Food production systems and food choices

Question 1

What is subsistence farming?

Answer 1

Provision of food by farmers for their own families or the local community - there is no surplus.

Question 2

What is cash cropping?

Answer 2

Growing crops to sell at the market, not to feed yourself.

Question 3

What is commercial farming?

Answer 3

Large, profit making scale of production. Aims to maximise yield.

Question 4

What is extensive farming?

Answer 4

Low energy input and low product output

Question 5

What is intensive farming?

Answer 5

High energy input and high product output

Question 6

What is pastoral farming?

Answer 6

Raising animals.

Question 7

What is arable farming?

Answer 7

Growing crops, to eat or to feed to animals.

Question 8

What is mixed farming?

Answer 8

Growing crops and raising animals. Manure from animals is used as fertilizer and some crops are used to feed the animals.

Question 9

Difference in commercial and subsistance, scale:

Answer 9

Commercial is large scale that requires a lot of machinery, chemicals and fossil fuels. Subsistence tends to be more labour intensive but chemicals may still be used.

Question 10

Difference in commercial and subsistance, industrialisation:

Answer 10

MEDCs have a lot of people working in the industry so they must give them good from large scale production farming. LEDCs have limited industry jobs so most people have to grow their own food.

Question 11

Difference in commercial and subsistance, mechanization:

Answer 11

Commercial uses lots of heavy machinery that uses fossil fuels and can damage the soil. Subsistence uses draft animals or human power which is less stressful on the soil.

Question 12

Difference in commercial and subsistance, fossil fuel use.

Answer 12

Commercial production heavily relies on fossil fuel use Subsistence farming uses manual labour and draft animals so fossil fuels are not a problem.

Question 13

Difference in commercial and subsistance, pest control:

Answer 13

Commericial uses fertilisers which can leach into the soil or runoff can cause eutrophication. Subsistance often uses crop rotations, biological pest control and other more environmentally friendly practices.

Question 14

Difference in commercial and subsistance, antibiotics:

Answer 14

Large scale production means disease spreads fast so more antibiotics needed.

Question 15

Types of malnutrition:

Answer 15

Lacking, excessive, unbalanced

Question 16

What factors effect the food we grow or eat?

Answer 16

Climate
Culture/Religion
Politics
Socio-economic

Question 17

How does climate affect what we eat?

Answer 17

Certain crops are better adapted to certain climates. This can be combated with greenhouses and irrigation but most crops are grown without this.

Question 18

How does culture or religion affect what we eat?

Answer 18

Some religions proscribe certain foods, such as pork in Judaism.

Question 19

How does politics affect what food we eat?

Answer 19

Government can subsidize or put tariffs on certain foods to encourage or discourage their production.

Question 20

How does economics effect what food we grow and eat?

Answer 20

Depends on how profitable the good is. If it is not, suppliers won’t supply.

Question 21

When comparing farming systems what should you discuss?

Answer 21

Where
Type
Inputs
Outputs
Efficiency
Environmental impacts

Question 22

Intensive farming properties:

Answer 22

Strong selective breeding
Genetically engineered organisms
Monoculture
Reduction in biodiversity
Strong soil erosion

Question 23

Extensive farming properties:

Answer 23

Limited selective breeding
No genetically engineered organisms
Polyculture
Small effect on biodiversity
Little soil erosion

Question 24

Difference between terrestrial and aquatic food production systems:

Answer 24

Terrestrial food production is usually harvested at the first or second trophic level. Cows eat grass so second and all arable farming is first. This is a more efficient use of solar energy than aquatic systems which tend to be a much higher trophic level since typical food fish tend to be carnivorous. Also there is a less efficient initial intake of solar energy because of the reflection of sunlight by water.

Question 25

What factors contribute to the decrease in agricultural land?

Answer 25

Soil erosion
Salinization
Desertification
Urbanization

Question 26

What are the ways we could improve the sustainability of food?

Answer 26

1. Maximize yield
2. Reduce food waste
3. Monitoring and control
4. Change our attitudes towards food and our diets
   Reduce food processing, packagaing and transport

Question 27

What are sustainable methods of maximizing yield?

Answer 27

1. Improving technology of agriculture.
2. Alter what we grow.
3. A new Green Revolution.

Question 28

What is the difference in causes of food waste in MEDCs vs LEDCs?

Answer 28

In LEDCs it mostly relates to production and storage such as loss due to pest infestations, severe weather or lack of refrigeration. In MEDCs it is mostly in consumption. Consumers buy more food than needed and let it go off, supermarkets have too strict standards to edible misshapen food is rejected.

Question 29

How could monitoring and control lessen food waste?

Answer 29

Regulations imposed by the government to reduce unsustainable agricultural practices.

Question 30

How can we personally reduce food waste by changing diets?

Answer 30

Eat less meat, it’s not efficient.