Strategies used to increase food supply (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography) : Revision Note

Increasing food supply

• There are several strategies that can be used to increase food supply including:

  • irrigation

  • genetically modified (GM) crops

  • high yield varieties

  • appropriate technology

  • mechanisation

Irrigation

• The artificial watering of crops to increase yields

• The success of this is dependent on the type of irrigation

  • Surface irrigation uses gravity to create water flow over the land

  • Drip irrigation uses pipes which have holes in, this delivers water to near the plant roots

Genetically modified (GM) crops

• When the genetic material of a crop is altered to make them disease/pest resistant, have higher yield or be drought resistant

High yield varieties (HYV)

• The development of high yield varieties of main food crops including wheat, maize and rice

Appropriate technology

• Includes methods such as:

  • Contour ploughing where ploughing is along the contours rather than up and down

    • This reduces surface run off and soil erosion

  • Intercropping when crops are planted in alternate rows to reduce pests and diseases 

  • Terracing which reduce surface run off and soil erosion

  • Educating farmers about sustainable methods

Mechanisation

• Use of tractors and other machines to complete farming tasks

Role of food aid in improving food security

• Food aid is mostly associated with LICs

  • It involves providing and distributing food

• Food aid as a strategy to improve food security can be:

  • Short-term (after a disaster or in a crisis such as a drought or flood)

  • Long-term (often given to the LIC government to distribute)

• The aid is given by HICs and some MICs often through organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) as well as by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as Oxfam and Save The Children

Food banks

• Food aid can also be used as a strategy to improve food security in HICs

• It is estimated that there are now almost 3,000 food banks in the UK

• Food banks are community organisations that help people in crisis, with an emergency supply of food and essentials

Effectiveness of food aid

• Short-term food aid is effective in saving lives in the event of a disaster

  • It provides people with the essential nutrition that they need

  • This reduces deaths and future health issues

• The effectiveness of long-term food aid is not as clear

• In LICs the amount of long-term food aid provided has been reduced due to concerns that:

  • When free food is provided it reduces the number of people buying food from local markets

    • This impacts local farmers and businesses

  • Food aid is sometimes provided to governments to sell on local markets

    • This reduces food prices and undercuts local farmers

  • Farmers will not be able to continue farming which further increases food insecurity

• The type of long-term food aid provided now focusses on:

  • Grants and loans to support farmers to produce food locally

  • Education on sustainable farming methods

  • Specific groups such as pregnant and breast-feeding mothers