Food production (7.5)

Question 1

What is food security?

Answer 1

having enough food to feed a population

Question 2

6 needed, may need to explain

What are some biological factors affecting levels of food security?

Answer 2

• the increasing birth rate has threatened food security in some countries
• changing diets in developed countries means scarce food resources are transported around the world
• new pests and pathogens that affect farming
• environmental changes that affect food production, such as widespread famine occurring in some countries if rain fails to fall (water needed for food production)
• the cost of agricultural inputs (e.g. fertilisers)
• conflicts that have arisen in some parts of the world which affect the availability of water or food.

Question 3

What must be found to feed all people on Earth?

Answer 3

sustainable methods (of food production)

Question 4

How can the efficiency of food production can be improved?

Answer 4

by restricting energy transfer from food animals to the environment

Question 5

3 needed

How can energy transfer from food animals to the environment be restricted using modern farming methods?

Answer 5

• by limiting their movement (cramped conditions)
• by controlling the temperature of their surroundings
• being fed high protein foods (more digestible so less is egested)

Question 6

Why should biogas not be released into the atmosphere?

Answer 6

Cause global warming

A cause of global warming stated (e.g. rising sea levels)

Question 7

Why might a company decide to import food rather than buy British?

Answer 7

• cheaper
• better quality
• lasts longer

Question 8

4 marker

Explain how making dog food from insects, rather than chickens/cows/sheep could improve human food security

Answer 8

less land required

more space for crops

less methane (from animals), therefore less global warming

less harmful effects of global warming on human food production

Question 9

Why are some animals fed high protein foods?

Answer 9

to increase growth