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Geography of Food and Health - Definitions and Case Studies Key Term

First Attempt at Definition

Definition

Disease

Condition that makes a person sick

A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.

Water-borne

Involves transport through water

Conveyed by, traveling on, or involving travel or transportation on water.

Vector-borne

Involves transport through insects

Vector-borne diseases are infections transmitted by the bite of infected arthropod species, such as mosquitoes, ticks, triatomine bugs, sandflies, and blackflies.

Food Miles

Length of travel of food

A mile over which a food item is transported from producer to consumer, as a unit of measurement of the fuel used to do this.

HALE

Estimation of a person’s life expectancy

Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) is a measurement developed by the World Health Organization that attempts to capture a more complete estimate of health than standard life expectancy rates

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TNC

Transnational corporation

Transnational corporations (TNCs) are incorporated or unincorporated enterprises comprising parent enterprises and their foreign s.

Life Expectancy

Number of year a person is expected to live

The average period that a person may expect to live.

Lifestyle

The way a person lives

A way of living of individuals, families (households), and societies, which they manifest in coping with their physical, psychological, social, and economic environments on a day-to-day basis.

Infant Mortality Rate

Number of deaths under 1 year old per 1000 live births in a geographical area per year

Number of deaths under one year of age occurring among the live births in a given geographical area during a given year, per 1,000 live births occurring among the population of the given geographical area during the same year.

Child Mortality

Number of deaths under 5 year old per 1000 live births in a geographical area per year

Child mortality, also known as under5 mortality or child death, refers to the death of infants and children under the age of five or between the age of one month to four years depending on the definition.

Calorie Intake

Amount of calories a person takes

Calorie intake measures the daily consumption of food in calories compared with the recommended daily consumption, which is 1940 calories per day for women and 2550 for men.

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Health Services

Services for health-related things

A public service providing medical care.

prevention as opposed to treatment

Prevention is a better way (more efficient) to overcome a disease in a geographical area compared to treatment.

Measures taken for disease prevention, as

malnutrition

Lack of nutrition

Lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat.

temporary hunger

Need for food temporarily

A short term physiological need for food.

chronic hunger

Need for food in a longer term

A long term physiological need for food. The human body needs an average of 1800kcal per day and without this, over a long period of time (weeks and months) the body will begin to metabolise fat, muscle tissue and eventually organs, resulting in death.

famine

Need for food until death

An extreme shortage of food resulting in mortality.

Food security

Having enough food

The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

agribusiness

Agriculture related businesses that use technology for their business

Agriculture conducted on commercial principles, especially using advanced technology.

Green Revolution

Period of time when advances in agriculture

The Green Revolution was a period when the

opposed to disease treatment.

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changed drastically (positively). It was led by Norman Borlaug.

productivity of global agriculture increased drastically as a result of new advances. During this time period, new chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides and pesticides were created. The chemical fertilizers made it possible to supply crops with extra nutrients and, therefore, increase yield. The newly developed synthetic herbicides and pesticides controlled weeds, deterred or kill insects, and prevented diseases, which also resulted in higher productivity.

food deficiency

Lack of food

The shortage or inability to access food, resulting in hunger, malnutrition and eventually, starvation.

trade barriers

Barriers to trading

A barrier to trade is a government-imposed restraint on the flow of international goods or services.

agricultural subsides

Subsidies by the government to help people in agricultural related businesses

An agricultural subsidy is a governmental subsidy paid to farmers and agribusinesses to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and influence the cost and supply of such commodities.

bilateral agreement

Agreement between two countries

An exchange agreement between two nations or trading groups that gives each party favored trade status pertaining to

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certain goods obtained from the signatories. multilateral agreement

Agreement between more than two countries

An exchange agreement between three or more nations or trading groups that gives each party favored trade status pertaining to certain goods obtained from the signatories.

food aid

Help / aid in form of food from other countries to countries in need

Food aid is hard to summarize succinctly due to many related issues, but in general it is about providing food and related assistance to tackle hunger, either in emergency situations, or to help with deeper, longer term hunger alleviation and achieve food security (where people do not have to live in hunger or in fear of starvation).

free trade

1.

Trade without money

2.

International trade left to its natural course without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.

1.

