Population growth

Resources (1)

Food production relies on cropland & water availability - under pressure due to growing human pop.

(2)

Strain on limited land resources can lead to expansion of agricultural land at the expense of vital forest ecosystems or through intensive farming

(3)

Demand for water increases as pop. Grows. Main factor limiting global food production = water (FAO)

Infrastructure (1)

Pop. Growth = need for housing & infrastructure so less land for agriculture

(2)

Increasing demand for food = expansion of cropland - often includes destruction of vital forest resources & intensive farming which degrade the soil

Industry (1)

Increased pop. growth may lead to over-reliance on specific food industries

Example

In coastal regions pop. pressures are impacting food security where there is a heavy dependence on fisheries for protein

(2)

Longer life span puts extreme pressure on existing food production systems, could lead to a decrease in food quality if producers take shortcuts to meet this demand

Migration (1)

Pop. growth can drive migration - may negatively affect host region. Insufficient jobs/resources can leave migrants facing food insecurity

(2)

Rural areas will be facing the need to produce more food for growing urban pops. while dealing with rural - urban migration

(3)

Urbanisation brings food & nutrition challenges that are magnified by transformations in food demand & markets, rising food prices & the impact of climate change

Wealth (1)

As global pop. expands & becomes wealthier people with higher incomes tend to consume more, often opting for resource-intensive foods eg meat & dairy - unsustainable

(2)

Expected growth in purchasing power & rising expectations in developing countries means more people will likely be eating resource - intensive diets rich in meat & dairy products so increasing demand for crops as animal feed