22 - Resources in the UK

• Food


  Essential resource needed for economic and social well-being
• Water


  Essential resource needed for economic and social well-being
• Energy


  Essential resource needed for economic and social well-being
• As the world's population grows, so does the pressure on the supply of resources
• The rate of growth can cause huge problems, as the supply of resources struggles to keep up with demand
• Technology cannot change or improve fast enough to provide the essential resources needed
• One of the major problems is meeting the demand for these essential resources, and, in particular, solving the problems caused by their unequal distribution and consumption
• Global inequalities in food

  • Average calorie consumption in UK is 3,440 per person, while in Democratic Republic of Congo it is 1,590 per person
  • Areas of greatest population growth correlate with highest levels of undernourishment
• Global inequalities in water

  • Global supply of freshwater is limited and unequally distributed
  • Water footprint of countries can be calculated to compare consumption
• Global inequalities in energy

  • Consumption of energy varies greatly throughout the world, with HICs consuming more than LICs
  • As wealth of LICs grows, so does demand for resources
• The growing demand for essential resources, combined with population growth, leads to shortages or scarcity
• Inability to access essential resources can impact on social and economic well-being
• The average calorie consumption in a country such as the UK is 3,440 per person, while in a country such as the Democratic Republic of Congo it is 1,590 per person
• Water footprint


  The amount of water used throughout the day, for example, from a tap for drinking or showering. It also includes the water it takes to produce food, products, energy and even the water saved when products are recycled. This virtual water may not be seen, but it makes up the majority of a country's water footprint.
• The global average water footprint is 3,287 litres per person. The water footprint of the USA is 7,786 litres per person. The water footprint of the Democratic Republic of Congo is just 1,500 litres per person per day
• Physical water scarcity


  When a country does not have as much water due to the physical conditions such as climate
• Economic water scarcity


  When a country has water but may not have the money to access the water
• The richest 1 billion people in the world actually consume 50 per cent of the world's energy, while the poorest 1 billion people consume only 4 per cent of the world's energy
• As industry has grown in China

  Energy consumption has increased with it
• Before supermarkets were commonplace, the majority of the food eaten in the UK was seasonal and sourced in the UK
• In 2017, 45 per cent of the UK's food supply was imported
• High-value foods and ingredients


  Can fetch retail prices that are up to five times those of similar products
• Challenges of high demand for non-seasonal food in LICs

  • Less land available for locals to grow food to eat
  • Crops need huge amounts of water in areas where the water supply is unreliable or poor
  • People growing the crops are exposed to chemicals such as pesticides without protective clothing
• Opportunities of high demand for non-seasonal food in LICs

  • Jobs are created, for example in farming, packaging and transport
  • Wages are supplied for local people
  • Taxes are paid to the government, which can then fund facilities for the country such as schools and hospitals
• Organic produce


  Produced by organic farming, a type of farming which does not include the use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers
• Reasons for choosing organic products

  • It contains fewer chemicals and pesticides
  • It's natural and unprocessed
  • It's healthier for me and my family
• Today, all the major supermarkets sell organic produce, providing about 75 per cent of all organic food sold
• Food miles


  The distance that food travels from producer to consumer
• In the UK, food travels over 30 billion kilometres every year. This includes transport by air, ship, train and road
• Carbon footprint


  The measure of the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases they produce
• The transport used to import food into the UK adds over 19 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year, which increases the UK's carbon footprint
• Food contributes at least 17 per cent of the total UK carbon dioxide emissions, but only 11 per cent of this is linked to transport
• The emissions created by producing a food product in the UK can sometimes create higher emissions than those imported from overseas, such as with tomatoes
• Carbon dioxide is produced when food is grown and harvested, for example, when farm machines harvest the crops or when greenhouses are heated
• The emissions created by producing a food product in the UK can sometimes create higher emissions than those imported from overseas
• Food transported by plane generates around 100 times the amount of emissions of food transported by boat
• Bananas from Ecuador which travel by ship are much more carbon friendly than avocados flown from Mexico, although both are a similar distance away from the UK
• In general, food products which are perishable and have a high value relative to their weight are transported by plane, while others are sent by sea, which takes a lot longer
• Transport emissions, kilogram CO2 equivalents per tonne kilometres

  • Long-haul air, e.g. Australia–UK
  • Short-haul air, e.g. Spain–UK
  • Road
  • Rail
  • Water
• To reduce the amount of carbon emissions, we need to reduce the amount of food products that are flown into the UK