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examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Food Supply Challenges
Food is one of our most basic needs, but millions of people worldwide still don't have enough to eat. As our global population grows, ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food becomes increasingly difficult. This section explores the challenges we face in feeding the world and the solutions being developed.
Key Definitions:
Our world population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to nearly 8 billion today. By 2050, we'll need to feed about 10 billion people. This means we need to produce 50% more food than we do now, while using fewer resources and protecting our environment.
Currently, around 690 million people go hungry each day. Climate change, water scarcity and soil degradation are making food production harder. Understanding these challenges helps us find solutions to feed everyone sustainably.
Several physical and human factors influence how much food a country can produce and distribute to its people.
Food security exists on a spectrum, with different countries facing different challenges:
Countries like the UK, USA and Australia have abundant food supplies. People generally have good access to affordable, nutritious food. However, even in these countries, some people experience food poverty due to economic inequality.
Countries like Brazil, China and India have improved their food production but still face challenges in distribution. Some regions or groups within these countries may experience food shortages or malnutrition.
Countries like Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan face severe food shortages due to conflict, climate change and poverty. Many people in these countries regularly go hungry or face famine conditions.
In many agricultural regions, food availability fluctuates with growing seasons. The "hunger season" occurs when last year's harvest runs out before the new crops are ready, particularly affecting subsistence farmers.
To meet growing food demands while protecting our planet, we need innovative and sustainable approaches:
Modern technology is transforming how we produce food, making farming more efficient and sustainable:
Scientists can develop crop varieties that resist pests, tolerate drought, or provide more nutrients. Golden Rice, for example, contains added vitamin A to combat deficiency in developing countries.
Using GPS, sensors and drones to monitor crops and apply exactly the right amount of water, fertiliser and pesticides where needed, reducing waste and environmental impact.
Drip irrigation and smart water systems deliver water directly to plant roots, using up to 60% less water than traditional flood irrigation methods.
Traditional and innovative farming approaches that work with nature rather than against it:
Growing crops without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, using natural methods to maintain soil health and control pests. While yields may be lower, environmental impacts are reduced.
Growing trees and crops together. Trees provide shade, prevent soil erosion and can provide additional income through fruit or timber, while crops grow beneath.
Growing different crops in sequence on the same land to improve soil health, reduce pests and prevent nutrient depletion. For example, rotating cereals with nitrogen-fixing legumes.
Growing crops in stacked layers, often indoors with artificial lighting. This uses much less land and water than traditional farming and can be done in urban areas close to consumers.
Malawi, a small country in southeast Africa, has struggled with food insecurity for decades. In the early 2000s, nearly 40% of the population was undernourished. The government introduced a Farm Input Subsidy Programme in 2005, providing smallholder farmers with vouchers for fertiliser and improved maize seeds.
Results:
Challenges remain, including climate change impacts and programme sustainability, but Malawi shows how targeted government support can rapidly improve food security.
About one-third of all food produced globally is wasted. Reducing this waste could feed millions without needing to produce more food:
In wealthy countries, most food waste happens at retail and consumer levels. Food is thrown away because it looks imperfect, passes its sell-by date (even if still edible), or is bought but not eaten. Solutions include:
In poorer countries, most food loss happens during production, storage and transport. Causes include inadequate storage facilities, poor infrastructure and lack of refrigeration. Solutions include:
Meeting future food needs while protecting our planet will require a combination of approaches:
Reducing meat consumption in HICs could free up land and resources. Producing 1kg of beef requires about 25kg of grain and 15,000 litres of water, while producing far more greenhouse gases than plant foods.
Fair trade ensures farmers in LICs receive a fair price for their produce, helping them invest in sustainable farming methods and escape poverty, which is a major cause of food insecurity.
Growing and consuming food locally reduces transport emissions, supports local economies and can increase resilience to global supply chain disruptions.
Singapore imports more than 90% of its food, making it vulnerable to global food supply disruptions. To increase food security, the government launched the "30 by 30" initiative, aiming to produce 30% of its nutritional needs locally by 2030.
Key approaches include:
These approaches show how even densely populated urban areas can contribute to their own food security through innovation and careful planning.
Ensuring global food security while protecting our environment requires a balanced approach:
By understanding these challenges and implementing a range of solutions, we can work toward a future where everyone has access to sufficient, nutritious food without compromising the planet's ability to feed future generations.
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