Sustainability of Food (AQA GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition)
Revision Note
Written by: Ruth Brindle
Reviewed by: Lára Marie McIvor
The impact of food and food security
Food security is providing the world's growing population with a sustainable, secure supply of safe, nutritious, and affordable foods
A country that can be self-sufficient and produce enough food to support its population has food security
Alternatively, a country that is rich enough to import the food it needs has food security
Several factors will impact how much food is available
Factor | Explanation |
|---|---|
Global warming and climate change | Rising global temperatures and extreme weather events such as drought or flooding can affect food supply as the growing environment is no longer suitable |
Sustainability of food sources | Reducing the use of fertilisers, and pesticides to prevent negative effects on the environment Introduction of sustainable fish farms to provide fish stocks |
Insufficient land for growing food | There is a limited availability of land that is used for growing food Land must also be good quality to support higher-yielding, nutritious crops Farmland is often used to grow non-food crops e.g. for biofuels |
Wealth | The wealth of a country or a household may determine the level of food security |
Rising populations | Each country needs to produce or purchase enough food for their populations Global populations are rising so there is less food to go around |
As global demand for food increases, food supplies must be protected and boosted
Advances in food production such as genetic modification, can provide crops with pest resistance, higher yield and higher nutritional value
An increase in plant-based diets reduces the demand for animal rearing in favour of more efficiently produced crops
An awareness of reducing food waste leads to a bigger availability of foods
Sustainable techniques can be used to ensure the ongoing use of farmland to support future generations
Fairtrade foods and food security
The Fairtrade Foundation was set up to improve local food security for farmers and workers in less developed countries
The aim was to ensure that farmers were given fair prices for the raw ingredients that they produce
A fair price means that working conditions improve and farmers have more money to spend on themselves and their families to ensure their own food security
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