💰 Wealth and income
Rich people can afford more food and a wider choice. Poor families spend most of their money on food and still may not have enough.
Food Supply and Demand » Global Patterns of Calorie Intake
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Cambridge spec: 10.2.1
- Describe the global pattern of daily calorie intake
- Say how much food energy a person needs
- Explain why calorie intake varies between countries
- Link undernourishment and obesity to the pattern
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Unlock This CourseWhat is calorie intake?
Food gives your body energy. Geographers count that energy in calories. One kilocalorie (kcal) is what most people call "a calorie" on a food label. Calorie intake is the average number of kilocalories each person has available to eat in one day. You met it as a development indicator in the lesson Indicators of Development. This lesson looks at where it is high, where it is low, and why.
The amount a person needs depends on age, sex, size and how active they are. An adult usually needs about 2,000 to 2,500 kcal a day. A person who has less than they need over a long time is undernourished. A person who regularly eats more than they need, and gains too much weight, may become obese.
Key terms:
- Calorie intake: the average daily food energy available per person, measured in kilocalories (kcal).
- Undernourishment: not getting enough food energy to live a healthy, active life.
- Obesity: having so much body fat that health is put at risk.
- Choropleth map: a map that shades each area (here, each country) by its value, with darker shades for higher values.
The global pattern
On a choropleth map of calorie intake, the pattern is clear. The figures below are rounded and are averages for whole countries.
| Level | Where | Rough daily intake |
|---|---|---|
| High | North America, Europe, North Africa and the Gulf states (such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) | Above about 3,000 kcal. The USA is about 3,800 kcal. |
| Medium | Parts of South America and Asia | About 2,500 to 3,000 kcal |
| Low | Parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia | Some sub-Saharan countries are below about 2,200 kcal, for example Madagascar. Parts of South Asia are lower than most of the world. |
To describe a pattern in the exam, name the places, give figures with units, and use words such as "highest", "lowest" and "in contrast". Always write "about" for rounded figures.
The pattern is also uneven inside countries. An average hides the fact that a wealthy city can eat well while a poor remote village goes hungry.
Reasons for the variations
No single cause explains the map. These reasons work together.
🌾 Farming conditions and climate
Fertile soil, reliable rain and irrigation give good harvests. Drought, poor soil and short growing seasons mean small harvests.
💥 Conflict
Fighting destroys farms, blocks roads and makes people flee their land. Food cannot be grown or delivered.
👪 Population growth
If the population grows faster than the food supply, there is less food for each person.
💲 Food prices
When prices rise, the poorest people buy less or cheaper, less nutritious food.
🍲 Diet and culture
Traditions, religion and tastes affect what people eat and how much. Some diets are rich in fats and sugar, others are mostly grains and vegetables.
🗑 Food waste
Food is lost on farms and in transport in poorer countries, and thrown away in shops and homes in richer ones. This lowers the food people actually eat.
Two sides of the same pattern
Calorie intake explains two different health problems.
- Undernourishment is most common where intake is low. It leaves people weak, makes illness more likely and stops children growing and learning well.
- Obesity is most common where intake is high. It raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It is now growing in many middle-income countries too, as incomes rise and diets change.
Both are problems of an unfair food balance. Some places have too little, while others have more than people need.
Worked example
Country A has a daily calorie intake of 3,400 kcal per person. Country B has 2,100 kcal. The recommended amount is about 2,500 kcal. Country A is 3,400 − 2,500 = 900 kcal above it. Country B is 2,500 − 2,100 = 400 kcal below it. So Country B is likely to have undernourishment, while Country A is more likely to have obesity.
Common mistakes
Saying "Africa has low calorie intake" is too general. North Africa has a high intake, so say "parts of sub-Saharan Africa". Another mistake is giving only one reason, or saying poor countries are simply "lazy" farmers. Explain with climate, conflict, prices and income instead.
Exam-style question
Fig. 1.1 shows made-up data for four countries.
| Country | Daily calorie intake (kcal per person) | Share of adults who are obese (%) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 3,600 | 35 |
| B | 2,900 | 20 |
| C | 2,300 | 8 |
| D | 2,000 | 5 |
(a) Identify the country with the lowest calorie intake. [1 mark]
(b) State the recommended daily calorie intake for most adults. [1 mark]
(c) Describe the relationship between calorie intake and obesity shown in Fig. 1.1. [3 marks]
(d) Explain two reasons why calorie intake is low in some countries. [4 marks]
(e) To what extent is wealth the main reason for differences in calorie intake between countries? [6 marks]
Model answer
(a) Country D (1).
(b) About 2,000 to 2,500 kcal a day (1).
(c) As calorie intake rises, the share of obese adults rises (1). Country A has the highest intake, 3,600 kcal, and the highest obesity, 35% (1). Country D has the lowest intake, 2,000 kcal, and only 5% obesity (1).
(d) Conflict (1) destroys farms and stops food being delivered (1). Drought or poor farming conditions (1) cause small harvests, so there is less food for each person (1).
(e) Levels-style answer, made up for practice: Level 1 (1 to 2 marks) gives a simple point with no support. Level 2 (3 to 4 marks) explains wealth and some other reasons. Level 3 (5 to 6 marks) explains several reasons with links, uses examples and reaches a judgement.
Level 3 answer: Wealth is very important. Rich countries such as the USA, with about 3,800 kcal a day, can afford to buy and import plenty of food (1), whereas poor families in low-income countries spend most of their money on food and may still go short (1). However, wealth is not the only reason (1). Conflict can cut intake even where a country could be richer, because farms are destroyed and food cannot be moved (1). Drought and rising food prices also reduce intake for the poorest people (1). Overall, wealth is the main reason, but it works with climate, conflict and prices, so it is not the only one (1).
Exam tip
For "To what extent", argue for the main factor, then give other factors and end with a clear judgement sentence.