Food — AQA GCSE Geography
Food explained
Food covers 13 specification points, including Demand for food resources is rising globally… and Areas of surplus (security) and deficit….
Read the full explanation
Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Demand for food resources is rising globally but supply can be insecure, which may lead to conflict.
Global demand for food is rising rapidly due to a growing global population and increasing wealth, which leads to changing diets, such as higher meat consumption. However, food supply can be highly insecure. This insecurity is driven by physical factors like extreme weather, climate change, and pests, alongside human factors such as poor infrastructure, poverty, and political instability. When rising demand meets an insecure supply, prices spike and shortages occur. This imbalance can lead to conflict at various scales. Localised conflicts may manifest as food riots or civil unrest when basic staples become unaffordable. Internationally, disputes arise between nations competing for agricultural land or the water resources needed for irrigation.
Areas of surplus (security) and deficit (insecurity):
Food security exists when people have reliable access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food. Areas of food surplus experience food security because they produce or can afford to import more food than their population requires. North America, Europe, and parts of Australasia are typical areas of surplus. Conversely, areas of food deficit suffer from food insecurity, meaning demand exceeds the available supply. This is often concentrated in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, driven by harsh climates, poverty, or conflict. It is crucial to understand that national surplus does not guarantee individual security; even in wealthy nations with a national surplus, local deficits exist where poverty restricts access to food.
global patterns of calorie intake and food supply
The distribution of nutritional energy and agricultural output across the world is highly uneven. High-income countries (HICs) like the USA and UK typically consume well over the recommended daily average of 2,000 to 2,500 kilocalories per person, often exceeding 3,500 kilocalories, leading to issues like obesity. In contrast, many low-income countries (LICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, struggle to secure sufficient daily nutrition, resulting in widespread undernourishment. This disparity in available nourishment is driven by variations in agricultural capacity, climate, technology, and wealth. Regions with advanced farming machinery and stable climates produce a surplus, whereas areas facing drought experience severe deficits.
reasons for increasing food consumption: economic development, rising population
Global demand for nutrition is accelerating rapidly due to two primary drivers. Firstly, demographic growth means there are more people to feed; the global population has surpassed eight billion, with the fastest growth occurring in LICs and NEEs. Secondly, financial progress allows people to purchase more varied meals. As nations industrialise and personal incomes rise, diets transition from basic staple carbohydrates to resource-intensive products like meat and dairy. Producing one kilogram of beef requires significantly more grain and water than producing a kilogram of wheat. Consequently, rising wealth increases both the total volume of calories consumed per person and the demand for land-intensive agricultural products.
factors affecting food supply: climate, technology, pests and disease, water stress, conflict, poverty.
Food supply is influenced by a complex interplay of physical and human factors. Climate dictates what crops can grow; extreme weather like droughts can devastate yields. Technology, such as mechanisation and genetically modified crops, increases production, but lack of access limits output in poorer regions. Pests and diseases, like locust swarms or wheat rust, destroy crops before or after harvest. Water stress reduces irrigation capacity, directly lowering crop yields. Conflict disrupts farming and transport, often destroying infrastructure. Poverty creates a vicious cycle where farmers cannot afford seeds, fertilisers, or technology, severely restricting their ability to produce or purchase sufficient food.
Impacts of food insecurity – famine, undernutrition, soil erosion, rising prices, social unrest.
Food insecurity occurs when people lack reliable access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food, leading to severe impacts. Famine is a widespread scarcity of food causing mass starvation, while undernutrition results from a prolonged lack of essential nutrients, stunting physical and cognitive development. Environmentally, desperate farmers may overcultivate or overgraze land, leading to severe soil erosion and long-term agricultural decline. Economically, food shortages cause rising prices, making basic staples unaffordable for the poorest populations. Socially, this desperation and economic strain frequently trigger social unrest, including protests and riots over food availability and costs.
Different strategies can be used to increase food supply.
To meet growing global demand, agricultural yields must be expanded through various technological and management approaches. Biotechnology, including genetically modified (GM) crops, engineers plants to resist pests, tolerate droughts, or increase nutritional value. Irrigation systems, such as drip-pipes, allow cultivation in arid regions by artificially watering crops. Soil-less systems like hydroponics (nutrient-rich water) and aeroponics (nutrient mist) maximise yields in urban or space-restricted environments while reducing water usage. Additionally, the New Green Revolution focuses on sustainable intensification, combining modern technology with traditional knowledge to boost production without degrading the natural environment.
