet related health problems such as obesity and diabetes
• families may rely on food donations from the local community and parents may even go hungry so their children can eat
• people have food security when they have access to enough nutritious food to stay healthy and active
• a country that can produce a lot of food or is rich enough to import the food it needs have food security
• a community where the people cant produce enough food or buy what they need does not have food security
• in 1996, the world summit stated that global food security will be achieved when everyone, at all times has access to safe and nutritious food for an active and healthy lifestyle
• availability:

  sufficient food needs to be produced by countries to feed their populations and excess foods should be exported to countries that need it
• access:

  food needs to be affordable to all, or sufficient land and resources should be available for people to grow their own food
• utilisation:

  educating people on food and nutrition means people can use a greater variety of foods, reduce food waste, retain the nutritional value of foods and prevent illness from cross contamination
• climate affects food security because some countries have climates that were unsuitable for farming, extreme weather events such as floods or droughts, can also affect the food supply
• insufficient land affects food security as people living in poverty often dont have their own land to grow food
• growing industrial crops affects food security as more farmland that previously grew crops for food is now being used to grow non food crops such as crops for biofuels
• wealth affects food security because wealthier people have more disposable income to spend on food, often more than they need. people with lower incomes may not be able to afford nutritious food
• rising population affects food security because the more people there are, the less food there is to go around
• with global demand for food increasing, we need to increase food supplies
• we should use sustainable techniques which dont damage the environment or use up limited resources, so that enough food can continue to be grown to feed future generations
• ways to increase food supplies:

  • eat less meat: animals that are reared for meat are fed crops that we grow, it is more efficient if we directly eat those crops instead
  • use new technologies: GM crops can be given pest resistance, higher nutritional value and higher yields
  • reducing food waste: if less food is wasted, more food is available to eat