15-1 Feeding the World

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A. Humans and Nutrition

• 1. Famine is widespread starvation which occurs as a result of a shortage of food.

A. Humans and Nutrition

• 2. The human body needs food as a source of energy AND a source of building materials for tissues.

A. Humans and Nutrition

• 3. Malnutrition occurs when people do not consume enough calories or eat a variety of foods to fulfill the body's needs.

A. Humans and Nutrition

• 4. Malnutrition may affect the physical and mental development of children.

A. Humans and Nutrition

• 5. A persons diet is the type or amount of food that he or she eats.

A. Humans and Nutrition

• 6. Diets vary around the world; for example in the U.S. most calories come from meat, fish, and oil.

B. The Ecology of Food

• 1. As the human population grows, farmlands and cities are replacing forests and grasslands.

B. The Ecology of Food

• 2. Plants generally have more energy because they are at the base of a food chain.

B. The Ecology of Food

• 3. Meat, however, provides more nutrients per gram than most plants.

B. The Ecology of Food

• 4. With limited area to grow food, researchers are trying to increase the efficiency of food production.

B. The Ecology of Food

• 5. The answer may be in plants or other organisms with a high yield (amount of food produced in a given area).

C. World Food Problems

• 1. Malnutrition today occurs as a result of poverty and violence.

C. World Food Problems

• 2. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) estimates that 925 million people around the world are malnourished.

C. World Food Problems

• 3. The population is growing far more rapidly than grain production (minimal needed for adequate vegetarian diet).

D. The Green Revolution

• 1. 1950-1970: Mexico increased wheat production and India increased rice production without increasing farmland used.

D. The Green Revolution

• 2. Limitations included high amounts of water and chemicals for new type of crop.