FOOD SHORTAGE

1. What is meant by food shortage?

2. Food security Vs Food Shortage

3. Causes of food shortage

4. Effect of food shortage

5. Solution to food shortage

a. Green Revolution

b. Food Aid

6. Food sustainability

7. Case study
DEFINITION

Food shortage occurs when food supplies within a bounded region do not provide the
energy and nutrients needed by that region's population. Food shortage is most easily
conceptualized as a production problem, but constraints on importation as well as storage can
also cause or contribute to food shortage. (Source: UN University website)

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to
sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an
active and healthy life. (Source: 1996 World Food Summit)
Factors affecting food supply
Global food supply is not even. Some places produce more food than others.

There are many reasons why some countries produce more food than others:

● Climate – global warming is increasing temperatures by around 0.2°C every 10 years.

Rainfall is increasing in some places, but decreasing in others. Higher temperatures and
unreliable rainfall make farming difficult, especially for those farming marginal lands, who
already struggle to survive. Even developed countries can be affected by drought.
Countries such as Russia and Australia are huge exporters of wheat and barley
respectively. When they suffer drought there is less food available globally and global food
prices increase, leaving the poor most vulnerable.
● Technology – improvements in technology have increased the amount of food available.
Technology can overcome temperature, water and nutrient deficiencies in the form of
greenhouses, irrigation and fertilisers. High income countries (HICs) import food from
across the globe, all year round. However, the growth of the biofuel market is taking up
valuable farmland.
● Pests and disease – pesticides have increased crop yields. Farmers in wealthier countries
can afford pesticides, whereas most farmers in poorer countries cannot afford them.
● Water stress – irrigation systems provide water for countries with unreliable or low
rainfall. Irrigation can double crop yields, but it is expensive to put these systems in place.
Water can be taken either from underground aquifers or directly from rivers. Both have
environmental consequences.
● Conflict – war forces farmers to flee their land or to fight in conflict. Food can be used as a
weapon, with enemies cutting off food supplies in order to gain ground. Crops can also be
destroyed during fighting. Food shortages have caused riots and conflict, eg the Darfur
region has faced conflict for many years because of disagreements over land
and grazing rights.
● Poverty – when people have less money, they cannot afford food and they become unable
to work. Families in developing countries spend much of their income on food.
1. Causes

Recognise the causes and effects of food shortages and

describe possible solutions to this problem
Causes of food shortages

•Natural causes
•desertification
•landslides
•pests
•marginal land
•unsuitable land
•inappropriate climates e.g drought
•tropical storms
•flooding

Economic causes
•poor transport reduces incentive
•high prices due to shortage
•debt
 •poor economy limits government support in investments
•war

Human causes
•high birth rate
•high population density
•overpopulation
•weak workforce means not enough suitable people to farm
•soil erosion / soil exhaustion

4. Effects of food shortages

•malnutrition, which increases proneness to disease and limits their physical /
intellectual potential, reducing their incentive to work, leading landlocked countries into a cycle
•leads to scurvy, rickets and protein deficiencies, leading to bone deformities / swelling
•reduces quality of life
•reduces incentive to work
•more likely to fall ill
•land may not be well tended
•other economic production may fall further

Strategies to increase food supply

As the global population continues to increase, countries are finding ways to grow more food.

Irrigation
Irrigation can double the amount of food produced. Some parts of the world still do not have
irrigation systems in place. Only 10% of the food produced in Africa comes from irrigated
crops and so there is the potential to improve yields in these countries.

Aeroponics and hydroponics

Aeroponics and hydroponics are systems that allow plants to be grown without soil.
Plants grown in this way take in water and nutrients efficiently. These methods are
also good for countries where soil erosion or poor quality soil is an issue.

● Aeroponics involves suspending plants in the air and spraying their roots with a
fine mist of water and nutrients.
● Hydroponics involves growing plants in a porous material (other than soil) and
allowing water containing nutrients to filter through it.

● The New Green Revolution

● The Green Revolution first began in the 1940s. It refers to the application of modern
farming techniques in LICs, eg fertilisers and pesticides, irrigation and high-yield crop
 varieties. From the 1960s to 1990s, yields of rice and wheat in Asia doubled. Many LICs
could still benefit from the Green Revolution.

● The New Green Revolution involves using different seeds to help specific areas that are
experiencing the impact of global warming, such as drought and flooding. There is also a
focus on improving the nutritional value of crops, rather than just providing more
calories. The New Green Revolution should help the poorest areas of the world.

