10.3.3
Impacts of Food Insecurity
Impacts of Food Shortages
Impacts of Food Shortages
Listed below are some of the potential negative impacts of food insecurity and food shortages:


Famine
Famine
- A famine is defined as an 'extreme scarcity of food'.
- If a famine goes on for long enough, people can starve to death.
- Not eating enough stunts a child's growth and development, reducing children's life expectancy.
- Humans can survive 3-4 weeks with no food.


Undernutrition or malnourishment
Undernutrition or malnourishment
- Undernutrition is when people do not eat enough of a certain type of vitamin, nutrient or food group.
- Like famine, not eating enough of the right nutrients stunts a child's growth and development, reducing children's life expectancy.
- In 2017, 520 million people in Asia were malnourished and 243 million people in Africa were malnourished.
- Malnutrition can also be caused by having a diet of mostly just one crop. This means that the requirements for a balanced diet are not met.
- Protein deficiency can cause Kwashiorkor.
- A vitamin B1 deficiency can cause Beriberi.
- Maize-based diets can lead to a lack of niacin in the body and result in Pellagra.


Soil erosion
Soil erosion
- Soil erosion does long-term damage to the farming productivity of farmland.
- When there isn't enough food to eat, farmers will overgraze their livestock, will overcultivate their land. Soil erosion will happen and the land will struggle to recover, leading to even less food production in the future.