Overview of strategies to increase food supply:
Expanding global agricultural output requires a combination of biological, technological, and infrastructural approaches. Biological advancements include biotechnology and high-yielding varieties (HYVs) that resist disease and tolerate extreme weather. Technological innovations encompass aeroponics and hydroponics, which cultivate plants in nutrient mists or solutions rather than soil, drastically cutting water use. Infrastructural improvements involve large-scale irrigation projects and water harvesting to make previously un-farmable arid land productive. An effective overview must also recognise the shift towards the New Green Revolution, which integrates these methods sustainably to protect soil health and local ecosystems.
irrigation, aeroponics and hydroponics, the new green revolution and use of biotechnology, appropriate technology
To increase global food supply, various technological strategies are employed. Irrigation artificially waters crops, transforming arid land into productive farms, though it risks salinisation. Aeroponics suspends plant roots in the air, misting them with nutrients, while hydroponics grows plants in nutrient-rich water rather than soil; both methods save water and space. The 'new green revolution' focuses on sustainability and yield increases, heavily utilising biotechnology such as genetically modified (GM) crops designed to resist pests or drought. Conversely, appropriate technology involves small-scale, sustainable, and affordable solutions suited to local communities, such as solar-powered pumps or sand dams in low-income countries, ensuring long-term food security without relying on expensive machinery.
an example of a large scale agricultural development to show how it has both advantages and disadvantages.
Students must study a specific example of a large-scale agricultural development to evaluate its impacts on food supply and the environment. A common example is the Almeria greenhouse complex in Spain, which covers over 30,000 hectares. Advantages include a massive increase in food production, providing fresh vegetables to Europe year-round, creating thousands of jobs, and boosting the local economy. However, there are significant disadvantages. The development causes severe environmental degradation, including the depletion of local aquifers, plastic pollution from degrading greenhouse covers, and the disruption of natural ecosystems. Furthermore, social issues arise, such as the exploitation of migrant labour working in poor conditions. Evaluating these conflicting impacts is essential.
Moving towards a sustainable resource future:
This is a heading statement introducing the topic of sustainable food futures. The learner needs to understand the concept of sustainability in the context of food resources. Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this section, students will explore various strategies and methods to ensure long-term food security while minimising environmental impact. They should prepare to evaluate how different approaches, from local initiatives to global changes in consumption, contribute to a sustainable resource future. Students must link the concept of sustainability to specific food production and consumption practices, understanding the balance between economic viability, environmental protection, and social equity.
the potential for sustainable food supplies: organic farming, permaculture, urban farming initiatives, fish and meat from sustainable sources, seasonal food consumption, reduced waste and losses
Sustainable food supplies produce food without damaging the environment. Organic farming avoids artificial chemicals, using natural fertilisers to maintain soil health. Permaculture designs agricultural systems that mimic natural ecosystems. Urban farming initiatives, like rooftop gardens, reduce food miles and provide local produce. Sourcing fish and meat sustainably involves quotas to prevent overfishing and free-range farming for animal welfare. Consuming seasonal food reduces the energy needed for artificial heating or international transport. Finally, reducing waste and losses at all stages—from harvesting to consumer plates—ensures resources used in food production are not squandered, maximising overall efficiency.
an example of a local scheme in an LIC or NEE to increase sustainable supplies of food.
A local scheme in a Low Income Country (LIC) or Newly Emerging Economy (NEE) aims to increase food security sustainably without harming the environment or relying on expensive technology. These bottom-up approaches empower local communities. For example, the Makueni food and water security programme in Kenya (an LIC) involves building sand dams to store water for irrigation, planting drought-resistant crops, and training farmers. This increases crop yields and provides a reliable food supply while maintaining soil health and water resources. Sustainable schemes focus on appropriate technology, community management, and long-term viability, ensuring future generations can also meet their food needs.
Your focus
- Explain the demographic and economic factors causing a global rise in food demand.
- Describe the physical and human causes of food supply insecurity.
