Directions: Read the text below and answer questions 33 to 48 according to it.

TEXT

FOOD SHORTAGE CAUSES, EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS

Food shortage is a serious problem facing the

world and is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. The

scarcity of food is caused by economic, environmental

and social factors such as crop failure, overpopulation

5 and poor government policies are the main cause of food

scarcity in most countries. Environmental factors

determine the kind of crops to be produced in a given

place, economic factors determine the buying and

production capacity and socio-political factors determine

10 distribution of food to the masses. Food shortage has far

reaching long and short term negative impacts which

include starvation, malnutrition, increased mortality and

political unrest¹. There is need to collectively address the

issue of food insecurity using both emergency and long

15 term measures.

Causes of food shortages

There are a number of social factors causing

food shortages. The rate of population increase is higher

than increase in food production. The world is consuming

20 more than it is producing, leading to decline in food stock

and storage level and increased food prices due to

soaring² demand. Increased population has led to

clearing of agricultural land for human settlement

reducing agricultural production (Kamdor, 2007).

25 Overcrowding of population in a given place results in

urbanization of previously rich agricultural fields.

Destruction of forests for human settlement, particularly

tropical rain forest has led to climatic changes, such as

prolonged droughts and desertification. Population

30 increase means more pollution as people use more fuel

in cars, industry, domestic cooking. The resultant effect

is increased air and water pollution which affect the

climate and food production.

Environmental factors have greatly contributed

35 to food shortage. Climatic change has reduced

agricultural production. The change in climate is majorly

caused by human activities and to some small extent

natural activities. Increased combustion of fossil fuels

due to increasing population through power plant, motor

40 transport and mining of coal and oil emits green house

gases which have continued to affect world climate.

Deforestation of tropical forest due to human pressure

has changed climatic patterns and rainfall seasons, and

led to desertification which cannot support a crop

45 production. Land degradation due to increased human

activities has impacted negatively on agricultural

production (Kamdor, 2007). Natural disasters such as

floods, tropical storms and prolonged droughts are on the

increase and have devastating impacts on food security

50 particularly in developing countries. There are several

economic factors that contribute to food shortage.

Economic factors affect the ability of farmers to engage

in agricultural production. Poverty situation in developing

nations have reduced their capacity to produce food, as

55 most farmers cannot afford seed and fertilizers. They use

poor farming methods that cannot yield³ enough, even

substantial use. Investments in agricultural research and

developing are very low in developing nations. Recent

global financial crisis have led to increase in food prices

60 and reduced investments in agriculture by individuals

and governments in developed nations resulting in

reduced food production.

Effects of food shortage

There are a number of short term effects of food

65 shortage. The impact on children, mothers and elderly

are very evident as seen in malnutrition and hunger

related deaths. Children succumb to hunger within short

period as they cannot stand long period of starvation and

they die even before the arrival of emergency

70 assistance.

There are also long term effects of food

shortage. These include increase in the price of food as

a result demand and supply forces. Increasing cost of

food production due to the increase in fuel prices coupled

75 with persistent drought in grain producing regions has

contributed to the increase in the price of food in the

world. Increase in oil price led to increase in the price of

fertilizers, transportation of food and also industrial

agriculture. Increasing food prices culminated in political

80 instability and social unrest in several nations across the

globe in 2007, in countries of Mexico, Cameroon, Brazil,

Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Egypt and Bangladesh among

other nations (Kamdor, 2007).

Solution to problem of food shortage

85____ There are some solutions to the problem of food

shortage. There is need to reduce production of carbon

emissions and pollution to reduce the resultant climatic

change through concerted and individual efforts. There

is need to invest in clean energy such as solar, nuclear,

90 and geothermal power in homes and industries, because

they don’t have adverse effects on the environment

(Kamdor, 2007). Rich nations should help poor nations to

develop and use clean and renewable energy in order to

stabilize green house emissions into the atmosphere

95 (Watson, nd). Government need to work in consultation

with climatic bodies, World Bank and the UN to engage

in projects aimed at promoting green environment.

Conclusion

Causes of food shortage are well known and

100 can be solved if appropriate measures to solve the

problem are taken and effectively implemented.

Environmental causes of food shortages are changes in

climatic and pollution due to human activities such

overgrazing⁴ and deforestation which can be controlled

105 through legislation.

(Adapted from http://www.paypervids.com/food-shortage-causes

effects- solutions/Acesso em:14 fev 2017)

Glossary:

1. unrest – disagreement or fighting between different groups of people

2. soaring – something that increases rapidly above the usual level

3. yield – to supply or produce something such as profit or an amount or food

4. overgrazing – excessive use of land where animals feed on grass

Starvation, malnutrition, increased mortality and political unrest are mentioned in the...

Questão 44