Food in the UK Revision Notes for OCR GCSE Geography A (Geographical Themes)

6.1.2 Food in the UK

Increased Disposable Income:
- Leads to higher demand for larger quantities and more variety.
Seasonal and Locally Sourced Food:
- Used to be the norm; now, globally sourced foods are consumed year-round.
- In 2013, 47% of UK food was imported.

Availability and Seasonality:
- Not all foods can be grown in the UK; some are seasonal (e.g., strawberries in July and August).
Cost:
- Cheaper to import due to poor harvests and high cost of animal feed in the UK.
Climate:
- Unsuitable for certain crops like cocoa, tea, and bananas.
Supermarkets:
- Ability to stock a wide range of foods.

Growth in Agribusiness:
- Large-scale farms controlled by large firms, from growing to packaging.
Environmental Impact:
- Heavy use of pesticides and fertilisers, reducing wildlife and causing eutrophication.
Impact on Small Farms:
- Taken over by large TNCs.
Employment:
- Decrease in farming jobs due to mechanisation.
Biodiversity:
- Loss due to destruction of hedgerows for larger fields.
Example:
- East Anglia has many agribusinesses.

How Our Diets Impact The Planet

Carbon Footprint:
- Measures the impact of human activities on the environment.
- Food production accounts for 17% of the UK's carbon footprint.
Food Miles:
- Distance food travels from where it is grown to where it is eaten.
- Annual food miles for UK imports: 18.8 billion miles.
Import Statistics:
- 68% of imported food is from within the EU, 32% from the rest of the world.
Government Initiatives:
- Encouraging buying local and organic food, and growing food in allotments.

Organic Foods:
- Produced to strict codes with no pesticides or fertilisers used.
- Market grew by £2 billion a year since the 1990s.