- Evaluate how the imbalance between food demand and supply can lead to social and political conflict.
Show all 39 objectives
- Define the geographical terms food surplus and food deficit.
- Describe the global distribution of areas experiencing food security and food insecurity.
- Interpret geographical data and maps to identify specific regions of food surplus and deficit.
- Describe the uneven global distribution of daily nutritional energy consumption.
- Identify regions of the world that experience a surplus or deficit in agricultural output.
- Interpret global maps and data sets relating to nutritional intake and agricultural availability.
- Explain how demographic expansion increases the total global requirement for agricultural products.
- Describe how rising personal incomes lead to changes in dietary preferences and higher per capita consumption.
- Analyse the relationship between a country's financial progress and its demand for resource-intensive nutrition like meat.
- Categorise the physical and human factors that affect global food supply.
- Explain how climate, pests, disease, and water stress physically limit agricultural production.
- Analyse the impact of human factors, including technology, conflict, and poverty, on food availability.
- Define the severe social and health impacts of food insecurity, including famine and undernutrition.
- Explain the economic consequences of food shortages, specifically focusing on rising prices.
- Describe how food insecurity can lead to environmental degradation, such as soil erosion, and trigger social unrest.
- Describe how biotechnology and genetically modified crops improve agricultural yields.
- Explain the mechanisms and benefits of soil-less farming techniques like hydroponics and aeroponics.
- Compare the environmental impacts of traditional farming with sustainable intensification methods.
- Categorise various agricultural advancements into biological, technological, and infrastructural approaches.
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using biotechnology to secure global harvests.
- Explain how modern irrigation and water harvesting transform arid landscapes into productive agricultural zones.
- Distinguish between hydroponics and aeroponics as soil-less farming methods.
- Explain the role of biotechnology and the new green revolution in increasing crop yields.
- Evaluate the suitability of appropriate technology for improving food security in low-income countries.
- Identify and locate a specific large-scale agricultural development.
- Articulate the economic and social benefits of the chosen agricultural scheme.
- Assess the environmental and social drawbacks associated with large-scale farming operations.
- Define the concept of a sustainable resource future in the context of global food supply.
- Identify the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental.
- Explain why moving towards sustainable food resources is necessary for long-term global development.
- Describe the principles of organic farming and permaculture in sustainable food production.
- Explain how urban farming and seasonal consumption reduce the environmental impact of food distribution.
- Evaluate the importance of sustainable meat and fish sourcing alongside waste reduction in achieving food security.
- Describe the features of a local scheme designed to increase food supply in an LIC or NEE.
- Explain how the chosen scheme improves food security for the local community.
- Assess the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of the local scheme.
Food exam tips
Marking Points
- Identify population growth and economic development as key drivers of rising global food demand.
- Recognise physical and human factors that contribute to insecure food supplies, such as climate extremes and poor infrastructure.
- Explain the causal link between food shortages, price spikes, and the outbreak of conflict or civil unrest.
- Identify examples of conflicts exacerbated by food insecurity, including local riots or international resource disputes.
- Define food surplus as a situation where food supply exceeds the demand of the population.
- Define food deficit as a situation where the demand for food exceeds the available supply.
- Identify global regions that typically experience food security, such as North America and Western Europe.
- Identify global regions that frequently experience food insecurity, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Identify regions with high daily energy consumption, such as North America and Western Europe.
- Identify regions experiencing nutritional deficits or undernourishment, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Interpret choropleth maps showing the distribution of agricultural output or daily kilocalorie consumption.
- Explain the relationship between a country's wealth and its ability to secure a surplus of nourishment.
- Explain how demographic growth directly increases the total volume of agricultural products required globally.
- Describe the shift in dietary preferences associated with rising disposable incomes, such as increased meat and dairy consumption.
- Link the industrialisation of emerging economies to higher per capita daily energy intake.
- Calculate or interpret data showing the correlation between gross national income and average daily kilocalorie consumption.
- Identify climate extremes, such as drought or flooding, as primary physical factors reducing crop yields.
- Recognise that pests and diseases can destroy significant proportions of crops, reducing overall food supply.
- Explain how water stress limits the availability of water for irrigation, directly impacting agricultural output.
- Understand that conflict disrupts agricultural production and supply chains, leading to food shortages.
