The Global Food Supply Industry

1. The global food supply industry includes production, processing, storage, distribution and retail.
2. Food moves through international trade routes, with many countries importing large proportions of their food.
3. Food distribution depends heavily on infrastructure, political stability, trade policies, and economic resources.
4. The global food system produces enough calories to feed the world, yet distribution problems cause widespread hunger.
5. Food availability reflects economic power, not only agricultural productivity.
6. High-income countries typically have constant access to diverse, high-quality food, while lower-income countries face scarcity, high prices and unreliable supply chains.

Differences Between HICs, MICs and LICs

1. High-income countries have advanced infrastructure that ensures rapid transportation, cold storage and long-distance imports.
2. Middle-income and low-income countries often lack good roads, refrigeration, market access and stable supply chains.
3. Food production in LICs frequently focuses on cash crops for export, reducing available food for local populations.
4. Protectionist measures in HICs, such as import tariffs and agricultural subsidies, disrupt global food markets and disadvantage farmers in LICs.

Economic Drivers of Uneven Distribution

1. HIC subsidies (such as US rice and corn subsidies) reduce global prices and make LIC farmers uncompetitive.
2. Increased wealth in HICs and NICs leads to higher meat and dairy consumption, which diverts grains from human food to livestock feed.
3. Rising oil prices increase fertilizer and transport costs, raising global food prices.
4. Expanding land use for biofuels in HICs reduces land available for food production in LICs.

Political and Environmental Barriers

1. Conflict disrupts agricultural production, prevents market access, and increases food insecurity.
2. Climate change increases the frequency of droughts, floods, heatwaves, crop disease and crop failure, especially in LICs.
3. Lack of governance reduces the ability to manage supply chains, protect farmers and support vulnerable populations.
4. Displacement of communities during conflict reduces household access to food.

Understanding Food Quality

1. Food quality is determined by nutrient content, not by appearance or quantity.
2. Many diets in LICs rely heavily on starchy staples, which provide calories but lack essential nutrients.
3. In HICs, people may consume excessive calories but still be nutrient deficient due to processed foods.
4. Modern food systems provide year-round supply, but often at the cost of highly processed, nutrient-poor diets.

Processed and Low-Quality Foods

1. Many processed foods contain high sugar, salt and fat, contributing to chronic diseases despite high caloric intake.
2. Cheaper, ultra-processed foods are often more accessible than fresh produce, especially for low-income households.
3. This leads to the paradox where the poor in HICs can experience obesity while lacking micronutrients.

Malnutrition: Under- and Over-nourishment

1. Malnutrition includes undernutrition, overnutrition and nutrient deficiency.
2. It occurs when diets do not meet the body's quantity and quality needs.
3. Malnutrition is influenced by economic access, food quality, cultural habits, and food distribution systems.

Forms of Undernutrition

1. Undernourishment: insufficient calorie intake to meet minimum energy needs.
2. Undernutrition: insufficient nutrients even when calorie intake is adequate.

Global Patterns of Undernutrition

1. High rate of stunting found in Timor-Leste, Burundi, Eritrea and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
2. High rates of wasting in South Sudan, Djibouti and Sri Lanka.
3. Severe food insecurity affects over 2.4 billion people globally.

Forms of Overnutrition

1. Overnourishment: excess calorie intake beyond energy needs.
2. Overnutrition: consumption of foods that are high in calories but low in essential nutrients.
3. Common outcomes include:
   1. Obesity
   2. Heart disease
   3. Type 2 diabetes
   4. High blood pressure

Causes of Food Insecurity and Malnutrition

Environmental Causes

1. Drought reduces crop yields and increases the likelihood of famine.
2. Flooding destroys crops and contaminates water supplies.
3. Climate change increases extreme weather events and reduces long-term agricultural stability.
4. Pest outbreaks (such as locust swarms) reduce food production in affected regions.

Economic Causes

1. Poverty limits access to nutritious foods.
2. High food prices make healthy options unaffordable.
3. High dependency on imported foods increases vulnerability to global price changes.
4. Cash crop economies in LICs prioritize exports over domestic food security.

Political Causes

1. Conflict disrupts farming, markets and infrastructure.
2. Corruption and poor governance limit the distribution of food aid.
3. Wars displace millions, reducing access to farmland and food systems.

Cultural and Social Causes

1. Cultural diets may rely on foods that lack adequate nutrients.
2. Urbanisation leads to increased consumption of processed and fast foods.
3. Food preferences can lead to overnourishment even when healthier options exist.

Case study

Irish Potato Famine (1845–49)

• Caused by potato blight, a fungal disease that destroyed the staple crop.
• Heavy reliance on a single crop left the population vulnerable.
• Poor governance and distribution failures prevented effective relief.
• Over one million people died and another million emigrated.