AP Human Geography : Global Food Distribution & Famine

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

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

Possible Answers:

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

True, yet food remains too expensive for many people.

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

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

Correct answer:

True, yet food remains too expensive for many people.

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.

Example Question #2 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

Food security refers to __________.

Possible Answers:

the ability of a population to reliably access sufficient nutrition to survive

how dependent on imported food a specific country is

the ability of the planet to sustain population growth

None of these answers is correct.

how safe a certain food product is to consume

Correct answer:

the ability of a population to reliably access sufficient nutrition to survive

Explanation:

“Food security” is a term used by agricultural geographers to refer to the ability of a population or a social community to reliably access enough nutrition to survive and flourish. People who do not know where their next meals are coming from are called “food insecure.”

Example Question #1 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

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

Possible Answers:

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

all population centers are interconnected

population growth is a negative force in environmental sustainability

None of these answers are correct.

population growth is a positive force in agricultural innovation

Correct answer:

population growth is a positive force in agricultural innovation

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.

Example Question #2 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

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

Possible Answers:

South America

Sub-Saharan Africa

Eastern Europe

Southeast Asia

Southwest Asia

Correct answer:

Sub-Saharan Africa

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.

Example Question #1 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

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

Possible Answers:

food stability

food proximity

food obesity

food scarcity

food security

Correct answer:

food security

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.”

Example Question #2 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

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

Possible Answers:

Better machinery and equipment is used to produce more goods

Food is imported from further and further afield

The land is left fallow for less time

The land is recycled through slash-and-burn techniques

All of these

Correct answer:

The land is left fallow for less time

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.

Example Question #903 : Ap Human Geography

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

Possible Answers:

Russia

Japan

Saudi Arabia

China

Australia

Correct answer:

China

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.

Example Question #3 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

Which of these geographers’ agricultural theory could be considered in opposition to the views of Thomas Malthus on population growth?

Possible Answers:

Amerigo Vespucci

Arno Peters

W.D. Pattinson

Esther Boserup

George Perkins Marsh

Correct answer:

Esther Boserup

Explanation:

Esther Boserup is a notable agricultural geographer whose most well-known theory provides a direct counter-argument to Malthus’ conclusions about population growth. Boserup argues that population growth is a positive force because it encourages agricultural innovation and the design of new technology in order to allow fewer people to produce a larger quantity of goods.

Example Question #1 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

During which of the following periods did the proportion of Americans employed in agricultural work decline most dramatically?

Possible Answers:

Late nineteenth century

Early twentieth century

Late twentieth century

Mid twentieth century

Mid nineteenth century

Correct answer:

Mid twentieth century

Explanation:

In the 1930s between thirty and forty percent of Americans were employed in agricultural work. By the 1970s that number had fallen to less than five percent. This dramatic shift had many causes, but the most notable included the following: rapid mechanization, urbanization, and the global Green Revolution.

Example Question #3 : Global Food Distribution & Famine

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 __________.

Possible Answers:

the green revolution

dietary energy consumption

intensive subsistence agriculture

commercial agriculture

food security

Correct answer:

food security

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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