- Describe how poverty prevents farmers from accessing necessary technology, fertilisers, and high-quality seeds.
- Evaluate the role of technology, such as irrigation systems and genetically modified crops, in increasing food supply.
- Define famine as an extreme and widespread scarcity of food leading to starvation and increased mortality rates.
- Explain that undernutrition occurs when diet does not provide enough calories or nutrients, affecting health and development.
- Describe how food insecurity leads to soil erosion through over-farming and overgrazing as people desperately try to extract more food from the land.
- Identify rising prices as an economic impact of food shortages, driven by high demand and low supply.
- Recognise that social unrest, such as food riots, can occur when populations cannot access or afford basic food supplies.
- Define hydroponics as growing plants in nutrient-rich water without soil.
- Define aeroponics as growing plants suspended in air, sprayed with a nutrient mist.
- Explain that biotechnology involves altering living organisms, such as genetically modifying crops for drought resistance.
- Identify appropriate technology as low-cost, locally maintainable equipment like bicycle-powered water pumps.
- Name and locate a specific large-scale agricultural development, such as the Almeria greenhouses in Spain or the Thanet Earth complex in the UK.
- Describe at least two economic or social advantages, such as job creation, increased export revenue, or year-round food supply.
- Explain at least two environmental or social disadvantages, such as water depletion, plastic pollution, or poor working conditions for migrant labourers.
- Provide a balanced conclusion that weighs the economic benefits against the environmental and social costs of the chosen development.
- Identifies organic farming as a method that prohibits synthetic pesticides and fertilisers to protect biodiversity and soil quality.
- Recognises permaculture as an approach that integrates land, resources, and people in mutually beneficial synergies.
- Explains that urban farming reduces the carbon footprint of food by decreasing transportation distances, known as food miles.
- States that sustainable fishing uses quotas and specific net sizes to maintain fish population levels and prevent bycatch.
- Describes how eating seasonal food reduces reliance on imported goods and greenhouse gas emissions from transport and artificial heating.
- Identifies that reducing food waste lowers the unnecessary consumption of water, land, and energy used in agriculture.
- Identify a specific local food scheme in a named LIC or NEE.
- Describe how the scheme operates using appropriate technology or community involvement.
- Explain how the scheme increases the supply of food, for example through higher yields or drought resistance.
- Evaluate the sustainability of the scheme in terms of environmental, economic, and social impacts.
Examiner Tips
- 💡When analysing graphs of food demand, look for the combined effects of population growth and economic development.
- 💡Be prepared to link physical geographical factors, such as drought, to human consequences like food shortages and subsequent conflict.
- 💡Use precise geographical terminology, such as 'food insecurity' and 'resource deficit', rather than vague phrases like 'not enough food'.
- 💡When describing the global distribution of food security from a map, use specific continents, regions, and compass directions.
- 💡Remember to define food security as encompassing availability, access, and affordability, not just the physical presence of food.
- 💡Look out for anomalies on choropleth maps, such as a country with a food deficit located within a broader region of food surplus.
- 💡When describing distributions from a world map, use specific continents, regions, and compass directions rather than vague terms like 'above the equator'.
- 💡Look for anomalies in data sets, such as a wealthy nation with surprisingly high inequality in nutritional access.
- 💡Use specific data points from provided graphs or maps to support descriptions of global inequality.
- 💡Use the specific terms 'economic development' and 'rising population' as distinct factors when explaining changes in global demand.
- 💡Provide a concrete example of dietary changes, such as the transition from rice-based diets to higher meat consumption in rapidly developing nations.
- 💡When analysing graphs showing demand over time, check if the data represents total national demand or per capita demand, as they reveal different trends.
- 💡When asked about factors affecting food supply, ensure you can categorise them into physical factors and human factors.
- 💡Use specific examples, such as the impact of a named conflict or a specific pest like locusts, to illustrate your points clearly.
- 💡Link factors together; for example, explain how poverty limits the ability to invest in technology to overcome water stress.
- 💡Be prepared to link the impacts of food insecurity across different categories: social, economic, and environmental.
- 💡Use the concept of supply and demand to explain rising prices: when food supply drops and demand remains high, prices inevitably increase.
