FOod security
Question,Answer
What is food security?,A state where all people at all times have access to enough safe, nutritious food to sustain a healthy life.
What are the four components required for food security?,Food availability, food accessibility, food knowledge and resources, food stability.
What does food availability mean?,Having enough food of appropriate quality available on a consistent basis.
What does food accessibility refer to?,Physical and economic access to food.
What is meant by appropriate use of food?,Using food safely and applying knowledge about nutrients, clean water, and sanitation when preparing food.
What is required for food stability?,A reliable supply of food over time.
How does poverty affect food security?,People suffering from poverty struggle to meet their basic daily food needs and are highly vulnerable to changes in food availability and accessibility.
How do natural disasters affect food security?,Disasters like droughts or floods can damage or destroy local agriculture, affecting food sources.
How can human activities impact food security?,Armed conflicts and land repurposing can interrupt food supply lines and reduce local food supplies.
How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians use fire to improve food security?,They used fire as a hunting and land management tool, which increased food security by attracting herbivores, modifying vegetation, and improving soil productivity.
What were the benefits of fresh new plant growth after fires?,Attracted large herbivores and provided food and stored water in plant roots.
How did fire improve the landscape?,Created a mosaic of grasses and other plants, attracting various bird and animal species.
What benefit did ash from fires provide?,Contained minerals that help plants grow, increasing land productivity.
How did controlled fires help reduce the threat of disaster fires?,By removing dry fuel from the landscapes.
What is one concern regarding population growth and food security?,Some researchers believe the world's population is growing faster than farmers can feed it, leading to food insecurity, starvation, and famine.
How has food production kept pace with population growth?,Through new technologies, the Green Revolution, human adaptability, and developments in genetic modification.
What is the Green Revolution?,Sweeping changes in farming regions, including new grain varieties, use of fertilizers and pesticides, and mechanical vehicles.
What is soil erosion?,Soil that has been broken apart by farm machinery can be washed or blown away.
What is soil salinity?,Natural occurrence of salt in soil that can become problematic for plant roots.
What is soil acidification?,Decrease in soil pH over time due to certain fertilizers and plant material removal.
What is desertification?,The process by which land turns to dry areas, reducing its productivity.
How do economic factors increase water demand?,Industrial development and more households lead to higher water consumption.
How do environmental factors affect water used for growing food?,Climate change affects rainfall patterns and glacier melt, impacting water supply.
What happens as glaciers shrink?,Water flow declines, reducing water available for crop growth.
How does climate change cause more extreme weather events?,Warmer atmosphere leads to more evaporation and rainfall, causing droughts and floods.
How does climate change affect water scarcity?,Warmer temperatures result in less snow, reducing river water levels.
How do rising temperatures affect animal and plant distributions?,Pests move into previously cooler areas, increasing plant diseases.
How does climate change impact oceans?,Oceans warm and become more acidic, affecting marine life and food security.
What are the effects of rising sea levels?,Kills crops, affects fish farming, and results in saline intrusion.
How does land competition threaten food security?,Productive farmland is being converted for housing, mines, golf courses, and factories, driven by population growth and profit motives.
How can genetic modification increase food production?,By changing the genes of plants and animals to give them desirable traits like pest resistance and drought tolerance.
What are the main benefits of GM food production?,Pest resistance, disease resistance, improved nutrition, cold tolerance, and drought resistance.
Why is there opposition to genetically modified foods?,Concerns about long-term effects, impacts on other organisms, and environmental risks.
How has Australia increased food productivity?,By adopting new technologies like efficient irrigation systems and new crop varieties.
What are the biggest threats to food production in Australia?,Changes in rainfall patterns and ancient, nutrient-poor soils.
How have Australian farmers responded to these challenges?,By adopting new technologies and focusing on repairing environmental damage.
What is effective landscape management?,Looking after areas of the farm not planted with crops or pastures.
What are the benefits of crop rotation and diversity?,Improve soil health and assist with pest control.
What is agroforestry?,Growing trees as part of the farm, which provides shade, controls water levels, and prevents soil erosion.
How does integrated pest management benefit the environment?,Controls pests by encouraging natural predators rather than using pesticides.
Why is keeping soils covered with organic material important?,Improves soil health and reduces the need for weed spraying.
What is the advantage of not disturbing soil by tilling?,Prevents soil erosion and maintains microorganism health.
What is fracking?,The process of creating fractures in rocks by injecting specialized fluid into existing cracks to force them open further, allowing more oil and gas to flow out.