Food (AQA GCSE Geography): Revision Note

Specification links

The notes on this page cover part of 3.2.3 The challenge of resource management on the AQA GCSE specification. (opens in a new tab)

3.2.3 - Key idea: Demand for food resources is rising globally but supply can be insecure, which may lead to conflict.

• Areas of surplus (security) and deficit (insecurity):

  • Global patterns of calorie intake and food supply.

  • Reasons for increasing food consumption: economic development, rising population.

  • Factors affecting food supply: climate, technology, pests and disease, water stress, conflict, poverty.

• Impacts of food insecurity – famine, undernutrition, soil erosion, rising prices, social unrest.

Global distribution of food

• Food consumption around the world is increasing due to:

  • Population increase: the world population has now reached 8 billion

    • Much of this growth has been in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Newly Emerging Economies (NEEs) where people are more likely to suffer food insecurity

  • As countries develop people have money to buy more food

  • Transport of food is easier and cheaper than in the past

• Sufficient food is produced to feed the world's population

Food security

• The distribution of food is uneven and this affects food security

• Countries where a high percentage of the population are food insecure often have a food deficit

  • These tend to be LICs as they cannot produce or afford to import enough food to meet the population's needs

• Some countries have a food surplus, these tend to be HICs 

  • HICs and some NEEs can also afford to import food when they do not produce sufficient for the demand: the UK imports approximately 46% of the food supply required by the population

Calorie intake

• To live a healthy and active life people require about 2,500 calories  

  • In areas like the USA and Europe people consume more calories than needed

  • In areas such as Pakistan, Venezuela and sub-Saharan Africa people consume fewer calories than needed

Factors affecting food supply

• There are many factors which affect food supply either in terms of yields or transport into an area

Climate

• Extreme temperatures make growing crops challenging 

• Tropical storms lead to flooding which destroys crops

• Changing patterns of rainfall impact on yield and can lead to drought or floods

• Drought can lead to desertification and salinisation which affect crop growth

Technology

• LICs lack money to invest in:

  • Machinery

  • Irrigation systems

  • Transport and storage infrastructure

• This means their yields are lower than in HICs which are able to invest money in this technology

Pests and diseases

• Crops and livestock are vulnerable to pests and diseases

• HICs are able to afford pesticides and treatments to reduce the impact of these on yields

• LICs are often in tropical areas where pests such as locusts and diseases such as African Swine Flu are more prevalent

Water stress

• Water stress affects the ability to irrigate crops due to lack of water

• LICs are more likely to suffer water stress than HICs due to lack of precipitation and poor infrastructure

• Lack of irrigation in drier areas leads to low yields

Conflict

• During conflicts people abandon or are driven off their land leading to large areas of uncultivated farmland

• Conflict can destroy or block transport routes meaning that food supplies including imports cannot get to where they are needed

• Conflicts also lead to the destruction of crops and livestock

Poverty

• Poverty can mean that people are unable to afford:

  • Technology such as machines

  • Irrigation

  • Quality seeds and livestock

• Poor diets then mean that people are unable to work due to ill health

Impacts of food insecurity

• The impact of food shortages ranges from undernutrition to wasting

  • Undernutrition: people do not consume enough calories, this is linked to 45% of all child deaths

  • Malnutrition: people's diet lacks the correct nutrients to keep them healthy

  • Wasting: when people have low weight in relation to their height: affects 45 million children under the age of 5

• Famine

• Rising food prices

  • When there is increased demand and reduced supply the prices increase

  • Those living in poverty often cannot afford a balanced diet this means people in LICs and NEEs are the most affected

• Underdevelopment - loss of productivity

  • If a country's workforce is suffering from food shortages, they will be less productive, and development will slow or even reverse

• Soil erosion and desertification

  • Farmers may over cultivate and overgraze the land in an attempt to increase the amount of food available

• Social unrest

  • Food shortage may lead people to riot and loot 

• Migration

  • People migrate to other countries or to urban areas where the food supply is better. This can impact those areas with the development of illegal settlements

Specification links

The notes on this section of the page cover part of 3.2.3 The challenge of resource management on the AQA GCSE specification. (opens in a new tab)

3.2.3 - Key idea: Different strategies can be used to increase food supply.

• Overview of strategies to increase food supply:

  • Irrigation, aeroponics and hydroponics, the new green revolution and use of biotechnology, appropriate technology

  • An example of a large scale agricultural development to show how it has both advantages and disadvantages.

• Moving towards a sustainable resource future:

  • The potential for sustainable food supplies: organic farming, permaculture, urban farming initiatives, fish and meat from sustainable sources, seasonal food consumption, reduced waste and losses

  • An example of a local scheme in an LIC or NEE to increase sustainable supplies of food.

Strategies to increase food supply

• There are a number of possible methods to increase food supply

Irrigation

• The artificial watering of crops: the success of this is dependent on the type of irrigation. 