- 💡Remember that impacts can create a vicious cycle; for example, soil erosion reduces future food supply, worsening food insecurity.
- 💡When evaluating methods to boost crop yields, always consider both the economic costs and the environmental impacts of the technology.
- 💡Use specific examples of soil-less farming, such as hydroponics, to illustrate how water consumption can be reduced in arid regions.
- 💡Contrast traditional irrigation methods with modern drip irrigation to demonstrate an understanding of sustainable water management in agriculture.
- 💡Categorise your knowledge into biological (GM crops), technological (aeroponics), and management (irrigation) approaches to structure extended answers clearly.
- 💡Be prepared to discuss the limitations of these approaches, such as the high initial capital costs required for biotechnology and hydroponic systems.
- 💡Link the concept of the New Green Revolution directly to sustainability, showing how it improves yields without the ecological damage of past methods.
- 💡Use specific examples of biotechnology, such as pest-resistant Bt cotton or Golden Rice, to illustrate your points.
- 💡When evaluating these methods, contrast the high capital costs of aeroponics with the low-cost, grassroots nature of appropriate technology.
- 💡Remember that irrigation can have negative environmental impacts, such as waterlogging or soil salinisation, which can be tested in multiple-choice questions.
- 💡Memorise three specific statistics for your chosen case study to demonstrate detailed knowledge in extended response questions.
- 💡Structure your answer with distinct paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages to ensure a balanced evaluation.
- 💡Use connective phrases like 'on the other hand' or 'conversely' to explicitly show you are weighing the pros and cons.
- 💡Always define sustainability clearly if asked, explicitly mentioning the needs of both present and future generations.
- 💡When discussing a sustainable resource future, ensure you can provide specific examples of food management strategies rather than just general concepts.
- 💡Consider the social, economic, and environmental impacts of any food sustainability strategy to provide a balanced and comprehensive evaluation.
- 💡Use specific examples, such as MSC-certified fish or local allotment projects, to illustrate sustainable food sources in your answers.
- 💡Link the consumption of seasonal food directly to the reduction of food miles and carbon emissions to demonstrate geographical understanding.
- 💡When discussing food waste, mention both post-harvest losses in lower-income countries and consumer waste in higher-income countries to show comprehensive knowledge.
- 💡Memorise specific facts and figures about your chosen local scheme, such as the location, the number of people helped, or the specific crops grown.
- 💡When asked to evaluate, consider both the successes and any limitations of the local scheme.
- 💡Clearly define how the scheme is sustainable, mentioning appropriate technology that locals can build and maintain themselves.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing food security with food hygiene or safety; it actually refers to having reliable access to enough nutritious food.
- Assuming population growth is the sole driver of rising food demand, ignoring the significant impact of increasing wealth and changing diets.
- Believing that conflict over food only refers to international wars, whereas it frequently involves local civil unrest, protests, or food riots.
- Assuming that all High Income Countries have complete food security for all citizens, ignoring the reality of local poverty and reliance on food banks.
- Confusing a food surplus with merely having enough food; a surplus specifically means there is an excess of supply over demand.
- Believing that food deficits are caused entirely by physical geography, overlooking the critical role of economic barriers and poor distribution networks.
- Assuming all countries in the Global South have low nutritional intake; correction: recognise that emerging economies (NEEs) like Brazil and China have rapidly increasing daily kilocalorie consumption.
- Confusing agricultural output with actual consumption; correction: understand that some nations produce large amounts of crops for export rather than domestic consumption.
- Believing that high-income countries only experience food security; correction: acknowledge that food poverty and unequal access to nutrition still exist within wealthy nations despite high national averages.
- Stating that population growth is the only reason for higher demand; correction: explicitly discuss how rising wealth changes dietary habits and increases per capita consumption.
- Assuming population is growing fastest in wealthy nations; correction: recognise that the most rapid demographic expansion is occurring in low-income and newly emerging economies.
- Failing to link meat consumption to overall agricultural demand; correction: explain that livestock requires vast amounts of grain and water, multiplying the underlying agricultural resources needed.
- Mistake: Assuming climate only affects food supply through drought. Correction: Remember that extreme cold, flooding, and unpredictable seasons also severely disrupt food production.
