Module 1- Resources
Chapter 5-Food resources
17. Importance of food resources
Food Is that anything eaten for dietary energy, growth and psychological needs.
Food is considered as a resource because food contains nutrients such as protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals which is required for all the living organisms.
The main food sources are agricultural crops, livestock and seafood.
Food shortage is one of the main issue that the world is facing. A very few part of the world is getting food more than their requirement and they are facing over nutrition problems.
But a vast majority of the people in the world are not getting food with enough nutrients and they are facing malnutrition problems.
18. Global food crisis
Food crisis is a long and extreme shortage of food, which result in deaths. The scarcity of food is caused by environmental, social and economical factors listed below:
Environmental factors
1. Drought is the leading cause of food scarcity in the world. Consecutive years of drought lead to massive crop failure and loss of livestock.
2. Floods destroy crops, animals and make many people homeless
3. Climate changes has reduced agricultural production. This climate change is caused by deforestation, combustion of fossil fuels through power plants, motor transport and mining of coal and oil etc.
1. Drought is the leading cause of food scarcity in the world. Consecutive years of drought lead to massive crop failure and loss of livestock.
2. Floods destroy crops, animals and make many people homeless
3. Climate changes has reduced agricultural production. This climate change is caused by deforestation, combustion of fossil fuels through power plants, motor transport and mining of coal and oil etc.
Social factors
One of the major social factor is population growth. The rate of population increases higher than increase in food production. The world is consuming more than it is producing leading to decline in food stock, shortage in storage level and increased food prices due to soaring demand amidst low supply.
The population growth also result in more pollution as people use more fuel in vehicles, industry, cooking etc.
Economical factors
Economical factors affect the ability of farmers to engage in agricultural production. The agricultural production is more depend upon the farmers and farming. But failure of economic policies of governments to support poor farmers to buy fertilizers, seeds and pesticides reduce their capacity to produce food.
Reduced investment in agriculture by individuals and governments resulted in reduced food production.
And in the present scenario increased oil prices and transportation charges lead to rise in food prices have made it impossible for majority poor people to afford food prices.
Economical factors affect the ability of farmers to engage in agricultural production. The agricultural production is more depend upon the farmers and farming. But failure of economic policies of governments to support poor farmers to buy fertilizers, seeds and pesticides reduce their capacity to produce food.
And in the present scenario increased oil prices and transportation charges lead to rise in food prices have made it impossible for majority poor people to afford food prices.
19. Merits and demerits of modern agricultural practices
Advantages of modern agricultural practices
Help the world to meet the increased food requirements.
Help farmers to increase the efficiency and reduce the number of natural resources like water, land and energy necessary to meet the world's food, fuel and fibre needs.
Modern agricultural practices improve our affordability of food i.e.
Food prices are reduced
Increased food supply
Disadvantages of modern agriculture practices
1. Soil erosion
The top fertile soil of the farmland is removed due to the excessive water supply which is required for the modern agricultural practices. This leads to the loss of nutrients from the soil hampered the productivity and again more and more fertilizers will be needed to make it support the plant growth.
2. Depletion of groundwater
Majority of water for irrigation comes from underground. More requirements of water for irrigation promote depletion of Water resources.
3. Contamination of water bodies
From agricultural fields, the nitrogenous fertilizers leach into the soil and finally contaminate the groundwater. When nitrate level of groundwater exceeds 25 milligrams per litre. It can cause a serious health hazard known as blue baby syndrome, which affects mostly infants even leading to their death.
4. Salinity
Salinity refers to the increased concentration of soluble salt in the soil. It result due to intensive agricultural practices.
Salinity is caused by
1. water used for irrigation is containing more salt
2. The lands irrigates have salt deposits
5. Waterlogging
The stagnation of water on the soil in the upper layer is called waterlogging. In this situation as the plant root get submerged in water, they do not get enough air for respiration. Then it leads to low crop yield as well as low mechanical strength.
6. Eutrophication
Eutrophication means extra nutrition.
The fertilizers are used more quantity in modern agricultural practices. There is nitrogen and phosphorous in the fertilizers. This nitrogen and phosphorous will reach into the water bodies through the surface flow of water. These minerals in excess quantity lead to over growth of phytoplanktons in the water bodies.
This over growth is called eutrophication. The after effects of eutrophication are :
1. It will lead to reduce the dissolved oxygen in the water, which will cause death of fishes and other aquatic life
2. Undesirable taste, colour and odour, reduces the acceptability of water for domestic use
20. Salinity, waterlogging, eutrophication
1. Salinity
Salinity refers to the increased concentration of soluble salt in the soil. It result due to intensive agricultural practices.
Salinity is caused by
1. water used for irrigation is containing more salt
2. The lands irrigates have salt deposits
2. Waterlogging
The stagnation of water on the soil in the upper layer is called waterlogging. In this situation as the plant root get submerged in water, they do not get enough air for respiration. Then it leads to low crop yield as well as low mechanical strength.
3. Eutrophication
Eutrophication means extra nutrition.
The fertilizers are used more quantity in modern agricultural practices. There is nitrogen and phosphorous in the fertilizers. This nitrogen and phosphorous will reach into the water bodies through the surface flow of water. These minerals in excess quantity lead to over growth of phytoplanktons in the water bodies.
This over growth is called eutrophication. The after effects of eutrophication are :
1. It will lead to reduce the dissolved oxygen in the water, which will cause death of fishes and other aquatic life
2. Undesirable taste, colour and odour, reduces the acceptability of water for domestic use
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