The Food Supply YSCN0001

What is Food ?

Food is –Animal, meat & fish –Vegetable, cereals, roots, vegetables, fruit Food is –Carbohydrate –Fat –Protein –Vitamins Food is –Energy

Food is –Flavour –Texture

Where does food come from?

Primary producers = plant crops Secondary producers = animal livestock

Energy Use Solar radiation100% Energy reflectedby Earth33% Absorbed by soil33% Used in evaporation of water33% Used in photosynthesis1%

Is the world food supply adequate ? or

does Food Supply = Food Demand?

Supply v. Demand Productivity –Climate –Energy input –Crop plants Area under cultivation Processing Distribution Storage Population Affluence Preference

World Bioproductivity

Agricultural Productivity (relative units of energy produced) Hunting / gathering Traditional crops50-2,000 Indian wheat900 Intensive crops2,000-20,000 European wheat4,500 Japanese rice5,500 Hawaiian sugar cane13,000

What has changed? Agricultural management –increased efficiency in land-use –better tilling –improved planting, densities & timing –soil fertility management –crop protection plant selection, plant breeding & development of improved varieties

Supply v. Demand Productivity –climate –energy input –plant Area under cultivation Processing Distribution Storage Population Affluence Preference

World Agricultural Land Area

Supply v. Demand Productivity –climate –energy input –plant Area under cultivation Processing Distribution Storage Population Affluence Preference

Per Capita Grain Use and Consumption of Livestock

World Population

Of all things food is the foremost necessity of the people. Without agriculture there is no stability, without grain there is chaos. Deng Xiao Ping

China’s problem Affluence brings shift in food preference Affluence brings urbanisation –2025 projected GDP US$10,000 –70% of pop. rural peasant farmers –current rice yield 5 tonnes per acre –price at US$200 per tonne –1 acre requires 1000 man hours –maximum income?