Friday, October 15, 2010

MEDCs vs LEDCs

MEDC
LEDC
The cost of sample food items are relatively cheap
Staple food items may not be always affordable as prices fluctuate
Most people make purchases based on taste and preference
People tend to make purchases based on nutritional need and affordability
Produce seasonality has mostly disappeared due to globalization
Political and economic agendas can affect food production
This has also allowed for a greater international variety in most supermarkets
Even if food crops are not used as cash crops, food production is still impacted since arable land
The average caloric content per capital per day of food is 3314 calories. In the USA specifically, this number is 3774 calories
In LEDCs the average caloric content per capital per day of food is 2666 calories. In Eritrea this number is 1512 calories


Food consumption


MEDC
LEDC
Meat
12.9
7.3
Fish and Seafoods
1.4
0.9
Cereals
37.3
56.1
Vegetables, fruits, fats
48.4
35.7

The American Association for the Advancement of Science suggests that there is an average of 2790 calories available each day for every human on the planet. That is enough to feed everyone.


If food production has kept up with population growth, why are there still so many problems with famine, hunger and malnutrition?

Factors to consider
  • Distribution:
    • If countries like Canada, USA, and Australia have an excess to food, can that be shipped to Bangladesh, Ethiopia, or Sudan? Who will pay for it? Do they even want that kind of food?
  • Politics
    • If excess food is not paid for, is the receiving country in debt of the donating country
  • So far, food supply has kept pace with human population growth, seemingly refuting Malthus… however recently some are doubting if this can continue
  • As we adapt an increasing amount of global NPP to human needs. use and degrade more land, eat more meat, contaminate more water, we are getting closer to the planet's K... we just don't know that this is yet.
  • There are 1.1 billion people living in poverty... They are increasing and growing hungrier.
Annual grain yields per hectare have slowed their rate of increase since the Green Revolution (1990-2000 had the lowest increase since before the 1950s).

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