Use renewable energy sources for farming, storage and transport of food
Farmers can use biomass crops, produce biogas from animal waste or use solar panels to produce heat and electricity
? TEST TUBE
10. In your opinion, is it right to destroy natural habitats to make way for farmland to feed an ever-growing human population? Justify your answer.
How to close the food gap
The quantity of food produced and needed by people in different parts of the world is unequal. This is known as the food gap. In some countries, food is scarce and expensive, leading to food poverty and potentially to hunger and famine.
As individuals, we can help to close the food gap in the following ways:
1. Cut down on food miles – the distance food has to travel between producer and consumer – by buying food that is in season and produced locally. This reduces the greenhouse gas emissions released to the atmosphere during food distribution (see chapter 40).
2. Buy Fairtrade food to support local producers, who are guaranteed a fair price for their produce.
3. Food waste is food that is thrown away instead of eaten. We can reduce household food waste by: • only buying the food we need • checking the use-by dates of fresh food
• using the freezer to store food for longer
• composting any food waste we do produce
? TEST TUBE
11. Outline three ways you can reduce food waste at home.
: Fig. 13.7 Supporting local producers reduces food miles 132 Elements of Science
• Produces cheap, clean power for farms
• Expensive set-up costs
• Electric vehicles may not have the range to travel large distances
Disadvantage(s)
• Farmers’ livelihoods are threatened
: Fig. 13.6 GM crops could supply more food but reduce biodiversity