LAND LOSS & FOOD SHORTAGE

Will land loss lead to food shortage?

Question?

What is one thing that is absolutely essential to food

production?

LAND

Can all land be used for food production?

• Think, pair, share • Think about all the regions on earth that

can and cannot be used for food production.

TASK: Define ‘arable land’

Land Loss

• The loss of productive land has two main causes:

• 1) LAND DEGRADATION

• 2) COMPETITION FOR LAND USE

LAND DEGRADATION

• There are many ways that land degradation occurs. However, these are the main forms of land degradation:

• 1) EROSION

• 2) SALINITY

• 3) PEST INVASION

• 4) LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

• 5) DESERTIFCATION

Land Degradation

• Some degradation occurs naturally!

e.g. Landslides, earthquakes, rain/sand/snow storms etc.

Land Degradation

• However…

The most extensive degradation is caused by the actual process of food production; • over cultivation• overgrazing• overwatering, • overloading with chemicals and• over clearing (deforestation!)

We need to use our land sustainably.

Land Degradation

• Land degradation occurs in all food-producing biomes across the globe

• Currently 25% of the world’s land is highly degraded

E.g. In south-east Asia, 50% of cultivated land has severe soil quality problems, which prevent increases in food production

Land Loss

• The loss of productive land has two main causes:

• 1) LAND DEGRADATION

• 2) COMPETITION FOR LAND USE

COMPETITION FOR LAND USE

• What else do we use land for? • Urban growth • Industrialisation • Energy production• Fuel Production (Biofuel)

e.g. In the past 16years, China lost 14.5 million hectares of arable land to other land uses

Let’s think about Perth

• Market Gardens = Food production VS. Urban Sprawl

• E.g. Local competition for land

Land Grabs

• Wealthy but resource poor countries purchase or lease land in poor developing countries.

• This is in response to the ‘triple-F-crisis’ across the globe – food, fuel and finance.

Let’s take a closer look:

• FOOD

• FUEL

• FINANCE

Land Grabs Biofuel

Activity

• Read through chapter 4.4 ‘Will land loss lead to food shortages?’

Use this chapter to answer the worksheet provided (Land loss).