Trade in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries.

fair trade

Trade with money

sustainable agriculture

Production of agriculture that is sustainable

Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare.

energy efficiency ratios

Measure of energy efficiency

The ratio of a heating or cooling system's output, per hour, in British thermal units to the input in watts, used to measure the system's

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efficiency. sustainable yields

Supply of resource which will eventually regrow

The continuing supply of a natural resource, as timber, through scheduled harvests to insure replacement by regrowth or reproduction.

diseases of affluence

Diseases caused by how a person lives. Normally occurs in MEDCs. E.g. diabetes

Diseases of affluence is a term sometimes given to selected diseases and other health conditions which are commonly thought to be a result of increasing wealth in a society.

diseases of poverty

Diseases caused by the lack of money. Normally occurs in LEDCs. E.g. cholera

Diseases of poverty is a term used to collectively describe diseases, disabilities, and health conditions that are more prevalent among the poor than among wealthier people.

diffusion by relocation

Spread from a place to another

Relocation diffusion is the spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another.

diffusion by expansion

Spread from a place outwards

Expansion diffusion is idea or innovation spreads outward from the hearth

Syllabus Content

Example/Case Study

Four Bullet Points About Case Study

The geographic factors that determine the relative emphasis placed by policy-makers, in

Prevention of HIV in Uganda – ABC Campaign (Abstinence, Be Faithful,

In Uganda developed a national HIV/AIDS policy in 1992. A variety of approaches to

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one country or region, on prevention as opposed to treatment of disease

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Condoms) AIDS education have been employed, ranging from the promotion of condom use to 'abstinence only' programmes. According to the WHO, around 41,000 women received Preventing Mother To child Transmission (PMTCT) services in 2001. Uganda was the first country to open a Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) clinic in Africa called AIDS Information Centre and pioneered the concept of voluntary HIV testing centers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Ugandan government has promoted this as a success story in the fight against HIV and AIDS, arguing it has been the most effective national response to the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Green Revolution

Green Revolution by Norman Borlaug

The Green Revolution is the name given to the approach that was developed by Norman Borlaug and others to increase the productivity of agricultural land in key countries of the world by educating farmers and introducing new technologies. Genetic engineering was used to produce

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higher yielding varieties of crops. This also needed mechanisation, pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilisers and irrigation water. Through the 1960 and 1970ss a range of techniques were introduced, some of which were based on techniques that had been used successfully in Mexico. Another success was achieved in Punjab state in India, where wheat and rice production doubled (using the IR8 Mexican rice which had a shorter stalk and a larger head) and yielded twice as much rice. the environmental, demographic, political, Poverty is the main cause of food insecurity: social and economic factors that have caused Haiti, the Caribbean areas of food deficiency and food insecurity

Poverty statistics:  GDP per capita: USD $660, second poorest country in the Caribbean  54% of all Haitians live on below US$1 per day Malnutrition statistics:  World Food Program reports that the food supply in Haiti only covers 55% of the population  24% of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition  Hunger responsible for almost 60% of

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all deaths of those under 18 Why is Haiti poor?  Main reason: most of Haiti’s population impoverished due to great political mismanagement under two of its presidents, Francois and JeanClaude Duvalier. Link between poverty and food insecurity  Low income = many households are unable to afford food  Low levels of education = households that use subsistence farming do not have knowledge on how to fully utilize land  Lack of access to inputs such as land, credit or tools and machinery = subsistence farmers find it difficult to grow food 1) Inputs may be available in certain areas, but cannot be afforded or accessed due to poor infrastructure variety of causes responsible for a recent famine

2011 Horn of Africa (HOA) famine

Political: Governments e.g. Ethiopia’s have begun leasing farmland to overseas investors in China, India and Saudi Arabia. Deprives locals of arable land to grow crops.

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Social: displacement of households due to conflict Economic: rising food prices due to poor harvests and rising fuel prices. In Ethiopia, maize prices have tripled in some areas. Prevents locals from affording food. Demographic: high levels of population growth in these developing countries the impacts at a variety of scales of trade barriers, agricultural subsidies, bilateral and multilateral agreements, and transnational corporations (TNCs) on the production and availability of food

Mc Donald’s

Many of the world’s biggest companies have become that way by offering a basic necessity which we cannot stop buying. TNCs are driven by profits rather than the desire to provide us with the best possible food. Decisions are not made on the grounds of existing arrangements, and firms are not necessarily sympathetic to changes in local conditions. McDonalds have a strategy that focuses on a one-brand image, but some of these other food companies own lots of brands, and their involvement is less obvious. This can mean that their overall operations are not always subjected to the same public focus.

