IB Resources
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Environmental Systems & Societies SL
Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

Eco-Food Systems Insight

Word Count Emoji
511 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Table of content

Introduction to sustainability ๐ŸŒฟ

  • Sustainability: How long terrestrial food systems can last and how effective they are.
  • Key factors: Dependence on agriculture & value of agricultural output.

Ledcs vs. medcs๐ŸŒ

  • LEDCs: Less Economically Developed Countries.
    • Agriculture: Small-scale, labour-intensive, subsistence-based.
    • Vulnerabilities: Dependent on few crops, affected by price fluctuations & poor harvests.
    • Example: Tea, coffee, and cocoa - prices are controlled by MEDCs.
    • Challenge: Increasing influence from Multinational Companies (MNCs) through land ownership, marketing control, input supply, and crop production.
    • Limitation: Difficult to adapt fully to external pressures; new methods can result in increased poverty and environmental harm.
  • MEDCs: More Economically Developed Countries.
    • Agriculture: Resembles manufacturing, capital-intensive, large-scale, and market-orientated.
    • Government role is critical.

Industrialization of agriculture ๐Ÿšœ

  • Mechanization:
    • Using machines (like tractors) to improve farming efficiency.
    • Not suited everywhere, e.g., not for terraced paddy fields in South-East Asia.
    • Fun Fact: In the USA's Great Plains, machines outnumber farm workers!
  • Fossil Fuel Use:
    • Linked to agriculture's industrialization.
    • "Food miles": Measures food's journey from production to consumption.
    • Wowza: An MEDC festive meal travels roughly 24,000 miles!

Dietary shifts ๐Ÿ—

  • Cereal-based diets common in poorer countries.
  • Richer nations opt for mixed diets, with a surge in chicken consumption.
  • Dietary Tip: Westerners prefer lean meat, while Asians and Africans enjoy darker meat. Organic and free-range options are becoming popular.

Water consumption in Agriculture ๐Ÿ’ง

  • 70% of global water use is by agriculture.
  • Transition to meat and dairy-based diets needs more water.
  • Thirsty Fact: 500g of beef needs 7,500 liters of water! Compare that to wheat which needs just 650 liters.

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IB Resources
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Environmental Systems & Societies SL
Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

Eco-Food Systems Insight

Word Count Emoji
511 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Table of content

Introduction to sustainability ๐ŸŒฟ

  • Sustainability: How long terrestrial food systems can last and how effective they are.
  • Key factors: Dependence on agriculture & value of agricultural output.

Ledcs vs. medcs๐ŸŒ

  • LEDCs: Less Economically Developed Countries.
    • Agriculture: Small-scale, labour-intensive, subsistence-based.
    • Vulnerabilities: Dependent on few crops, affected by price fluctuations & poor harvests.
    • Example: Tea, coffee, and cocoa - prices are controlled by MEDCs.
    • Challenge: Increasing influence from Multinational Companies (MNCs) through land ownership, marketing control, input supply, and crop production.
    • Limitation: Difficult to adapt fully to external pressures; new methods can result in increased poverty and environmental harm.
  • MEDCs: More Economically Developed Countries.
    • Agriculture: Resembles manufacturing, capital-intensive, large-scale, and market-orientated.
    • Government role is critical.

Industrialization of agriculture ๐Ÿšœ

  • Mechanization:
    • Using machines (like tractors) to improve farming efficiency.
    • Not suited everywhere, e.g., not for terraced paddy fields in South-East Asia.
    • Fun Fact: In the USA's Great Plains, machines outnumber farm workers!
  • Fossil Fuel Use:
    • Linked to agriculture's industrialization.
    • "Food miles": Measures food's journey from production to consumption.
    • Wowza: An MEDC festive meal travels roughly 24,000 miles!

Dietary shifts ๐Ÿ—

  • Cereal-based diets common in poorer countries.
  • Richer nations opt for mixed diets, with a surge in chicken consumption.
  • Dietary Tip: Westerners prefer lean meat, while Asians and Africans enjoy darker meat. Organic and free-range options are becoming popular.

Water consumption in Agriculture ๐Ÿ’ง

  • 70% of global water use is by agriculture.
  • Transition to meat and dairy-based diets needs more water.
  • Thirsty Fact: 500g of beef needs 7,500 liters of water! Compare that to wheat which needs just 650 liters.

Unlock the Full Content! File Is Locked Emoji

Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Environmental Systems & Societies SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 ๐ŸŒŸ

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