6.2.5

Increasing Food Supply

Test yourself

Which Strategies Can Increase Food Supply?

Global food demand is rising. Irrigation, aeroponics & hydroponics, biotechnology, appropriate technology, and the green revolution could increase global food supply.

Illustrative background for IrrigationIllustrative background for Irrigation ?? "content

Irrigation

  • Irrigation is basically watering plants. By adding water to the right parts of plants at the right time, irrigation can increase crop growth and food production.
  • For high-yielding crops, doubling the amount of water that crops receive can increase cereal/crop production from 1,000kg/hectare to 7,000kg/hectare.
  • In 1998, 20% of the world's farmland was irrigated, but it produced 40% of all crops.
  • Just irrigating land and watering crops properly could increase food supply massively.
Illustrative background for Aeroponics and hydroponicsIllustrative background for Aeroponics and hydroponics ?? "content

Aeroponics and hydroponics

  • In aeroponics, mist is used to give plants nutrients instead of soil.
  • In hydroponics, a water solvent mixture is used to give plants nutrients instead of soil.
  • In both hydroponics and aeroponics, the roots absorb the water for the plant.
  • Vertical farms (plants are grown on top of each other in warehouses) usually use hydroponics.
  • Less water is needed but the infrastructure for vertical farms and hydroponics is generally high.
  • They are likely to have to operate on a large scale to be cost-effective.
Illustrative background for The new green revolutionIllustrative background for The new green revolution ?? "content

The new green revolution

  • The new green revolution happened in the 1960s.
  • Genetic modification created new strains of crops like rice and maize, which had far higher yields than the older strains.
  • The productivity of farms using these new crops jumped straight away.
  • At the same time, agribusiness began to grow, with farmers using machines, growing their farm size, and using methods like crop rotation.
Illustrative background for Use of biotechnology and GMIllustrative background for Use of biotechnology and GM ?? "content

Use of biotechnology and GM

  • Biotechnology focuses on editing genes or cells.
  • Genetic modification in food production focuses on changing crops' DNA to make them more resistant to disease, more productive, more nutritious or just better tasting.
  • Examples of GM strains of crops:
    • In 2018, a new GM potato was designed to resist potato blight. This could reduce the use of chemical fungicides by over 90%.
    • Golden rice is genetically engineered to contain Vitamin A, making it more nutritious.
Illustrative background for Appropriate technology for farmersIllustrative background for Appropriate technology for farmers ?? "content

Appropriate technology for farmers

  • The lowest-hanging fruit to improve food production and global food supply seem to be using irrigation and good farming techniques that avoid soil erosion.
  • Although biotechnology and aeroponics are very complicated, watering plants correctly and helping farmers to do this could be the most effective intervention.

Jump to other topics

1The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1Natural Hazards

1.2Tectonic Hazards

1.3Weather Hazards

1.4Climate Change

2The Living World

3Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1The UK Physical Landscape

3.2Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.3River Landscapes in the UK

3.4Glacial Landscapes in the UK

4Urban Issues & Challenges

5The Changing Economic World

6The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1Resource Management

6.2Food

6.3Water

6.4Energy

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