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Why does the UK import food from other countries?

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Key points

  • Different countries produce different types of food, which they with one another. Although there is enough food to feed everyone, it is not evenly spread.
  • Global food consumption is increasing. As countries become , their populations eat more.
  • Food insecurity is a major issue in some countries. It can lead to hunger, soil erosion, rising prices and conflict. Many factors determine our ability to grow enough food.
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Where does food come from?

Game - Producing food

Play a Planet Planners mission and handle agricultural issues while solving distribution problems.

You can also play the full game

Food production

A field full of rows of growing crops
Image caption,
Arable land for farming

Different countries produce different types of food, which is often dependent on their . For example, Asian countries grow rice, African countries grow cocoa, South American countries produce , and European countries produce a lot of milk and fish. Of all in the world, around half is farmed.

Modern food production allows some, but not all, of the world鈥檚 population to enjoy a varied diet throughout the year. For example, it is possible to eat strawberries in winter in the UK. This scale of food production can have negative impacts on people, animals and places.

Increasing adds to global . This is because fuel is required to move food between countries, which leads to increased .

A field full of rows of growing crops
Image caption,
Arable land for farming
Average food miles travelled by different fruits to the UK. Bananas 鈥 5523 miles. Strawberries 鈥 907 miles. Oranges 鈥 1714 miles.
Figure caption,
A diagram showing the average food miles of strawberries, bananas, and oranges to the UK

Question

Why do different countries produce different types of food?

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What are the causes of food insecurity?

There is enough food to feed everyone, but it is not evenly spread, and some countries have . The population in such as the United Kingdom is consuming more food than it needs, which can lead to problems such as . , like Niger, in Africa, have less food than they need which leads to .

Average global food is increasing. The world鈥檚 population is growing at a rate of 1.08 per cent per year, meaning there are around 80 million additional people to feed each year. Also, as countries become wealthier, their populations eat more as they have more money to spend on food.

The global supply of food is affected by several factors.

  • global temperatures and rainfall (climate)
  • political unrest or
  • and

Question

Why is global food consumption increasing?

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What are the effects of food insecurity?

"An aerial view of deforestation. Rainforest is being removed by machines.  "
Image caption,
Deforestation makes more land for farming, settlements or roads
  • Millions of people go hungry each year and may not be able to eat for extended periods.
  • Farmers try to produce more food. Trees are cut-down to make more farmland and more cattle are squeezed into fields. This causes and .
  • When the demand for food exceeds the supply, prices increase. Many of the most vulnerable people cannot afford to eat.
  • Food is a basic human need. Food shortages can lead to conflict.
"An aerial view of deforestation. Rainforest is being removed by machines.  "
Image caption,
Deforestation makes more land for farming, settlements or roads
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Test your knowledge

Quiz

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Play the Planet Planners game! game

Make decisions for the planet in this KS3 geography game.

Play the Planet Planners game!
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