● Biotechnology and appropriate technology

● Biotechnology is the selective breeding or genetic modification (GM) of plants and
animals to produce specific traits. Both involve mixing two species, both of which have
beneficial characteristics. Selective breeding has been used on dairy cows to increase
milk yields. GM has been used on wheat to produce crops that are disease resistant.

● Appropriate technology involves using suitable machinery and techniques in LICs.

Appropriate technology is usually affordable

5. programmed solutions to food shortages

a. solutions to food shortages

•building small wells to provide water for irrigation

•planting trees to conserve soil

•inter cropping to limit rainfall runoff

•improved food storage to allow it to last longer and be protected

b. Food Aid
•relief food aid - given during a crisis
•programme food aid - given to local government to sell
•project food aid - targeting specific groups in a country

According to Action Aid (a charity), there are three types of Food aid.

1) Relief food aid-which is food delivered to people when their is a crisis

2) Programme food aid- which is given to governments for sale on local markets

3) Project food aid- which is when charities target specific groups of people in a
country who need help with food production to try to help them long term

•advantages
 •keeps people alive

•disadvantages

•dependent on aid to avoid famine

•undermining the ability to produce

•expensive (transport)

•USA’s excess rice is cheaper

c. Green Revolution
•created the HYV, boosting yield 2 - 4 times

•brought resistance to diseases, more responsive to fertilisers and a

shorter growing season

•farmers educated and offered credit to buy machinery

•advantages

•long-term planning

•diet more varied

•employment

•farming income has increased

•disadvantages

•mechanisation increased rural employment

•fertilisers affect economy and environment

•really benefitted middle and higher income farmers

THE GREEN REVOLUTION in India

In the 1960’s a certain group of farming improvements were nicknamed the Green Revolution.
These included setting up the High Yielding Varieties Seed Programme (HVP) in India from
1966-67. It provided Indian farmers with hybrid varieties of wheat, rice, maize and millet which
were drought resistant and responded really well to fertilizers.
This sounds like a fantastic programme- as Indian farmers were able to grow more food.
However there are two sides to the story!

Positives
– HVP seeds yielded 2-4 times more crop than traditional seeds
– Farmers incomes have increased so more machinery can be bought for farms
– Diet of rural communities is more varied

Negatives
– High inputs of fertilisers are needed which is costly to farmers
– HVP seeds are often more susceptible to disease
– More machinery on farms has meant more unemployment for farm workers
– Some HVP Crops have less taste

Successes and Failures of the Green Revolution

Successes:

● Farmers have higher yields, income and better standard of living.

● New industries such as production of fertiliser and pesticides
● Increase in technology such as irrigation
● Improvements in transport systems
● HYV allow for a more balanced diet
Failures:

● Many farmers can not afford machinery and fertilisers

● Maintenance and fuel for machines are not always available
● Increased yields could result in drop in prices
● Machinery increases unemployment and rural-urban migration
● Poorest farmers can not afford to take risks, so unlikely to try new
techniques

Advantages

● Yields are twice to four times greater than for traditional

varieties.
● The shorter growing season has allowed the introduction
of an extra crop in some areas.
● Farming incomes have increased, allowing the purchase
of machinery, better seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.
● The diet of rural communities is now more varied.
● Local infrastructure has been upgraded to accommodate
a stronger market approach.
● Employment has been created in industries supplying
farms with inputs.
● Higher returns have justified a significant increase in
irrigation.
Disadvantages

● High inputs of fertiliser and pesticide are required to

optimise production. This is costly in both economic and
environmental terms. In some areas rural indebtedness
has risen sharply.
 ● HYVs require more weed control and are often more
susceptible to pests and diseases.
● Middle and higher-income farmers have often benefited
much more than the majority on low incomes, thus
widening the income gap in rural communities. Increased
rural-to-urban migration has often been the result.
● Mechanisation has increased rural unemployment.
● Some HYVs have an inferior taste.
● The problem of salinisation has increased along with the
expansion of the irrigated area.

Case Study: Food Shortages in North and South Sudan

You need to understand why some regions suffer from food shortages and the impacts this can
have on them. Our chosen region is North and South Sudan. The two countries used to be called
Sudan.
A summary of the main causes and impacts of food shortages
are given below.
Food aid is vital to many communities in Africa, Asia and South America. However, there are
problems with it.