Rising food prices
Rising food prices
- If people demand the same amount of food, but the amount of food available has fallen, food prices will rise.
- This means that poorer people will be the people who cannot afford food anymore.
- However, higher prices do incentivise farmers to sell more produce (instead of keeping it for themselves) and to grow more crops in the future.
1Paper 1 - Changing River Environnments
1.1Characteristics of Rivers
1.2River Landforms
1.3Rivers: Opportunities & Hazards
1.4The Bradshaw Model
1.5The Drainage Basin & the Water Cycle
1.6Processes Operating in a Drainage Basin
2Paper 1 - Changing Coastal Environments
2.1Physical Processes that Shape the Coast
2.1.1Processes of Erosion
2.1.2Corrosion & Corrasion
2.1.3Transportation
2.1.4Deposition
2.1.5Longshore Drift
2.1.6Types of Waves
2.1.7Case Study: The Holderness Coast (UK)
2.1.8Case Study: The Holderness Coast - Management
2.1.9Case Study: The Holderness Coast - Defences
2.1.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Swash & Backwash
2.2Landforms
2.3Opportunities & Hazards
2.4Tropical Storms
2.4.1Tropical Storms
2.4.2Structure of Tropical Storms
2.4.3Causes of Tropical Storms
2.4.4Effects of Tropical Storms
2.4.5Hazards of Tropical Storms
2.4.6Case Study: Hurricane Katrina - Effects
2.4.7Case Study: Hurricane Katrina - Responses
2.4.8Case Study: Cyclone Nargis - Responses
2.4.9Case Study: Cyclone Nargis
2.4.10Mathematical Skills: Weather Hazards
2.4.11Diagnostic Misconceptions - Rainfall
3Paper 1 - Changing Ecosystems
3.1Antarctic
3.2Threats to the Antarctic
3.3Tropical Rainforest
3.4Tropical Rainforest: Threats
4Paper 1 - Tectonic Hazards
4.1The Structure of the Earth
4.2The Processes of Earthquakes & Volcanoes
4.2.1Earthquakes: Processes & Characteristics
4.2.2Earthquake Hazards
4.2.3Types of Volcano
4.2.4Classification & Features
4.2.5Volcanic Hazards
4.2.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Lava
4.2.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Location of Volcanoes
4.2.8Diagnostic Misconceptions - Focus vs Epicentre
4.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Sliding Plates
4.3The Impacts of Tectonic Hazards
5Paper 1 - Climate Change
5.1Natural & Human Causes of Climate Change
5.2Impacts of Climate Change
5.3Responses to Climate Change
6Paper 2 - Changing Populations
6.1Populations Grow & Decline
6.2Population Structures Over Time
7Paper 2 - Changing Towns & Cities
7.1Where People Live
7.2Opportunities & Challenges of Urbanisation
8Paper 2 - Development
8.1Measuring Development
8.2Uneven Development
8.3Sustainable Development
9Paper 2 - Changing Economies
9.1Changing Employment Structures
9.2Globalisation
9.3Tourism
9.3.1Factors Leading to the Growth of Tourism
9.3.2The Butler Model
9.3.3Benefits of Tourism - Economic
9.3.4Benefits of Tourism - Social, Cultural & Env.
9.3.5Problems with Tourism - Economic
9.3.6Problems of Tourism - Social, Cultural & Env.
9.3.7Managing Tourism - Sustainability & Ecotourism
9.3.8Managing Tourism - Quotas & Tourism Hubs
9.3.9Case Study: Blackpool (UK)
9.3.10Mathematical Skills: Changing Economic World
10Paper 2 - Resource Provision
10.1Food
10.2Patterns of Food Supply & Demand
10.3Challenges of Food Supply
10.4Energy
10.5Patterns of Energy Supply & Demand
Jump to other topics
1Paper 1 - Changing River Environnments
1.1Characteristics of Rivers
1.2River Landforms
1.3Rivers: Opportunities & Hazards
1.4The Bradshaw Model
1.5The Drainage Basin & the Water Cycle
1.6Processes Operating in a Drainage Basin
2Paper 1 - Changing Coastal Environments
2.1Physical Processes that Shape the Coast
2.1.1Processes of Erosion
2.1.2Corrosion & Corrasion
2.1.3Transportation
2.1.4Deposition
2.1.5Longshore Drift
2.1.6Types of Waves
2.1.7Case Study: The Holderness Coast (UK)
2.1.8Case Study: The Holderness Coast - Management
2.1.9Case Study: The Holderness Coast - Defences
2.1.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Swash & Backwash
2.2Landforms
2.3Opportunities & Hazards
2.4Tropical Storms
2.4.1Tropical Storms
2.4.2Structure of Tropical Storms
2.4.3Causes of Tropical Storms
2.4.4Effects of Tropical Storms
2.4.5Hazards of Tropical Storms
2.4.6Case Study: Hurricane Katrina - Effects
2.4.7Case Study: Hurricane Katrina - Responses
2.4.8Case Study: Cyclone Nargis - Responses
2.4.9Case Study: Cyclone Nargis
2.4.10Mathematical Skills: Weather Hazards
2.4.11Diagnostic Misconceptions - Rainfall
3Paper 1 - Changing Ecosystems
3.1Antarctic
3.2Threats to the Antarctic
3.3Tropical Rainforest
3.4Tropical Rainforest: Threats
4Paper 1 - Tectonic Hazards
4.1The Structure of the Earth
4.2The Processes of Earthquakes & Volcanoes
4.2.1Earthquakes: Processes & Characteristics
4.2.2Earthquake Hazards
4.2.3Types of Volcano
4.2.4Classification & Features
4.2.5Volcanic Hazards
4.2.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Lava
4.2.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Location of Volcanoes
4.2.8Diagnostic Misconceptions - Focus vs Epicentre
4.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Sliding Plates
4.3The Impacts of Tectonic Hazards
5Paper 1 - Climate Change
5.1Natural & Human Causes of Climate Change
5.2Impacts of Climate Change
5.3Responses to Climate Change
6Paper 2 - Changing Populations
6.1Populations Grow & Decline
6.2Population Structures Over Time
7Paper 2 - Changing Towns & Cities
7.1Where People Live
7.2Opportunities & Challenges of Urbanisation
8Paper 2 - Development
8.1Measuring Development
8.2Uneven Development
8.3Sustainable Development
9Paper 2 - Changing Economies
9.1Changing Employment Structures
9.2Globalisation
9.3Tourism
9.3.1Factors Leading to the Growth of Tourism
9.3.2The Butler Model
9.3.3Benefits of Tourism - Economic
9.3.4Benefits of Tourism - Social, Cultural & Env.
9.3.5Problems with Tourism - Economic
9.3.6Problems of Tourism - Social, Cultural & Env.
9.3.7Managing Tourism - Sustainability & Ecotourism
9.3.8Managing Tourism - Quotas & Tourism Hubs
9.3.9Case Study: Blackpool (UK)
9.3.10Mathematical Skills: Changing Economic World
10Paper 2 - Resource Provision
10.1Food
10.2Patterns of Food Supply & Demand
10.3Challenges of Food Supply
10.4Energy
10.5Patterns of Energy Supply & Demand
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