Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2018
Last exams 2026
Food Shortages (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography): Revision Note
Exam code: 0460 & 0976
Causes & Effects of Food Shortages
In 2015, world leaders committed to ending world hunger by 2030
The UN estimates that the number of people in 'hunger emergencies' has increased from 135 million in 2019 to 345 million in 2022
Global food prices are rising—23% higher than in 2021
World grain reserves are lower than they have been for 14 years
Women and girls account for 70% of the people suffering from hunger
Causes of food shortages
The causes of food shortages can be divided into natural and human factors
It is important to remember that natural causes can often be made worse by human activity
An example would be floods, which result from heavy and prolonged rainfall but may be made worse by:
urbanisation
deforestation
climate change leading to increased snow and ice melt, sea level rise and changing weather patterns
Natural causes of food shortages
Flooding
Crops cannot cope with being waterlogged
Causes the death of livestock
Drought and unreliable rainfall
This can reduce crop yields significantly
Causes the death of livestock
Disease
Reduce yields
Result in livestock deaths/culling, e.g. swine flu
Pests
Locusts can wipe out entire fields of crops in a matter of hours
Tropical cyclones
Heavy rainfall and strong winds, which can destroy large areas of crops
Human causes of food shortages
War and conflict
People are unable to farm due to the conflict
War also disrupts the supply and movement of food supplies
Rising food prices
People cannot afford the food that they need
Human-induced global warming
This leads to changing weather patterns, increased temperatures and rising sea levels
Lack of investment
Many LEDCs have poor transport systems, which means that transporting food and livestock is difficult
Lack of funds to invest in agriculture
Corruption
Investment in rural areas and agriculture does not happen due to corrupt politicians taking the money
Rapid population increase
The food available has to be shared between more people, decreasing the amount that people have
Soil erosion and desertification
Overgrazing and over-cultivation lead to a loss of soil fertility so plants won't grow, or yields decrease
Effects of food shortages
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
Rising food prices
When there is increased demand and reduced supply, the prices increase
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
Worked Example
Describe the natural problems that cause food shortages.
[3 marks]
Answer:
Drought causes crop failure [1]
Floods destroy crops [1]
Tropical storms destroy crops and cause flooding [1]
Pests eat crops [1]
Disease destroys the crop [1]
Possible Solutions to the Problem of Food Shortages
There are several solutions to food shortages these range from food aid to genetically modified crops
Food aid
This can be short (after a disaster or in a crisis) or long-term (often given to the LEDC government to distribute)
The aid is given by MEDCs often through organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) as well as by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as Oxfam and Save The Children
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Saves lives during a crisis |
|
Irrigation
The artificial watering of crops—the success of this is dependent on the type of irrigation
Surface irrigation or drip irrigation are examples of irrigation types
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Increases crop production and yields in areas with low rainfall |
|
Genetically Modified (GM) crops
When the genetic material of a crop is altered to make it disease/pest resistant, have higher yield or be drought resistant
Advantages
Increases the yield of crops as they are not as susceptible to pests or diseases
Disadvantages
Concerns about the impacts on the environment
Green Revolution and high-yield varieties
Involved in the development of high-yield varieties of main food crops, including wheat, maize and rice
Advantages
Increased yields
Larger farm incomes increased
Disadvantages
Needed high inputs of fertilisers/pesticides
Increased mechanisation leads to fewer jobs
Education of farmers
Education for farmers about sustainable farming methods
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
Mechanisation
Use of tractors and other machines to complete farming tasks
Advantages
Increases yields as more land can be cultivated
More time-efficient
Less labour needed
Disadvantages
Reduces jobs in agriculture
Machines can be expensive to buy and maintain
Fertilisers/pesticides
Fertilisers are added to increase yields by adding nitrogen
Pesticides are used to kill or deter pests from eating crops
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
Appropriate technology
Includes methods such as Contour ploughing or intercropping
Advantages
Increases yield as water infiltration improves and soil erosion decreases
Disadvantages
None
Case Study: Yemen
There are many examples of countries which suffer food shortages
The example below of Yemen can be used as an example in the final exam
Case Study
Yemen is located in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula
Yemen has a mainly hot desert climate with a temperate climate in the western mountains
In summer months, temperatures reach 40 ºC and there is little rainfall
Winter months are cooler between 25 and 35 ºC, but with little rainfall
Agriculture
There is increasing agricultural activity in Yemen with crops including:
millet
corn
wheat
barley
sorghum
Other crops include coffee, cotton and fruit which were grown for export
Over 73% of the population relies on agriculture as their main source of income
Causes of food shortages
Conflict
In 2015, after years of internal conflict, a civil war broke out
Continued conflicts have led over 4 million Yemenis to be displaced
Food aid supplies have been affected by blockades at the ports intended to stop weapons from entering the country
Internal infrastructure (roads, airports and communication) has also been affected by the conflict, which stops the movement of food around the country
Drought
In recent years, drought has further affected supplies
The main crop-growing areas have received only one-third to half of the usual precipitation
Pests
In 2019, swarms of locusts hit Yemen, destroying many of the crops
The conflict affected the control and monitoring program
The lack of pesticides meant that the Yemenis struggled to control the insects
Corruption
Food aid is taken by those involved in the fighting and those in power
It often does not reach those who need it most
Population increase
The population has increased to almost 30 million from 26.5 million in 2015
This increases the demand for food
Effects of food shortages
The Yemeni economy has declined
These issues have mostly happened in the crop-growing areas in the south-west
In 2016, it is estimated that farm produce losses totalled $964.5 million
Yemen became dependent on imports for 90% of its grain supplies
Much of this was from Ukraine, the supply of which has been affected by the Russian invasion
More than 80% of the population live below the poverty line
Over 50% of the population working in agriculture have lost their jobs
Food prices have increased between 30 and 70%, meaning people cannot afford a healthy diet
The UN estimates more than 226,000 Yemenis have died due to food shortages and lack of health services
Acute malnutrition now threatens over 50% of children under 5
The total number of food insecure population is expected to reach 19 million by the end of 2022
Solutions
Since the start of the conflict, billions in aid have been sent to Yemen through organisations such as:
UNICEF
Red Cross
World Food Program
Oxfam
Getting aid to the people who need it is challenging for the reasons outlined in 'causes' above
The World Food Program provides 13 million people with food assistance through:
Rations
Vouchers
Cash transfers
Until the end of the conflict, the food shortages are likely to continue and may even get worse
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