Effects Of Agro Industrialisation On The Environment

IB HL

The Food Industry

• Farming has become increasingly intensive, large scale, and globalised in the drive for cheaper food.

• Advances in technology and communications have combined with falls in the cost of transport to transform the way in which food is sourced.

• The concentration of power in retailing and food processing has affected farmers in LEDC’s and small farmers in MEDC’s.

The Revolution

• A revolution began in the 1950’s changing how food is grown, harvested, processed, distributed, retailed, and cooked.

• Machinery, chemicals, and fertilisers etc have allowed yields to increase rapidly.

• Cleaning up pollution caused by farming costs up to 2.3 billion pounds a year and water companies 135-200 million pounds a year to remove pesticides and nitrates from drinking water.

Kenya

• The water has been polluted by pesticides.• Excessive use of water exists on farms.• Deforestation has occurred by migrant

workers foraging for oil.• Flower companies have been accused of

stealing water.• Water has had to be exported to Kenya for

flower companies especially to dry areas.

Activities

• Using Geography For The IB Diploma P92-99, answer the following…

1. What is Agro-Industrialisation?2. What are the environmental consequences of

Agro-Industrialisation?3. How have changes in International Production

been affected by Agro-Industrialisation?4. Using Figure 1 (P93), explain what could happen if

farmers do and don’t increase their farm size.