HUMAN POPULATION, CARRYING CAPACITY, AND RESOURCE USE 3.5 Food resources

Assessment Statements  Outline the issues involved in the imbalance in global food supply.  Compare and contrast the efficiency of terrestrial and aquatic food production systems.  Compare and contrast the inputs and outputs of materials and energy (energy efficiency), the system characteristics, and evaluate the relative environmental impacts for two named food production systems.  Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.

3.5.1 Outline the issues involved in the imbalance in global food supply.  ¾ of the world is inadequately fed with about 1 billion going hungry  Too much food is being produced in MEDCs leading to surplus and lowered price of food.  Some MEDCs have import tariffs which make the import of food more expensive.  LEDC food production is often used as a way to generate foreign income from cash crops leading to an emphasis on export, rather than feeding the local population.

3.5.1 Outline the issues involved in the imbalance in global food supply.  Long-standing imbalance between rich and poor countries in international agricultural trade.  Domestic support and export subsidies to farmers in MEDCs make LEDC crops uncompetitive.  Increased meat/dairy consumption and biofuel use pushes prices up as land isn’t used for food crops.  Climate change with higher temps in tropical and subtropical areas can lead to crop loss.  MEDC farms are very technocentric, whereas LEDC farms are very labor intensive (usually from within the family.)

3.5.2 Compare and contrast the efficiency of terrestrial and aquatic food production systems.  Terrestrial Systems:  Most food is harvested from relatively low trophic levels (producers and consumers).  Crops are obviously more efficient than livestock as they contain the most energy.  Another factor is that livestock provide protein, an essential vitamin.  Livestock also have additional products which they produce (milk, blood, wool, and hide) as well as being used as working animals in many cultures.

3.5.2 Compare and contrast the efficiency of terrestrial and aquatic food production systems.  Aquatic Systems:  Perhaps largely due to human tastes, most food is harvested from higher trophic levels (3 rd and 4 th level consumers).  At these levels the total storage of energy is much smaller, so this is much less efficient than crop production.  Energy conversions along aquatic food chains may be more efficient than in a terrestrial chain, but the initial fixing of energy by aquatic producers is less efficient due to absorption and reflection of light by water.

3.5.3 Compare and contrast the inputs and outputs of materials and energy (energy efficiency), the system characteristics, and evaluate the relative environmental impacts for two named food production systems.  You will do this with the comparing and contrasting named food production systems worksheet.

3.5.4 Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.  Shifting Cultivation -“slash and burn” agriculture:  where new land is cleared by cutting down small areas of forest and setting fire to them.  The ash fertilizes the soil for awhile and the clearing produced enables crops to be grown.  Once the land in one area has been exhausted, the farmer moves on to a new area. Old land can be returned to once the fertility has recovered.

3.5.4 Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.  Shifting Cultivation -“slash and burn” agriculture:  This system is a big piece of the culture with traditions and rituals for choosing the site, and carrying out the clearing.  The plot cycle is used to recall history by connecting events with the plots cleared at particular times.  The people tend to believe everything has a spirit, and leads to respect for the forest.  Understanding how the forest works has led some to adapt their practices to mimic the layering of the forest, where ground crops are protected from harsh sunlight and heavy downpour.

3.5.4 Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.  Wet rice ecosystems:  Padi field (wet rice) agriculture is dominant in South-East Asia.  It is intensive subsistence farming using high labor inputs, but low technology.  High population densities in these countries lead to high demands for food.  Rice is a staple of the diet and a central part of Asian culture.

3.5.4 Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.  Wet rice ecosystems:  They are normally built in areas that flood or on hills with terracing as the soil fertility is good due to flooding which deposits silt and supports the intensive nature of the agriculture.  As the population increases, the security of small farms will depend on investing in higher value crops, small livestock production, and aquaculture.

3.5.4 Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.  Agribusiness:  After World War II, countries became concerned with self-sufficiency. This led to small farms being combined into bigger farms to provide large uniform areas for agriculture.  This was followed closely by a shift from producing food for people’s needs to producing for commercial profit which was tied into the culture of capitalist countries.

3.5.4 Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.  Agribusiness:  The foundation is to maximize productivity and profit to compete on the global market.  This is used to support gross national income, and the lifestyles the populations have come to expect.  Led to many farmers moving into towns and cities to seek new work.

3.5.4 Discuss the links that exist between social systems and food production.  General Points:  Socio-cultural factors influence tastes and development of different food production systems.  MEDCs have growing trend on animal welfare.  Education levels affect exchange of farming practices and technologies.  Land ownership, migration patterns, environmental concerns, and attitudes towards the land in general impact how land is used.