6.1.7

Sustainability of Food

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Food Production and Climate Change

Supplying the global population with a sustainable food supply is no easy task.

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Production contributing to climate change

  • Food production, transportation and wastage are all processes that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
  • The build-up of gases traps heat (which means less heat goes back into space) which is causing planet Earth to heat up. This is known as global warming.
  • The effects of global warming include sea levels rising, extinction of species and more extreme meteorological events (e.g. natural disasters).
  • Changes to climate are also having an impact on crops and food.
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Climate change affecting food

  • Crops can be affected by even small rises in average global temperature. Effects include:
    • Lower yield of crops.
    • Microorganisms and pests spreading their reach. Warmer temperatures allow them to reproduce more and infect new areas that were previously too cool.
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Climate change affecting food (continued)

  • Droughts and flooding caused by climate change can cause food shortages.
  • Food shortages can cause malnutrition (unbalanced nutrients in the diet), poor health and death.
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Positive upsides of climate change

  • Some areas have arguably benefitted from rising temperatures.
    • In the UK, crops such as peaches, grapes and oranges can now be grown.

Extreme Metereological Events

Extreme meteorological events are happening more frequently because of climate change. Examples include:

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Flooding

  • Events like cyclones can lead to flooding.
  • Flooding washes away soil and nutrients, which hinder crop growth.
  • Floods can physically damage growing crops.
  • Floods can drown animals.
  • Fields can be polluted by sewage. Sewage can also help to spread animal disease.
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Drought

  • Areas that haven't received enough rainfall can suffer a drought.
  • During a drought, crops either can't grow properly or at all.
  • Fish and other sea life die if lakes and rivers dry out.
  • Wildfires may start. These fires can ruin fields and kill animals as they spread.

Jump to other topics

1Food Preparation Skills

2Food, Nutrition & Health

3Food Science

4Food Safety

5Food Choice

6Food Provenance

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