• Surface irrigation or drip irrigation

Biotechnology

• Also known as genetic modification

• When the genetic material of a crop is altered to make them disease/pest resistant, have higher yield or be drought resistant

New Green Revolution

• Uses techniques such as crop rotation, water harvesting, soil conservation and improvements in seed/livestock. 

• The focus is on sustainability and communities

Appropriate technology

• Includes methods such as Contour ploughing or intercropping 

Aeroponics and hydroponics

• Use modern scientific methods to grow crops without soil in carefully controlled conditions

• Aeroponics involves spraying plants with water containing nutrients

• Hydroponics is where plants are grown in a nutrient enriched water solution

Case study: Almeria, Spain

Background

• Located in the south east of Spain

Location of 'Sea of Plastic' in Almeria, Spain

• Annual rainfall: 270mm 

• Average temperatures: 30^oC (July) 17^oC (January)

Agricultural development

• It is the world's largest concentration of plastic greenhouses

• The first greenhouse was erected in 1963

• In 2021 the greenhouses covered 40,000 hectares: it is now known as the 'sea of plastic'

• The area provides Europe with between 40-50% of its fruit and vegetables

• During the 1980s there was rapid expansion of agriculture in this area which led to;

  • Importing of soil from more fertile areas of Spain

  • Installation of hydroponic systems

• The greenhouses are unheated as the climate is warm enough 

Advantages of agricultural development in Spain

• Fruit and vegetables are available throughout the year

• Hydroponics recycles waste water reduces water consumption. It also reduces the use of soil

• Increases the number of jobs in the area 15,000 family farmers and 40,000 additional jobs

• Provides 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Almeria area

• Warm temperatures in the region mean no artificial heating is required

• Use of drip irrigation reduces water waste as water is delivered directly to the roots

• The region has received investment from the Spanish government

Disadvantages of agricultural development in Spain

• Estimated 5,200 tonnes of chemical waste dumped in the area or Mediterranean every year

• Ill health amongst workers has been linked to pesticide use

• The area produces 45,000 of plastic waste a year

• Workers are mainly migrant workers who often live in very poor conditions

• Habitats and ecosystems have been destroyed by construction of the greenhouses

• Soil contamination due to the leaching of pesticides and fertilisers

• Water pollution from plastics and pesticides/fertilisers

Sustainable food supply

• Sustainable food supply means producing food in a way which ensures soil quality, water resources and the natural environment are maintained for future generations

• Strategies which can be used include:

  • Organic farming

  • Permaculture

  • Urban farming initiatives

  • Sustainable meat and fish

  • Seasonal food

  • Reduced food waste

Organic farming

• The production of food without the use of artificial pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers

Permaculture

• Uses natural systems rather than artificial pesticides: such as parasitic wasps to control pests

• Also uses rainwater harvesting, composting and crop rotation 

Urban farming initiatives

• Converts wasteland or unused areas such as rooftops into productive land to grow crops

Sustainable meat and fish

• Sustainable meat involves low intensity systems where vaccinations and antibiotic use is minimised: usually free range for a set period of time

• Pole and line fishing are examples of sustainable fishing practices.

Seasonal food

• Consumption of food which is in season for the local area: in the UK strawberries are a summer fruit

Reduced food waste

• Over 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK each year. Food is also wasted due to poor storage, transport issues. Investment in storage and infrastructure, as well as processing of food would decrease waste

Example case study: Agroforestry in Mali

Background

• Approximately 80% of Mali's population work in agriculture

• Staple crops include maize, millet and sorghum

• Poor soil quality, changing weather patterns and pests reduce yields 

• Increasing population has led to overgrazing and over cultivation of the land which in turn leads to:

  • Soil erosion

  • Desertification

Agroforestry

• A land use system which combines agriculture with trees and shrubs

• The trees and plants provide shade which reduces evaporation from the soil 

• Interception is increased which means that soil is not as exposed to rain which would increase soil erosion

• The roots of the trees and the shrubs help to stabilise the soil

• Trees and shrubs are also used for:

  • Building infrastructure

  • Increasing habitats for wildlife

  • Providing food for livestock

  • Windbreaks to reduce wind erosion

• Fallows are areas of land which are ploughed but not seeded these areas are vulnerable to soil erosion

  • Improved fallows involves the planting of fast growing herbaceous plants to replenish soil fertility

  • These plants are chosen for their nitrogen fixing properties and rapid biomass production

Kelka Forest - local project

• The forest supports approximately 60,000 people in 15 communities

• Average temperatures are 28^oC and the rainy season is over 4-5 months

• People are reliant on the acacia trees as fuelwood for heating and cooking

• Deforestation has increased over the last 20 years 

• The population s vulnerable to food insecurity

• Over the last decade Community Forest Management has been used to introduce agroforestry

• Yields of crops grown using agroforestry principles increase on average by 34%