1. No category

3.5 Food Resources
Food Issues
MEDC / LEDC
Food Production and Distribution
Imbalance in food distribution
  Over
1 billion people are living in poverty and
starving in LEDC countries
  MEDC Average Caloric Intake = 3314
  LEDC Average Caloric Intake = 2666
  Causes:
  Unequal
distribution
  Lack of access to clean water
  Poor harvesting / farming practices (overgrazing/
overfishing)
Undernourishment worldwide
Food Waste
Terrestrial vs. Aquatic Food
Production Systems
VS
Aquatic Food Production
  Aquatic
  Food
Food Production:
is harvested from high tropic levels
due to human preference (ex. salmon).
  Photosynthesis is less efficient by producers
due to light reflection of water
Terrestrial Food Production
  Terrestrial
  Most
Food Production:
food harvested from low tropic levels
(producers / herbivores)
  Energy conversions less efficient on land
Food Production affects the
Environment
  Biodiversity
  Soil
  Water
  Air
  Human
Health
Increasing food production output
  GMO-
Genetically Modified Organisms
  Change
genetic make up of living things to make them
look, feel, and taste different
  Pesticides-
chemicals used to kill pest organisms
  Herbicides- chemicals used to kill weeds
  Fertilizers- chemicals used to grow larger crops
  Irrigation- canals used to bring in more water
  Antibiotics/ Growth Hormones- used to grow healthier
and larger animals
Biodiversity Loss
  Loss
of grasslands forests and wetland for cultivation
  Loss of genetic diversity (wild crops replaced with
monocrops)
Soil
  Erosion
  Loss
of fertility
  Salinization
  Desertification
  Increase soil pH
Water
  Waste
water produced
  Aquifer depletion from increased irrigation
Air
  Large
fossil fuel use in farming equipment causes
release of greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, and CH4)
  Pesticide sprays
Human Health
  Nitrates
  Blue
in Drinking water
baby
  Pesticides
  Bacterial
(E. coli)
contamination of meat
North American Cereal Farming vs.
Asian Subsistence Farming
Comparison Pair #1
North American
Cereal Farming
Inputs: Fertilizers, pesticides,
fossil fuels, labor, sunlight,
water equipment
  Characteristics: Heavy use
of fossil fuels, lots of farming
technology, monocrops
(only one crop)
  Socio- Cultural: Fast
production, large amounts,
lots of waste
  Environmental impact: loss
biodiversity
  Outputs: Air pollution , water
pollution, wheat/corn, lots
of income ($$)
 
Asian Subsistence
Farming
  Inputs: lots of human
labor, water, sunlight
  Characteristics: grow
only enough to eat to
feed family &
community, low tech
  Socio- Cultural: mostly
LEDC, poor
  Environmental impact:
maintains biodiversity,
reduces pollution
  Outputs: Usually mixed
crops; corn, beans and
squash (all in same field)
Intensive Beef Production vs.
Maasia Tribal Livestock
Comparison Pair # 2
MEDC- Intensive
Beef Production
Inputs: Hormones,
antibiotics, labor, cattle
feed (corn), breeding stock
of cattle
  Characteristics: Many
cattle in crowded area
  Socio- Cultural: Fast
production, large
quantities, lots of waste/
death
  Environmental impact:
disease, waste
  Outputs: Air pollution, water
pollution, beef, lots of
income ($$)
 
LEDC- Maasai Tribal
Livestock
  Inputs:
Labor, Cattle feed/
grazing grass
  Characteristics: large
herds of cattle, used as
only food source
“Nomadic Herding”
  Socio- Cultural: Cattle are
THE source of life (even
used as currency)
  Environmental impact:
overgrazing, nomadic
behavior
  Outputs: meat, milk, blood
Salmon Farming in Norway vs. RiceFish Farming in Thailand
Comparison Pair # 3
Salmon Farming in
Norway
  Inputs:
antibiotics, fish
food, cages, labor
  Characteristics: fish
raised in large quantity
  Socio- Cultural: MEDC,
employs large number
of workers
  Environmental impact:
growth of algae, water
pollution
  Outputs: salmon, water
pollution
Rice-Fish Farming
Thailand
  Inputs:
labor, seed
  Characteristics: fish and
rice grown together in
same, self sustaining
ecosystem (fed by
natural food chain)
  Socio- Cultural: LEDC
countries,
  Environmental impact:
reduces waste
maintains biodiversity
  Outputs: rice, fish,
income
Slash and Burn/ Shifting
Cultivation
Slash and Burn / Shifting
Cultivation
  Input:
Labor, plow, oxen, seed
  Characteristics: Tropical forest set on fire to clear the
land & ash fertilizes soil. After land is used farmers
repeat this process
  Socio-cultural: Typically harvested food is sold in
community, low population density
  Environment: Loss of biodiversity, fertility, ecosystem
production decreases
  Output: Monocrop, air pollution, income
kg grain required to produce
1 kg of meat
GMO
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