FOOD SELECTION/ FOOD CHOICE

i. Food Availability-this refers to the readiness of food for use. It

involves the ability to produce, buy and even consume nutritious food
to maintain or promote good health. It is one of the factors that
influence people’s choice of the food they eat on a daily basis.
ii. Food accessibility-this refers to whether the food people want to eat is
within their reach. This is influenced by people’s location and if they
are able to have it to meet their daily nutritional requirement.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT FOOD AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS IN

BOTSWANA.

i. ECONOMIC FACTORS
 Money/tax/employment/capital
 Skilled manpower-lack of knowledge to improve farming
methods/ways will lead to lack of food e.g. lack of genetic
engineering.
 People on low income find it difficult to buy certain foods
especially expensive foods such as cheese, meat, etc.
 Some people may have limited access (due to expensive
transportation fee, no car )to go out to town supermarkets where
food prices may be cheaper and where there is a wide range of
food available.
 Poverty-one may not buy food due to lack of money
 Lack of farming resources such as farming tools, machinery,
fertilisers and seeds may decrease food availability.
 Food technology has increased food choice in various ways and
encourages individuals to process own foods.
 Convenience foods may be expensive for some people.
 Reduction in trade may result in lack of food and prices that go
up may hinder affordability to some people.
ii. SOCIAL FACTORS
 Choice of food changing due to people copying trends of other
people.
 Lifestyle in accordance to social class, hierarchy or life
standards.
  Travel/visits- getting exposed to different cuisines and eating
habits
 Religious laws concerning food e.g. muslim belief that their
food should be halaal.
 Tradition/culture/taboo e.g. myths, totem
 Occasion e.g. weddings
 Unstable social conditions e.g. political unrest, political unrest
political conflict, war destruction of land may prevent crop
planting, maintenance and equal distribution of food.
iii. GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS
 Transport (good or bad roads may affect the food availability
and access in Botswana) e.g. if transport is poor then food will
fail to reach certain parts of the country.
 Location/area/lack of shops/ land locked country/ if it is not
accessible then it would be very difficult to provide food to such
a place.
 Type of soil- if the soil is not good enough for growing crops it
would be difficult to obtain food. Therefore people will need to
be buying all the time even simple items, which can be
produced at home.
 Natural disaster e.g. drought/ hurricane- in times of drought,
there will be food shortage.
 Outbreak of disesases such as foot and mouth, cattle lung
disease, pests will have lifestock dying and therefore no income,
no food.
 Some foods not available in certain areas e.g. phane available
only in the north area, fish where there is plenty of water.
iv. SEASONAL FACTORS
 Weather e.g. when it is too hot certain crops will fail to grow
and if is too cold certain crops will be affected by frost and fail
to grow making it difficult to obtain food.
 Unreliable rainfall lead to crop failure, habitual infestation of
pests may reduce yield, lack of water may make food
unavailable.
 Fruit and vegetables in season are cheap and people can afford
to buy them, when out of season are expensive.
POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING FOOD

Point to consider when selecting food include; colour, texture.

i. Lerotse (melon)
-colour- no patches/ spots/ original colour
-no bruises/ cracking/opening
-should have a hard outer surface
-Should be heavy for their size
-not shrivelled
ii. Green leafy vegetables
-leaves not wilted, should be firm and crispy
-no insects bites
-not mouldy
-bright green/ original colour

FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE PEOPLE’S CHOICE OF FOOD.

PERSONAL LIKES/DISLIKE/PREFERENCES

 Taste and texture determine whether you will eat the food again or not.
 Flavour = A pleasant smell can stimulate the taste buds and arouse the
appetite
 Appearance = If you do not like the look of the food, then you won’t eat
it.
 Disagreement with the way the food is produced, e.g. using crates for
rearing calves to produce veal.
 Dislike/like the way the food is prepared or cooked.
 Associating the food with feeling ill such as allergies or pas food
poisoning.

RELIGION AND MORAL BELIEFS/CUSTOMS/TRADITION

 Some religions have specific rules about what to eat and what cannot be
eaten.
 Food can be used as symbol for people in different religions and cultures.
 Social status – some foods are considered”special” because they are
expensive/rare.
 Occasions – spiritual experience of fasting and feasting and ceremonies
e.g. funerals, marriages, religious festivals, harvests
  Food taboos and totems may also limit the choice

AVAILABILITY OF
FOOD/GEOGRAPHICAL/SEASONAL/ECONOMIC

 Transport- is there reliable transport to bring in the food/poor roads limit

choice.
 Season – some foods are available in one season and not in the other
seasons.
 Market – buy that which is available at the given time.
 Climatic conditions- certain foods cannot thrive in certain climatic
conditions and therefore would not be available in certain areas.
 World economic recession – leading to rapidly increasing prices for
foods, seeds, tools etc.
 A reduction in trade and increase in borrowing and debt
 Income – determines choice e.g. low income have limited choice while
high income earners have unlimited choice.

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

 Production of cheaper versions will make more food available at a

cheaper price e.g. margarine instead of butter
 Improved packaging enables more foods to be eaten away from home e.g.
canned and bottled
 Increased shelf life of foods/preservation avoids food wastage and makes
food available over a longer period of time
 Producing quick to prepare foods and ready prepared meals also makes
available ( convenience foods)
 Facilities available e.g. refrigerators to keep food longer
 Production of new types of food from unusual sources e.g. quorn from
myco-proteins.

COST OF FOOD / MONEY AVAILABLE

 Price – comparative shopping plays an important role in ensuring that

food is obtained in a more affordable way.
 Bulk buying – this makes food less expensive
 Seasonal variations in fresh foods e.g. certain fresh fruits and vegetables
are available at certain times of the year therefore cheaper at that time.
 Cost of processes involved e.g. growing, harvesting they determine food
prices
 Variations in the quality of a particular food e.g. tough cut are cheaper
than but just as nutritious as the expensive cuts.