- Mistake: Confusing water stress with general climate. Correction: Water stress specifically refers to the demand for water exceeding the available amount during a certain period, which can be caused by over-extraction as well as low rainfall.
- Mistake: Believing technology is equally available globally. Correction: Acknowledge that poverty restricts access to agricultural technology, creating disparities in food supply between different regions.
- Mistake: Using famine and food insecurity interchangeably. Correction: Famine is the most severe, extreme outcome of prolonged food insecurity, not a synonym for it.
- Mistake: Thinking soil erosion is only a cause of food insecurity. Correction: Understand that soil erosion is also an impact, as desperate populations over-cultivate land to survive, degrading the soil further.
- Mistake: Assuming undernutrition only means starvation. Correction: Undernutrition includes a lack of essential vitamins and minerals, which can cause long-term health issues even if calorie intake is marginally sufficient.
- Misunderstanding: Assuming all agricultural expansion requires large amounts of land. Correction: Hydroponics and aeroponics are highly space-efficient and can be utilised in vertical urban farms.
- Misunderstanding: Confusing the original Green Revolution with the New Green Revolution. Correction: The original relied heavily on chemical fertilisers and pesticides, whereas the New Green Revolution emphasises sustainable, environmentally friendly intensification.
- Misunderstanding: Believing biotechnology only refers to animal cloning. Correction: In agriculture, biotechnology primarily involves genetically modifying crops to improve yields, drought resistance, or pest immunity.
- Misunderstanding: Thinking that increasing food supply only means expanding the physical area of farmland. Correction: Many modern approaches focus on intensification, which means increasing the yield per hectare on existing agricultural land.
- Misunderstanding: Assuming irrigation is always environmentally beneficial. Correction: Poorly managed irrigation can lead to soil salinisation and the depletion of local aquifers or rivers.
- Misunderstanding: Treating hydroponics and aeroponics as the exact same process. Correction: Hydroponics suspends roots in a liquid nutrient solution, while aeroponics sprays roots with a fine nutrient mist.
- Confusing hydroponics and aeroponics; correction: hydroponics uses a water solvent for roots, whereas aeroponics uses a nutrient mist in the air.
- Assuming the 'new green revolution' is identical to the original 1960s green revolution; correction: the new green revolution emphasises sustainability and biotechnology rather than just chemical fertilisers and high-yield varieties.
- Believing appropriate technology must be high-tech; correction: appropriate technology is specifically designed to be simple, affordable, and maintainable by local communities.
- Discussing a small-scale or appropriate technology scheme instead of a large-scale development; correction: ensure the chosen case study is a major commercial enterprise, like Almeria or a large agribusiness.
- Listing advantages and disadvantages without linking them to the specific case study; correction: use specific facts and figures to ground the evaluation in the chosen example.
- Focusing solely on environmental impacts; correction: a comprehensive answer must also address economic and social advantages and disadvantages.
- Misunderstanding: Sustainability only refers to protecting the natural environment. Correction: Sustainability encompasses environmental protection, economic viability, and social equity, often referred to as the three pillars.
- Misunderstanding: A sustainable resource future means stopping all current farming practices immediately. Correction: It involves a gradual transition towards methods that reduce harm and preserve resources for future generations.
- Misunderstanding: Food sustainability is solely the responsibility of farmers and producers. Correction: It requires coordinated action from producers, governments, and consumers, including changes in diet and waste reduction.
- Error: Believing organic farming uses no fertilisers at all. Correction: Organic farming uses natural fertilisers, such as compost and manure, instead of artificial chemical fertilisers.
- Error: Confusing seasonal food with locally produced food. Correction: Seasonal food refers to eating crops at the time of year they naturally grow in a specific climate, which often overlaps with local food but is a distinct concept.
- Error: Assuming urban farming can entirely replace rural agriculture. Correction: Urban farming supplements food supplies and provides fresh produce locally, but lacks the scale to replace traditional broadacre farming.
- Confusing a local scheme with a large-scale national project; ensure the example is a small-scale, community-led initiative rather than a top-down government mega-project.
- Failing to explicitly link the scheme's activities to the concept of sustainability; always explain how it protects the environment or is economically viable long-term.
- Using an example from a High Income Country (HIC); check that the chosen case study is located in an LIC or NEE.