Global Food Distribution & Famine

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AP Human Geography › Global Food Distribution & Famine

Questions 1 - 10
1

It is estimated that about 870 million people are undernourished in the world. What percentage of undernourished people are in developing countries?

99%

75%

100%

63%

59%

Explanation

99% of the world's undernourished people can be found in developing countries.

2

Enough food is produced annually to feed everyone on Earth. True or false?

True, yet food remains too expensive for many people.

True, but most food produced is not suitable for human consumption.

False, there has never been enough food to feed everyone.

False, in the past two decades population has outstripped food supply.

Explanation

The statement is true. Global food production has been high enough to feed everyone on the planet for some time now. Although the percent of hungry people has fallen, hunger has not been eliminated. This is in large part due to poverty and unjust distribution of food, not excessive waste or poor quality.

3

The ability of all people to have access to sufficient amounts of food is referred to as __________.

food security

food stability

food proximity

food obesity

food scarcity

Explanation

The term “food security” is used to differentiate between people who have access to enough food to remain healthy and active, and those who lack access to sufficient amounts of food. The former group is called “food secure,” the latter group is called “food insecure.”

4

Esther Boserup’s agricultural geographic theory is primarily based on the idea that __________.

population growth is a positive force in agricultural innovation

population growth is a negative force in environmental sustainability

the developed world needs to cut back on its use of natural resources

all population centers are interconnected

None of these answers are correct.

Explanation

Esther Boserup is a famous agricultural geographer. Her theory is based on the premise that population growth is a positive force in agricultural innovation, that it drives technology forward. According to Boserup as a society develops and progresses it uses its agricultural land more and more efficiently.

5

What is the definition of food security?

Physical, social, and economic access to safe and nutritious food

The safety of food supplies from physical disasters

The amount of food stored in the average person's pantry

The quality of a food product

The seeds in storage that will guarantee next season's crops

Explanation

Food security is defined as a person's access to food that will meet their dietary needs. There needs to be enough food, good food, and affordable food.

6

Which of these countries has the largest proportion of people employed in agriculture?

China

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Japan

Australia

Explanation

All of these countries have relatively few people employed in agriculture except China. In China almost half the country is employed in agricultural work, although this proportion is declining rapidly as China industrializes and urbanizes at unprecedented rates. Still, much of China’s massive population remains rural and tied to farming work.

7

Which of these descriptions provides the most accurate definition of a milkshed?

The area around a city where milk can be supplied without spoiling

The shed where the milk cows live

The storage center where dairy milk is stored before being shipped out to market

The dairy refrigerator at a grocery store

Any milk that is lost in the process of pasteurization

Explanation

A milkshed refers to an area surrounding the milk source (dairy farm) where milk is supplied without spoiling. Depending on transportation methods, the milkshed will vary in size.

8

As society progresses and population grows according to Esther Boserup’s model of agricultural geography what specifically changes to accommodate the large population growth?

The land is left fallow for less time

Better machinery and equipment is used to produce more goods

The land is recycled through slash-and-burn techniques

Food is imported from further and further afield

All of these

Explanation

In Esther Boserup’s model of agricultural geography as a society progresses and population grows it uses its agricultural land more and more efficiently. According to Boserup the primary means by which this is achieved is by reducing the amount of time that agricultural land is left fallow. In the fifth and final stage of Boserup’s model land is hardly ever left fallow, or crops are constantly rotated in order to retain nutrients in the soil.

9

In which of these regions of the world is the proportion of people engaged in agricultural work highest?

Sub-Saharan Africa

Southwest Asia

Southeast Asia

Eastern Europe

South America

Explanation

In all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa for which data is available more than two-thirds of the population is engaged in agricultural work. This is the highest for any region in the world, although Southeast Asia and regions of Oceania are also extremely high. As a general rule the poorer the country the more people who will be employed in agricultural labor.

10

The physical, social, and economic access to safe and nutritious food sources sufficient enough to meet the dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life is termed __________.

food security

dietary energy consumption

commercial agriculture

the green revolution

intensive subsistence agriculture

Explanation

Food Security is defined by the United Nations (UN) as the above mentioned definition in the question. According to the UN, about one-eighth of the world currently does not have food security. This means that they do not have enough access to food to support a nutritious and healthy style for the population in the region. The most undernourished region of the world is Africa, specifically the Sahel region where famine is a severe threat.

The following are the definitions of the other terms given as answer choices for this question.

Dietary Energy Consumption: The amount of food that an individual consumes.

Commercial Agriculture: A form of agriculture undertaken in order to generate products for sale off of the farm in order to make a profit.

The Green Revolution: A rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers, and other equipment to make farming more efficient and profitable.

Intensive subsistence agriculture: A form of subsistence agriculture in which farmers expend a relatively large amount of effort to produce the maximum yield from a piece of land.

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