– Sometimes if programme food aid is sent to a country, this can undermine the food being sold
at local markets by local farmers

– Food aid is very expensive due to transport costs

– Food aid has been criticized for not helping communities to solve their food shortages long
term ( e.g. it only helps them for a short period and they become dependant on it)
Food shortage is a serious problem facing the world and is prevalent in
sub-Saharan Africa. The scarcity of food is caused by economic,
environmental and social factors such as crop failure, overpopulation and
poor government policies are the main cause of food scarcity in most
countries. Environmental factors determine the kind of crops to be
produced in a given place, economic factors determine the buying and
production capacity and socio-political factors determine distribution of food
to the masses. Food shortage has far reaching long and short term
negative impacts which include starvation, malnutrition, increased mortality
and political unrest. There is need to collectively address the issue of food
insecurity using both emergency and long term measures. This article
discusses the concept of food shortage in the world, highlighting the
causes, effects and possible solutions (UNU, 1998).

Causes of food shortages

There are a number of social factors causing food shortages. The rate of
population increase is higher than increase in food production. The world is
consuming more than it is producing, leading to decline in food stock and
storage level and increased food prices due to soaring demand a midst low
supply (ACC, 2008). Increased population has led to clearing of agricultural
land for human settlement reducing agricultural production (Kamdor, 2007).
Overcrowding of population in a given place results in urbanization of
previously rich agricultural fields. Destruction of forests for human
settlement, particularly tropical rain forest has led to climatic changes, such
as prolonged droughts and desertification. Population increase means
more pollution as people use more fuel in cars, industry, domestic cooking.
The resultant effect is increased air and water pollution which affect the
climate and food production.

Environmental factors have greatly contributed to food shortage. Climatic

change has reduced agricultural production. The change in climate is
majorly caused by human activities and to some small extent natural
activities. Increased combustion of fossil fuels due to increasing population
through power plant, motor transport and mining of coal and oil emits green
house gases which have continued to affect world climate. Deforestation of
tropical forest due to human pressure has changed climatic patterns and
rainfall seasons, and led to desertification which cannot support acrop
production. Pollution comes in various forms; these forms include air
pollution, water pollution and soil pollution. Population pressure has led to
overgrazing and deforestation of agricultural lands reducing the size and
fertility of agricultural land due to soil erosion. Increased deposits of
industrial affluent, farming and soil particles into water bodies have led to
water pollution. Land degradation due to increased human activities has
impacted negatively on agricultural production (Kamdor, 2007). Natural
disasters such as floods, tropical storms and prolonged droughts are on the
increase and have devastating impacts on food security particularly in
developing countries. Drought is the leading cause of food scarcity in the
world, as consecutive years of droughts have led to massive crop failures
and loss of livestock in the horn of Africa and Central America. Recent
floods have rendered many people homeless, destroying crops and
animals in parts of India and other several third world nations (Bourke,
Allen, and Salisbury, 2000).

There are several economic factors that contribute to food shortage.

Economic factors affect the ability of farmers to engage in agricultural
production. Poverty situation in developing nations have reduced their
capacity to produce food, as most farmers cannot afford seed and
fertilizers. They use poor farming methods that cannot yield enough, even
substantial use. The rising costs of rice and other basic commodities have
made it impossible for majority poor to afford food even where it is available
(Kamdor, 2007). Investments in agricultural research and developing are
very low in developing nations. Farmers in developing nations have
continued to use outdated farming practices, low yielding seeds and poor
agricultural infrastructure which limit their production capacity (ACC, 2008).
Recent global financial crisis have led to increase in food prices and
reduced investments in agriculture by individuals and governments in
developed nations resulting in reduced food production.

Effects of food shortage

There are a number of short term effects of food shortage. The impact on
children, mothers and elderly are very evident as seen in malnutrition and
hunger related deaths. It reduces class concentration among school going
children and also reduced playground and social activities which are
essential for their growth. Mothers have less energy to take care of their
toddlers and also for verbal interaction (McDonald, Sigman, Michael &
Neumann, nd). Children succumb to hunger within short period as they
cannot stand long period of starvation and they die even before the arrival
of emergency assistance. Many years of drought combined by civil wars in
Somalia has resulted into Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia as they
flee the country to seek for food and safety (BBC, 2011). Most children
among the fleeing Somali’s are highly malnourished as most fleeing elders
and children succumb to death on the way and a few days after arriving in
the refugee camp.

There are also long term effects of food shortage. These include increase
in the price of food as a result demand and supply forces. Increasing cost
of food production due to the increase in fuel prices coupled with persistent
drought in grain producing regions has contributed to the increase in the
price of food in the world. Increase in oil price led to increase in the price of
fertilizers, transportation of food and also industrial agriculture. These
factors were supplemented with increased demand for varied diet among
the growing middle class Asian population and falling food stock piles
contributed to global in food prices (Watson, nd). Increasing food prices
culminated in political instability and social unrest in several nations across
the globe in 2007, in countries of Mexico, Cameroon, Brazil, Burkina Faso,
Pakistan, Egypt and Bangladesh among other nations (Kamdor, 2007).

