07 Food Systems and Agriculture Free Online FlashCards

What does a food system include?

A food system includes the people, activities, resources, and institutions involved in producing, processing, transporting, selling, preparing, eating, and disposing of food, along with their effects.

What three goals must sustainable agriculture balance?

Sustainable agriculture balances environmental health, economic viability, and social equity while meeting present and future needs.

Why is no farming method sustainable in every place?

No single farming method is sustainable everywhere. Practices such as crop rotation or integrated pest management can help when suited to local conditions.

How does a food value chain differ from a food supply chain?

A food supply chain describes the stages and actors moving food to consumers. A food value chain also considers how value is added and distributed among those actors.

What helps make a food supply chain resilient?

Resilient food chains use diverse suppliers and routes, reliable storage and transport, and systems able to respond to disruptions such as extreme weather or conflict.

What does food security's availability dimension mean?

Availability means that enough food is produced, stored, or supplied.

Where do food loss and food waste generally occur?

Food loss generally happens before retail, such as during harvest, storage, or transport. Food waste generally occurs at retail, food service, or household stages.

Why should food loss and waste reduction be tailored to the cause?

Reducing food loss and waste conserves the land, water, labor, and energy used to produce food. Effective solutions depend on where and why food is lost.

How are food systems connected to climate change?

Agriculture can emit greenhouse gases through land-use change, livestock, fertilizer use, and energy consumption. Climate change can also disrupt farming through heat, drought, floods, pests, and shifting growing seasons.

What makes a diet both sustainable and healthy?

A sustainable healthy diet supports health and nutrition, has lower environmental impacts, and remains affordable, culturally acceptable, and accessible.

Why are “local” or “organic” labels alone insufficient to define a sustainable diet?

Choosing foods labeled “local” or “organic” alone does not ensure a sustainable diet. Nutrition, food safety, affordability, and avoiding waste also matter.

What does food security's access dimension mean?

Access means people can obtain food physically and afford it.