Food Shortages (CIE IGCSE Geography)

• In 2015 world leaders committed to ending world hunger by 2030
• The UN estimates that the number of people in 'hunger emergencies' has increased from 135 million in 2019 to 345 million in 2022
• Global food prices are rising - 23% higher than in 2021
• World grain reserves are lower than they have been for 14 years
• Women and girls account for 70% of the people suffering hunger

Causes of food shortages

• The causes of food shortages can be divided into natural and human factors 
• It is important to remember that natural causes can often be made worse by human activity
  • An example would be floods which result from heavy and prolonged rainfall but may be made worse by:
    • Urbanisation
    • Deforestation
    • Climate change leading to increased snow and ice melt, sea level rise and changing weather patterns

Natural	Human
Flooding - crops cannot cope with being waterlogged also causes the death of livestock	War and conflict - people are unable to farm due to the conflict. War also disrupts supply and movement of food supplies
Drought and unreliable rainfall - this can reduce crop yields significantly	Rising food prices - people cannot afford the food that they need
Disease - these reduce yields and can result in livestock deaths/culling e.g. swine flu	Human induced global warming - leads to changing weather patterns, increased temperatures and rising sea levels
Pests - locusts can wipe out entire fields of crops in a matter of hours	Lack of investment - many LEDCs have poor transport systems which means that transporting food and livestock is difficult. They also do not have the funds to invest in agriculture
Tropical cyclones - bring heavy rainfall and strong winds which can destroy large areas of crops	Corruption - investment in rural areas and agriculture does not happen as a result of corrupt politicians taking the money
	Rapid population increase - the food available has to be shared between more people, decreasing the amount that people have
	Soil erosion and desertification - overgrazing and overcultivation lead to a loss of soil fertility so plants won't grow, or yields decrease

Effects of food shortages

• The impact of food shortages ranges from undernutrition to wasting
  • Undernutrition - people do not consume enough calories, this is linked to 45% of all child deaths
  • Malnutrition - people's diet lacks the correct nutrients to keep them healthy
  • Wasting - when people have low weight in relation to their height - affects 45 million children under the age of 5
• Rising food prices
  • When there is increased demand and reduced supply the prices increase
• Underdevelopment - loss of productivity
  • If a country's workforce is suffering from food shortages, they will be less productive, and development will slow or even reverse
• Soil erosion and desertification
  • Farmers may over cultivate and overgraze the land in an attempt to increase the amount of food available
• Social unrest
  • Food shortage may lead people to riot and loot 
• Migration
  • People migrate to other countries or to urban areas where the food supply is better. This can impact those areas with the development of illegal settlements

• There are a number of solutions to food shortages including:

Possible solution	How it works	Advantages	Disadvantages
Food aid	This can be short (after a disaster or in a crisis) or long term (often given to the LEDC government to distribute). The aid is given by MEDCs often through organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) as well as by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as Oxfam and Save The Children.	Saves lives during in a crisis	Can increase dependence of LEDCs on food aid Reduces the sales of crops grown by local farmers Expensive to transport
Irrigation	The artificial watering of crops - the success of this is dependent on the type of irrigation.  Surface irrigation or drip irrigation	Increases crop production/yields in areas with low rainfall	Loss of water through evaporation Increased salinity of the soil affects crop growth Increases pressure on water resources
Genetically Modified (GM) crops	When the genetic material of a crop is altered to make them disease/pest resistant, have higher yield or be drought resistant	Increases the yield of crops as they are not as susceptible to pests/disease	Concerns about the impacts on the environment
Green Revolution and High Yield Varieties	Involved in the development of high yield varieties of main food crops including wheat, maize and rice	Increased yields  Larger farm incomes increased	Needed high inputs of fertilisers/pesticides Increased mechanisation leads to fewer jobs
Education of farmers	Education for farmers about sustainable farming methods	Low cost  Increases farming knowledge Increases yields
Mechanisation	Use of tractors and other machines to complete farming tasks	Increases yields as more land can be cultivated  More time efficient Less labour needed	Reduces jobs in agriculture Machines can be expensive to buy and maintain
Fertilisers/ Pesticides	Fertilisers are added to increase yields through adding nitrogen Pesticides are used to kill or deter pests from eating crops	Increases the yield Reduces losses from pests	Damage to the environment e.g. eutrophication Concerns about the impact on human health
Appropriate technology	Includes methods such as Contour ploughing or intercropping	Increases yield as water infiltration improves and soil erosion decreases

• Located on the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula

Location of Yemen

• Yemen has a mainly hot desert climate with a temperate climate in the western mountains
• In summer months temperatures reach 40^oC and there is little rainfall
• Winter months are cooler between 25-35^oC but with little rainfall

Agriculture

• There is increasing agricultural activity in Yemen with crops including:
  • Millet
  • Corn
  • Wheat
  • Barley
  • Sorghum
• Other crops include coffee, cotton and fruit which were grown for export
• Over 73% of the population relies on agriculture as their main source of income

Causes of food shortages

• Conflict
  • In 2015 after years of internal conflict, civil war broke out
  • Continued conflicts have led over 4 million Yemenis to be displaced
  • Food aid supplies have been affected by blockades at the ports intended to stop weapons entering the country
  • Internal infrastructure (roads, airports and communication) has also been affected by the conflict which stops the movement of food around the country

• Drought
  • In recent years drought has further affected supplies 
  • The main crop growing areas have received only one third to a half of the usual precipitation
• Pests 
  • In 2019 swarms of locust hit Yemen destroying many of the crops
  • The conflict had affected the control and monitoring program
  • Lack of pesticides meant that the Yemeni struggled to control the insects
• Corruption
  • Food aid is taken by those involved in the fighting and those in power
  • It often does not reach those who need it most
• Population increase
  • The population has increased to almost 30 million from 26.5 million in 2015 
  • This increases the demand for food

Effects of food shortages

• The Yemeni economy has declined
• These issues have mostly happened in the crop growing areas in the south-west
• In 2016 it is estimated that farm produce losses totalled $964.5million
• Yemen became dependent on imports for 90% of its grain supplies - much of this was from Ukraine, the supply of which has been affected by the Russian invasion
• More than 80% of the population live below the poverty line
• 50% of the population working in agriculture have lost their jobs
• Food prices have increased between 30-70% meaning people cannot afford a healthy diet

Food basket price in Yemen 

• The UN estimates more than 226,000 Yemeni have died due to food shortages and lack of health services
• Acute malnutrition now threatens over 50% of children under 5
• The total number of food insecure population is expected to reach 19 million by the end of 2022

Solutions 

• Since the start of the conflict billions in aid has been sent to Yemen through organisations such as:
  • UNICEF 
  • Red Cross
  • World Food Program
  • Oxfam
• Getting aid to the people who need it is challenging for the reasons outlined in 'causes' above
• The World Food Program provides 13 million people with food assistance through:
  • Rations
  • Vouchers
  • Cash transfers
• Until the end of the conflict the food shortages are likely to continue and may even get worse