Solution to problem of food shortage

There are some solutions to the problem of food shortage. There is need to
reduce production of carbon emissions and pollution to reduce the resultant
climatic change through concerted and individual efforts. There is need to
invest in clean energy such as solar, nuclear, and geothermal power in
homes and industries, because they don’t have adverse effects on the
environment (Kamdor, 2007). Rich nations should help poor nations to
develop and use clean and renewable energy in order to stabilize green
house emissions into the atmosphere (Watson, nd). Government need to
work in consultation with climatic bodies, World Bank and the UN to
engage in projects aimed at promoting green environment.

Conclusion

It is very clear from these discussions that food shortage is a serious global
problem given its devastating impact on the population and government,
and this calls for an urgent remedial measure by players in the food sector.
The effect of food scarcity can be short and long term. Short terms impacts
are more concentrated on women, children and the elderly population who
cannot withstand hunger for longer period. Causes of food shortage are
well known and can be solved if appropriate measures to solve the problem
are taken and effectively implemented. Environmental causes of food
shortages are changes in climatic and pollution due to human activities
such overgrazing and deforestation which can be controlled through
legislation.

Food security - a global concern

Global food supply and consumption are unequal. There
is a need to produce more food and there are several
strategies that can be put in place to achieve this. Food
security is a global concern.
Impacts of food insecurity
Food security is when the entire population of a country has access to enough safe and
nutritious food to maintain an active life. The opposite is food insecurity which is a problem
for lots of different countries. Countries that do not have enough food to feed everyone
usually have other associated issues to overcome. Some impacts of food insecurity include:

● Famine – the World Food Programme recognises three types of hunger. Undernutrition is
when people do not consume enough calories. Globally, 805 million people are
undernourished. Malnutrition is when people do not eat enough of the right kind foods to
keep them healthy. The third type of hunger is wasting. This is the most serious type of
hunger as it can go on for a long time. Hunger can eventually lead to mass starvation or
famine.
● Soil erosion - the removal of soil occurs more rapidly in areas that are very dry. Food
insecurity can lead to soil erosion as farmers try to get more out of their
land. Deforestation, overgrazing and over-cultivation expose the soil and make it
vulnerable to erosion.
● Rising prices – when there is less food available, the prices of food increase. Global food
prices increased between 2000 and 2015. Poorer countries are more vulnerable to
increasing food prices.
● Social unrest – everyone needs to eat and so when food supplies are low people have to
fight for their survival. Riots in Algeria in 2011 were sparked by high food prices. The
prices of cooking oil, sugar and flour doubled within the space of a few months.

● Increasing food sustainability

● Increasing food supplies without damaging the environment is a
challenge. Permaculture is farming in a sustainable and self-sufficient manner.

● Organic farming
● Organic farming uses natural methods to grow foods. This means using organic fertilisers
and pesticides, such as animal slurry and natural predators and no artificial fertilisers or
pesticides. Yields from organic crops are initially low, but they increase over time until
they are in line with inorganic crops. Organic farming is environmentally sustainable
because it doesn't pollute the environment.

● Urban farming initiatives

● Urban farming involves growing food using space in and around cities. Urbanisation has
led to a reduction in farmland and so urban farming helps to alleviate this problem. Urban
farming plots can produce more food than equivalent areas of farmland. It also helps to
reduce food miles, which is better for the environment.

● Sustainable fish and meat

● Modern fishing techniques use large nets. This often wipes out whole fish populations
and many fish are trapped by accident. These are called bycatches. Sustainable fishing
involves catching fewer fish. Better net designs and a return to traditional fishing methods
are examples of sustainable fishing.
● Meat production is resource-heavy. 6.5 kg of grain and over 13,000 litres of water are
needed to rear every kilogram of beef. Feeding grain to cattle reduces the time it takes
them to grow, but means there is less grain for people to eat. Sustainable meat production
involves using grass as animal feed.

● Seasonal food consumption

● In the past, people ate food that was in season, eg cabbages during the winter and salad
crops during the summer. Food is now available out of season thanks to heated
greenhouses to produce it in the UK and cold storage to transport it to the
UK. Seasonal food consumption reduces food miles and electricity use.

● Reduction of food waste