Question

Give two examples from history to show the impact of technology on food availability.

Answer 1

1. Food was moved faster and at cheaper costs to final markets from faraway farms, with the help of larger ships, lighter wagons, and faster railways.
2. Technology played a very important role in increasing food availability. Due to advancements made in technology, food no longer came from nearby towns or villages, they came from thousands of miles away, transported with the help of ships and railways.
3. An Example in Mid 19th Century – Smithfield Connected through Railway Line

• In the mid-nineteenth century a huge meat market and poultry was established near the railway line connecting all the meat-supplying centres of the country (Britain) to Smithfield.
• Smithfield was one of the oldest livestock markets in London.

1. Trade in Meat – Refrigerated Ships

• A good example is trade in meat.
• Until the 1870s, animals were shipped live to Europe from America and then slaughtered when they arrived in Europe.
• There were many problems associated with shipping live animals. Many animals lost weight, fell ill, died on voyage and were unfit to eat. Animals also occupied a lot of space in the ships.
• As a result, the production of meat was low and the demand was low.
• Due to the above reasons, meat was a luxurious food item for Europeans and the poor people of Europe did not have access to meat.
• Later on, a new technology was developed, which enabled transportation of perishable food items over long distances, this technology was refrigerated ships.
• Refrigerated ships helped in transport of frozen meat from New Zealand, Australia, and Americas to Europe.
• Now instead of transporting live animals to Europe, the animals were slaughtered at the starting point and the refrigerated meat was transported to the destination.
• The above factors helped in reducing costs involved in shipping and ultimately reduced the cost of meat in Europe.
• Now the poor in Europe could consume different types of diet, earlier they had to rely on potatoes and bread, due to advances made in technology, meat was also added to their diet along with eggs and butter.
• This promoted better living conditions in Europe.