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Large companies have increased their involvement in more aspects of the production chain. the relative importance of food aid, free trade and fair trade in alleviating food shortages.

Britain  Ethiopia in 2011

Britain is to provide £38m in emergency food aid for 1.3 million people in Ethiopia, as parts of east Africa experience the worst drought in decades. The international development secretary also unveiled extra help for 329,000 malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Save the Children has launched a £40m emergency appeal to help thousands of Kenyan and Somali children. UN humanitarian appeals for Somalia and Kenya, each requesting about $525m (£326.6m), are barely 50% funded, while a $30m appeal for Djibouti has reached just 30% of the target, say UN officials.

diseases of affluence

Coronary Heart Disease in the US Coronary heart disease is the term that describes what happens when your heart’s bloody supply is blocked or interrupted by a build up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.

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People in MEDCs generally have low levels of physical activity due to the more “luxurious” lifestyles that they lead. People are generally employed in the tertiary sector, so little exercise is involved in their work and they spend long stretches of time sat at a desk. As people have access to more disposable income, they are able to spend their money on luxuries such as tobacco and alcohol both of which have been shown to aid the development of CHD. Access to more money means people can access a wider range of foods, many of which are unhealthy (e.g chocolate, crisps/chips, chips/fries). diseases of poverty

Malaria in Kenya 2013 population = 44.3 million people, with an estimated population growth of 2.7% per year

Children under age five for 16% and children under age 15 s for 42%.

Kenya is ranked 147 out of 187 countries on

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the 2014 United Nation's Human Development Index

Life expectancy in Kenya has seen an overall downward trend since the late 1980s but has recently increased to an estimated 62 years in 2013 the geographic concepts of diffusion by relocation and by expansion apply to the spread of diseases

1918 Influenza Flu

Killed an estimated 40 million people worldwide within just a few months, with some estimates of casualties closer to 90 million. Factors that slow down the spread of disease include physical barriers (these might include mountains, water barriers such as seas or oceans, forests and difficult terrain) plus political boundaries. Travel restrictions and screening of travellers can form part of these more ‘human’ barriers. Public health advice can also help in some cases. Disease will also change from an original infusion into a population, through inflection

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and saturation, before it declines and leaves a population. geographic factors responsible for the incidence and spread of two diseases

Malaria in Kenya & HIV in Ethiopia

Temperature –Above 16 C for parasite to develop –Below 32 C Water –Stagnant water to lay eggs e.g. swamp/marsh There is a very strong correlation between poverty and incidence / spread of both Malaria and HIV. Education also plays a big role in the incidence of both diseases.

The geographic impact of these two diseases at the local, national and international scales

Malaria in Kenya & HIV in Ethiopia

Local: Financial resources diverted in health care instead of economic development and education National: Variations of impact as a result of physical geography of country i.e. high aridity and elevation variations mean that not all areas of Ethiopia experience such extreme well being impacts International: Malaria is a disease of poverty and thus does not exist in the more developed parts of the world (except in small pockets at low incidences) International: Although there are climatic factors involved in the global distribution of

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Malaria the eradication of the disease from Europe, North America and parts of Asia demonstrates that climate is not the dominant causal factor. the management strategies that have been applied in any one country or region for one of these diseases

Malaria in Sri Lanka

 

Mosquitoes are more active at night Being inside a building does not guarantee protection

Nets - Malaria nets are impregnated with insect repellent, as well as providing a physical barrier to the insects at a time when people are particularly vulnerable. Anti-malarial drugs - Drugs are expensive and there are millions of people who would need to be taking them, which could mean that they lose some of their natural resistance that they have. Targetting mosquitoes and where they breed - This strategy involves reducing the areas of stagnant water where the mosquito might breed. Open water should be covered, redundant irrigation channels should be filled in and open drains avoided.