INFLUENCES ON FOOD AVAILABILITY AND DISTRIBUTION
Natural Disasters:
Floods and drought may bring on a famine that can last for years. This can affect the soil; if its too dry or wet crops will not grow, vastly reducing the amount of food an area obtains.
War:
When war occurs and people are displaced, governments spend money on the military rather than food. During a war it is unsafe and often unsuitable for people to look after crops and cattle. As a result of it being unsafe, families may be forced to leave their farms and countries. In many cases, the small amount of food grown is given to men to provide energy for fighting, leaving little food for women and children.
Geography and climate:
Enough food is produced in the world to feed everyone. In developing countries the amount of food produced is insufficient to feed the population, therefore they experience severe food shortages. In developed countries, a large amount of food is wasted or over consumed. A way to solve this would be redistribution from the wealthier countries to the poorer countries but this is extremely costly.
Education levels:
Low education levels limit knowledge about nutrition and physical health and may lead to inadequate knowledge about preparation and cooking methods as well as farming techniques. This is a big factor in food availability because only basic food can be made which might not be as healthy or may lack some essential vitamins and minerals. Also, not knowing any farming techniques will limit the amount of food a village will be able to have.
Religious and Cultural Beliefs:
Religious and cultural beliefs of a group may dictate the types of food available to them which may limit the amount and types of nutritious food which can be eaten. For example, Jewish and Muslim people don't eat pork. In addition both of these religions require fasting.
Government policy:
Developing countries don't participate or participate in a small way in the world market as a result of trade restrictions and taxes placed on imported processed foods as well as the distance between producer and consumer.
Multinationals:
Multinationals are powerful and can force farmers to sell their land. The farmers get a short term gain in the form of some cash but long term have lost their ability to feed their family and produce extra crops for resale.
Technological Developments:
Technological advancements such as packaging, preservation and processing of food have enhanced the availability of food around the world. Developments such as genetically modified food could solve the worlds food supply problem but GM food is a tricky issue as we don't know the full effects on our health from eating GM food.
Floods and drought may bring on a famine that can last for years. This can affect the soil; if its too dry or wet crops will not grow, vastly reducing the amount of food an area obtains.
War:
When war occurs and people are displaced, governments spend money on the military rather than food. During a war it is unsafe and often unsuitable for people to look after crops and cattle. As a result of it being unsafe, families may be forced to leave their farms and countries. In many cases, the small amount of food grown is given to men to provide energy for fighting, leaving little food for women and children.
Geography and climate:
Enough food is produced in the world to feed everyone. In developing countries the amount of food produced is insufficient to feed the population, therefore they experience severe food shortages. In developed countries, a large amount of food is wasted or over consumed. A way to solve this would be redistribution from the wealthier countries to the poorer countries but this is extremely costly.
Education levels:
Low education levels limit knowledge about nutrition and physical health and may lead to inadequate knowledge about preparation and cooking methods as well as farming techniques. This is a big factor in food availability because only basic food can be made which might not be as healthy or may lack some essential vitamins and minerals. Also, not knowing any farming techniques will limit the amount of food a village will be able to have.
Religious and Cultural Beliefs:
Religious and cultural beliefs of a group may dictate the types of food available to them which may limit the amount and types of nutritious food which can be eaten. For example, Jewish and Muslim people don't eat pork. In addition both of these religions require fasting.
Government policy:
Developing countries don't participate or participate in a small way in the world market as a result of trade restrictions and taxes placed on imported processed foods as well as the distance between producer and consumer.
Multinationals:
Multinationals are powerful and can force farmers to sell their land. The farmers get a short term gain in the form of some cash but long term have lost their ability to feed their family and produce extra crops for resale.
Technological Developments:
Technological advancements such as packaging, preservation and processing of food have enhanced the availability of food around the world. Developments such as genetically modified food could solve the worlds food supply problem but GM food is a tricky issue as we don't know the full effects on our health from eating GM food.