Where is calorie intake per person generally lowest?

parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Low incomes, low farm output and conflict all play a part.

Which has increased world food production?

high-yielding varieties of crops. They give more food from the same land.

Why does eating more meat increase pressure on resources?

Producing meat needs more land and water than producing crops. Much grain is fed to animals.

the distance food travels from producer to consumer. More miles usually mean more emissions.

Which is a problem of the globalisation of food supplies?

land used for export crops in place of local food. Local people may go short while food is exported.

Food supply and demand around the world · Cambridge IGCSE Geography

In plain words

The world grows enough food for everyone. Yet hundreds of millions go hungry while others eat far more than they need. Where food is grown, where it is eaten, and how it travels between the two explain why.

7 things to know

Calorie intake per person is highest in high-income regions such as North America and Europe, and lowest in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The reasons: income to buy food, how productive farming is, climate and soils, conflict, and the ability to import.
World food production has risen through high-yielding varieties of crops, irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides, machinery, and bringing more land into use.
Consumption is rising because population is growing and incomes are rising. As people become richer they eat more meat, dairy and processed food, which take more land and water to produce.
Food supplies have become globalised: food is grown in one part of the world and eaten in another. Refrigerated ships and aircraft, large supermarket companies, and demand for foods all year round have made this possible.
Benefits of global food supply: more choice all year, and income and jobs for farmers who export.
Problems: emissions from transport over long distances (food miles), land in poor countries used for export crops in place of food for local people, and dependence on imports whose price can rise suddenly.

Worked example

A supermarket in Europe sells green beans flown from East Africa in winter. Give one benefit and one problem of this trade.

Benefit: farmers and packers in East Africa earn an income, and the country earns foreign currency.
Problem: flying the beans releases a great deal of carbon dioxide, and land and water are used for an export crop in a region where food may be short.

Tips and tricks

Calorie intake depends on being able to afford food, not only on how much is grown. Countries with little farmland can be well fed if they can pay for imports.
"Food miles" is the distance food travels from producer to consumer. Use the term for the environmental cost.

5 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Food supply and demand around the world: 5 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

Where is calorie intake per person generally lowest?
- North America
- Europe
- parts of sub-Saharan Africa (the answer)
- Australia
Low incomes, low farm output and conflict all play a part.
Which has increased world food production?
- less irrigation
- high-yielding varieties of crops (the answer)
- fewer machines
- smaller farms
They give more food from the same land.
Why does eating more meat increase pressure on resources?
- Animals need no land.
- Producing meat needs more land and water than producing crops. (the answer)
- Meat cannot be transported.
- Meat is cheaper than grain.
Much grain is fed to animals.
What are food miles?
- the area of a farm
- the distance food travels from producer to consumer (the answer)
- the calories in food
- the cost of food
More miles usually mean more emissions.
Which is a problem of the globalisation of food supplies?
- more choice
- jobs for exporting farmers
- land used for export crops in place of local food (the answer)
- food available all year
Local people may go short while food is exported.

5 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 9 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Food supply and demand around the world

Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 · 9 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

Give three reasons why average calorie intake is higher in high-income countries.[3]
Show answerHide answer
People have more money to buy food. Farming is more productive, with machinery and fertiliser. These countries can afford to import food.
I got this one
Explain two reasons why global food consumption is increasing.[4]
Show answerHide answer
The world's population is growing, so there are more people to feed. Incomes are rising, so people eat more, especially meat and dairy products.
I got this one
Explain what is meant by the globalisation of food supplies.[2]
Show answerHide answer
Food is produced in one part of the world and transported to be consumed in another, so that supply chains stretch around the globe.
I got this one

Answers: Food supply and demand around the world

1. People have more money to buy food. Farming is more productive, with machinery and fertiliser. These countries can afford to import food.
2. The world's population is growing, so there are more people to feed. Incomes are rising, so people eat more, especially meat and dairy products.
3. Food is produced in one part of the world and transported to be consumed in another, so that supply chains stretch around the globe.