food resources

Answer: Global calorie intake is highest in North America (3,700+ kcal/day) and Europe (3,400+ kcal), well above the minimum of 2,350 kcal. Intake is lowest in sub-Saharan Africa and Central Africa (below 2,100 kcal), where many people are chronically undernourished. NEEs like China have seen rapid improvement (intake doubled since the 1960s). There is also a dual burden in some countries where undernutrition and obesity coexist.

Answer: Global calorie intake is highest in North America (3,700+ kcal/day) and Europe (3,400+ kcal), well above the minimum of 2,350 kcal. Intake is lowest in sub-Saharan Africa and Central Africa (below 2,100 kcal), where many people are chronically undernourished. NEEs like China have seen rapid improvement (intake doubled since the 1960s). There is also a dual burden in some countries where undernutrition and obesity coexist.

Answer: Factor 1: Climate - droughts cause crop failure and water scarcity, particularly in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. The 2011 Horn of Africa drought affected 13 million people. Factor 2: Pests and diseases - the 2019-20 desert locust outbreak in East Africa destroyed crops that would have fed 20+ million people. Both factors are worsened by climate change, which increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

Answer: The Green Revolution (1960s-80s) introduced high-yielding crop varieties, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and irrigation to increase food production, especially in Asia. Advantages: wheat yields in India tripled; India became food self-sufficient; millions were saved from famine; food prices fell. Disadvantages: expensive inputs excluded poor farmers; chemical use caused pollution and health problems; monoculture reduced genetic diversity; and it did not address the root causes of poverty and inequality.

Answer: One-third of food produced globally is wasted, meaning land, water, and energy used to produce it are also wasted. In HICs, waste is mainly at retail/consumer level (supermarkets rejecting imperfect produce; households over-buying). In LICs, waste occurs during storage/transport due to poor infrastructure (up to 40% post-harvest loss in sub-Saharan Africa). Strategy: France banned supermarkets from throwing away unsold food in 2016, requiring them to donate it to charities, reducing waste and redirecting food to those in need.

Answer: Biotechnology offers significant benefits: GM crops can resist pests, tolerate drought, and contain added nutrients (e.g. Golden Rice with vitamin A). This could address specific deficiencies and increase yields in challenging conditions. However, it is not the best solution alone because: GM seeds are expensive and controlled by TNCs; there are concerns about environmental risks and long-term health effects; it does not address the root causes of food insecurity (poverty, conflict, trade inequality); and many LICs lack the regulatory frameworks to manage GM safely. A combination of strategies (appropriate technology, reducing waste, sustainable farming, fairer trade) alongside carefully regulated biotechnology would be most effective.

Answer: Strategy 1: Organic farming avoids artificial chemicals, uses crop rotation and natural pest control, increasing biodiversity and reducing water pollution. Strategy 2: Precision farming uses GPS, drones, and sensors to apply exact amounts of water and chemicals, reducing waste by up to 80% while increasing yields by 10-15%. Strategy 3: Agroforestry combines trees with crops, improving soil health, providing shade, and increasing total yield per hectare while sequestering carbon.