Many countries (areas) cannot produce enough food to feed their people
well. This is due to many factors or causes. Provide 4 Natural and 4
Man-made causes which contribute to the lack of food production.

Man made cause #1: "An acre of land growing cereal or vegetables feeds
ten times as many people as an acre used for grazing or to grow animal
fodder yet 90% of all agricultural land is used for grazing and
fodder."
SOURCE: http://www.ehn.clara.net/farming.html

Man made cause #2: "The demand for fodder has become so great that
developing countries are now growing it as a cash crop rather than
growing food to feed their populations."
Source: http://www.ehn.clara.net/farming.html

Man Made cause #3: Economic Troubles - "Economic troubles also have
sent countries into some of the world's most serious hunger
emergencies, limiting food imports and desperately needed funds for
agriculture. Since 1997 economic setbacks have pushed much of Asia
into a food emergency. In Korea alone, hunger galloped from 16 percent
to 48 percent of the population. In Cuba, economic woes exacerbated by
drought and flooding threw the country into a massive food shortage.
Since losing its special trading relationship with the former Soviet
Union, Cuba's food imports have decreased."
Source: http://www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/991207FAO/

Mad Made cause #4: War - "Elsewhere around the world, hundreds of
thousands of starving refugees and innocent civilians are victimized
by the economic consequences of war. Afghanistan and Iraq -- both
countries that have been plagued by war in their recent histories --
have suffered dramatic food shortages as the countries struggle to
fund their armies and cut off food supplies to their enemies."

Extra Man Made cause #5 - Government Policy: ""In Zimbabwe and Malawi
there were a lot of man made causes of food shortages," Lewis said. In
Zimbabwe the government has a monopoly over grain reserves and Malawi
sold grain reserves to pay interest on money borrowed.""
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200204250720.html

======================================

Natural Cause #1 - Hurricanes/Tornadoes - "Hurricane Mitch's
devastation of Honduras and its Central American neighbors -
especially their agricultural sectors - could lead to major food
shortages throughout the region."
Source: http://www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/981231Food/

Natural Cause #2 - Flooding - "1998's epic floods in China,
Bangladesh, Korea and elsewhere are expected to place added pressures
on surviving yields." ALSO: "In China, nearly six million people
remain at risk of malnutrition because of the summer floods along the
Yangtze and northern rivers, some of which set new flood records."
Source: http://www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/981231Food/

Natural Cause #3 - Drought: "In Zambia "whole fields" of drought
resistant sorghum had wilted, Lewis said. Even cattle, allowed to eat
it as fodder, rejected it as it was too bitter."

Natural Cause #4 - Degraded Agricultural Land: "Nearly 40% of the
world’s agricultural land is seriously degraded, which could undermine
the long-term productive capacity of those soils, according to
scientists at the International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI), who carried out the most comprehensive mapping to date of
global agriculture."
Source: http://www.futureharvest.org/news/05222000.shtml

Extra Natural Cause #5 - Diseases on Humans (Diseases on
plants/animals is also one natural cause) : "HIV/AIDS makes the
situation worse. Lewis said women were trying to grow crops and find
food for their family and now also had to care for the sick. Some
households were headed by children who had to forage for food. The
number of people affected reduced the number of people who could go
out and work."

I hope this was the type of answer you were expecting. Please let me
know if you require any clarifications and I will do my best to get
back to you as soon as possible.

tisme-ga


Search Strategy (on Google):

"natural causes" "food production"
"man made causes" "food production"
food production
food production nutrients land
natural causes food production
man made causes food production

---

Request for Answer Clarification by bangmal-ga on 04 May 2003 00:08 PDT

can you use 2 phrases to describe Man made cause  #1 and #2

thank you

---

Clarification of Answer by tisme-ga on 04 May 2003 00:35 PDT

Mad made cause #1 - Using land in such a way that less food is
produced per acre. - While an acre of land used for growing cereal
crops or vegetables will feed ten times as many people as an acre used
for animals grazing, 90% of all agricultural land is used for grazing
and fodder (feed). The people who own the land realize where it is
possible to make money, and instead of worrying about feeding the
world, there is a greater concern for making money.

Man made cause #2 - Unfortunate land usage - Redirecting the use of
land to gain money from outside the country. Instead of using land to
plant cereal crops, the land is used to produce feed for animals which
are only affordable to the rich, and are often exported outside of the
country. This can lead to food LEAVING a country that is desperately
needing it.

very good answers