Food systems and food production
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All 12 Flashcards — Food systems and food production
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Question
Define a food system.
Answer
The whole chain from **production → processing → distribution → consumption**, with inputs and outputs at each stage.
Question
What are inputs vs outputs in farming?
Answer
**Inputs** = energy, water, labour, seeds, fertiliser put in; **outputs** = food (yield) plus waste and emissions.
Question
Define energy efficiency of a farm product.
Answer
The **output ÷ input ratio** — how much food energy you get for the energy you put in.
Question
Intensive vs extensive farming?
Answer
**Intensive** = high inputs per hectare for high yield; **extensive** = low inputs spread over a large area.
Question
Which products are energy-efficient vs not?
Answer
Low-input crops like **cassava** are efficient (high output ÷ input); intensive **beef** and heated greenhouses are not.
Question
How does mechanization change energy inputs?
Answer
It adds **fossil-fuel energy** (tractors, pumps, fertiliser) and cuts **human/animal labour energy**.
Question
Name physical factors that change food production.
Answer
Climate change, drought (the Sahel), flooding, pests (fall armyworm) and soil erosion/salinisation.
Question
What is the Green Revolution?
Answer
The spread from the 1960s of **high-yield wheat and rice**, fertiliser and irrigation — e.g. in India — raising output unevenly.
Question
What is diffusion of an innovation?
Answer
How a new method, seed or technology **spreads** from where it started to other farmers and regions.
Question
Factors that control how fast a method spreads?
Answer
**Physical** (climate/water), **economic** (cost/credit), **social** (education/trust) and **political** (government support).
Question
Disadvantages of vertical farming?
Answer
**High energy demand**, expensive set-up, a **limited crop range** (leafy greens) and heavy technology dependence.
Question
What does a top [10] Examine answer need?
Answer
Two+ developed factors, a named example (Green Revolution), a weighing of importance, and a clear judgement.
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Topic 12.2 hub
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