What you'll learn
How a growing population affects food resources and how food supply can be made sustainable.
Population and food
- Rapid population growth increases demand for food, water and energy.
- Food security means reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food.
Food shortages
- Causes: drought and climate, poverty, conflict, soil degradation, poor infrastructure and unequal distribution.
- Increasing production: irrigation, fertilisers, high-yield varieties, mechanisation and the Green Revolution.
Sustainable food production
- Reducing environmental damage: efficient irrigation, organic methods, reducing waste, and protecting soils.
Exam tips
- Distinguish causes of food shortage from ways to increase supply.
- Evaluate whether methods are sustainable in the long term.
Common mistakes
- Blaming shortages on population alone (distribution matters).
- Ignoring the environmental cost of intensive farming.