Food Production & Consumption (AQA A Level Geography)
Revision Note
Global & Regional Patterns of Food
Food production and consumption
Global food production has changed over time
Increased significantly in the last 50 years (three times more food is produced today than in 1970)
Due to more land being put aside to grow crops and technological advancements increasing crop yields
Global food production is unevenly distributed over space
Physical factors (climate, soils, relief and water availability) influence how much food can be grown in some areas
Human factors (economic resources and investment in technology) also determine the pattern
Global food consumption has also increased significantly in recent years and there are similar spatial variations across in the globe
Linked to levels of development
More highly developed countries can afford to invest in food production technology to increase yields and can also afford to import more food if it can’t be grown locally
Consumption by lower income countries has also increased as they have developed, but total consumption by these countries is lower and increasingly more slowly than in developed countries
Examiner Tip
In a question about global patterns of food, try and make connections between food production and consumption. In some regions the patterns are similar and you should try to explain why. For example, countries that can’t afford to produce lots of food due to lack of investment in agriculture, are likely to have lower average incomes per person and so overall calorie consumption is likely to be lower too.
Agricultural Systems
Agriculture is an example of an open system
Contains inputs, outputs and processes that turn inputs into outputs
Also containsfeedbacks
Agricultural productivity is influenced by human factors such as the type of agricultural system
Productivity in Agricultural Systems
System | Explanation | Examples | Output Level |
|---|---|---|---|
Subsistence | Food is produced to feed family or community and only excess sold or traded Often also extensive | Nomadic pastoralism, West Africa Slash-and-burn shifting cultivation, Amazon basin | Low |
Commercial | Crops grown or livestock raised to sell for profit Often also intensive | Large agribusiness growing grain in North America Cattle ranching in South America | High |
Intensive | High yields per area of land as a result of large investment in capital or labour | Horticulture in Netherlands (capital intensive) Rice cultivation in India (labour intensive) | High |
Extensive | Small inputs of capital or labour per area, leading to low yields | Sheep farming in Yorkshire Dales, UK | Low |
Examiner Tip
Whilst you might learn these agricultural systems separately, be aware that any agricultural system is likely to be made up of more than one type. For example, large commercial farms are usually intensive in nature too.
Environmental Variables
Agricultural productivity is influenced by physical factors such as climate and soils
Climate
Factors of climate that affect how crops grow include precipitation, temperature and wind
Precipitation levels and distribution determine water availability for plants and livestock
Steady year-round rain gives an area the best chance to capture and store water required
Extreme rainfall can damage crops and arid areas need to import water for crops to survive
Maximum and minimum requirements for high yield depend on the crop variety but in general mean annual temperatures between 6°C and 25°C allow for highest productivity and longest growing seasons
Higher temperatures require more water supply to replace that which is lost to evapotranspiration
High winds can restrict the growth of plants, particularly in grain crops, but in some locations local wind patterns can be beneficial
The ‘chinook’ is a warm wind that melts snow in the Prairies of North America, prolonging a cereal's growing season
Soils
Soil quality is a key factor
Level of nutrients in the soil varies across the world and different crop varieties require different soil characteristics to thrive
Potatoes grown in the UK require the PH of the soil to be greater than 4
Other important soil characteristics are depth, structure, mineral content, moisture retention and aeration
Soil degradation and soil erosion can decrease productivity
Examiner Tip
If you are asked a 4 mark question on how soils or climate are variables of food production, try and make two separate points and develop each with further explanation and or examples.
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