Sustainability of Food

Food Preparation & Nutrition: AQA GCSE, topic 6.1.7

Food Production and Climate Change

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.