recognise the causes and effects of food shortages and describe possible solutions to this problem

•causes of food shortages

          •natural

                    •desertification

                    •landslides

                    •pests

                    •marginal land

                    •unsuitable land

                    •inappropriate climates e.g drought

                    •tropical storms 

                    •flooding

          •economic 

                    •poor transport reduces incentive 

                    •high prices due to shortage 

                    •debt

                    •poor economy limits government support in investments 

                    •war

          •human

                    •high brith rate

                    •high population density

                    •overpopulation 

                    •weak workforce means not enough suitable people to farm 

                    •soil erosion / soil exhaustion 

•effects of food shortages

          •malnutrition, which increases proneness to disease and limits their physical / intellectual potential, reducing their incentive to work, leading landlocked countries into a cycle 

          •leads to scurvy, rickets and protein deficiencies, leading to bone deformities / swelling  

                    •reduces quality of life

                    •reduces incentive to work

                    •more likely to fall ill

                    •land may not be well tended 

                    •other economic production may fall further

                    

•programmed solutions to food shortages

          •Food Aid

                    •relief food aid - given during a crisis

                    •programme food aid - given to local government to sell

                    •project food aid - targeting specific groups in a country 

                              •advantages

                                        •keeps people alive 

                              •disadvantages

                                        •dependent on aid to avoid famine

                                        •undermining the ability to produce

                                        •expensive (transport)

                                        •USA’s excess rice is cheaper 

          •Green Revolution 

                    •created the HYV, boosting yield 2 - 4 times

                    •brought resistance to diseases, more responsive to fertilisers and a shorter growing season 

                    •farmers educated and offered credit to buy machinery

                              •advantages 

                                        •long-term planning 

                                        •diet more varied

                                        •employment 

                                        •farming income has increased 

                              •disadvantages 

                                        •mechanisation increased rural employment 

                                        •fertilisers affect economy and environment 

                                        •really benefitted middle and higher income farmers 

•solutions to food shortages

          •building small wells to provide water for irrigation

          •planting trees to conserve soil

          •inter cropping to limit rainfall runoff

          •improved food storage to allow it to last longer and be protected