B3.4.4 Food production Flashcards
How can the efficiency of food production be improved by reducing the number of levels in the food chain?
At each stage in a food chain, less material and less energy are contained in the biomass of the organisms.
Decreasing the length of the food chain decreases the energy losses and so a greater proportion of the energy that entered the food chain is available to humans and more people can be fed.
How can the efficiency of a food chain be improved by reducing the amount of energy lost to the surroundings?
Preventing animals moving around too much conserves energy which can be used to increase biomass.
Keeping their surroundings warm preserves the energy which would have been used to maintain their body temperature, so that it can be used to increase biomass.
What are the disadvantages of factory farming?
- Reduced animal welfare
- Increased risk of injury
- Increased risk of diseases
What is mycoprotein?
A high-protein food produced from the fungal biomass of a soil fungus called Fusarium.
A healthy, vegetarian alternative to meat.
How is mycoprotein produced?
In a sterile fermenter, Fusarium fungus is grown on a glucose syrup in the presence of ammonia and air.
After 6 weeks, the fungus is harvested and purified to remove harmful substances.
What causes fish numbers to decline?
Fish are caught at a faster rate than they can reproduce - overfishing.
Why is it important to maintain fish stocks at a level where breeding continues?
Some species may disappear altogether in some areas.
Why was the North Sea over fished in the 1960s?
Increasing numbers of boats, using increasingly sophisticated technology, were able to catch more and more cod.
What regulations were put in place to conserve fish stocks?
Fishing quotas for EU countries which limited the amount of each species of fish which could be caught.
Increasing the size of the holes in nets so that only mature, full-sized fish can be caught and immature fish can escape and breed.
What are food miles?
The distance that food travels from the farm where it is produced to the consumer.
Why do supermarkets import food from other countries around the world?
To supply cheap produce all year round.
It can be cheaper to grow food in some countries and it can grow more plentifully.
What is the downside of importing food / high food miles?
The vehicles used to transport the food produce carbon dioxide.
