Rural

Question 1

What are 3 changes to Farming in the UK (Developed Country)

Answer 1

• Organic Farming
• Diversification
• New Technologies

Question 2

What are 3 Advantages of Organic Farming?

Answer 2

• Organic Produce can be sold for a higher price, generating more income for farmers.
• Food is chemical - free and is grown to meet consumer demands
• There are no Fertilisers washed into rivers, reducing water pollution and protecting aquatic wildlife.

Question 3

What are 2 Disadvantages of Organic Farming

Answer 3

• Organic Farming is more labour intensive as it takes more time and effort to grow crops to feed the cows.
• Gaining Organic status takes time which could negatively affect the farmers income at first.

Question 4

What are 3 Advantages of Diversification?

Answer 4

• Farming-related ventures such as Farm Shops boost framers income
• Farmers can also earn income from non-farming activities such as accommodation, venue hire and quad biking.
• Farmers become more independent and less reliant on subsidies.
• Visiting a farm means people experience rural landscapes and outdoor activities.
• Wind farm development on farming land generates extra income and reduces expenses for the farm.

Question 5

What are 3 Disadvantages of Diversification?

Answer 5

• Rising tourist numbers may cause traffic congestion and increased air pollution.
• Dry stone walls are damaged by people climbing over them, and footpath erosion damages the natural landscape.
• More litter spoils the look of the landscape and can be harmful to wildlife such as livestock.
• Tourist facilities such as campsites may detract from the natural look of the countryside.

Question 6

Name 3 Advantages of New Technologies.

Answer 6

• Machinery such as combine harvesters speed up harvesting and results in fresher products being delivered to markets.
• Less labour helps increase the profits of farmers.
• Drones can survey fields to help farmers identify problems more easily.
• Computer formulas can be used to calculate the exact amount of fertiliser needed to be dispensed by the drone, depending on the quality of the soil in each area. This improves crop yields while minimising waste.
• Drones can use GPS to fly automatically, saving time.
• They also protect the soil quality by minimising trampling by machines and people.

Question 7

Name 3 Disadvantages of New Technologies.

Answer 7

• Machines are expensive to buy and maintain.
• With fewer jobs available, unemployed people are forced to move away to find work, leading to rural depopulation.
• Machines cause noise and air pollution. They also result in the loss of animal habitats e.g. hedgerows which were removed to accommodate large machinery.

Question 8

Explain what traditional machinery was like in India

Answer 8

• Very labour intensive
• Fields ploughed by oxen and water buffaloes.
• Low tech equipment such as handmade wooden ploughs
• These provided easy access, but not efficient harvests.

Question 9

Explain 2 reasons how new machinery increased profits for farmers in India 🇮🇳 .

Answer 9

• It improves profits as they allow farmers to harvest crops faster, with a higher crop yield, meaning farmers have more produce.
• There are also less labour costs, improving the profits of farmers.

Question 10

Explain 3 ways that machinery affects local people in India.

Answer 10

• Machines cause farm workers to lose their jobs, making them move into the city to find work - which causes rural depopulation.
• They can also provide new jobs for locals such as mechanics to repair tractors.
• Machines mean that farmers have to carry out less manual labour.

Question 11

What are three effects of the price of machinery on farmers in India, and what is being done to improve it?

Answer 11

• Expensive machinery means that some farmers will go into debt as they cannot afford to buy or maintain it.
• If farmers cannot afford them, then they will struggle to compete with other farmers.
• To overcome this, some farmers set up rental schemes for their machines, which gives farmers more money towards their loan repayments, and gives other farmers an opportunity to use machinery.

Question 12

Name an advantage and a disadvantage of Irrigation Channels.

Answer 12

• They increase the amount of harvests which are able to take place each year.
• However, land is constantly in use, meaning that the soil quality will become poorer.

Question 13

Name an Advantage and a Disadvantage of Pesticides and Fertilisers.

Answer 13

• An advantage of pesticides is that they speed up the production on farms.
• However, a Disadvantage is that chemicals used damages the environment and affects people’s drinking supplies.

Question 14

What are 3 advantages of GM Crops?

Answer 14

• They produce high-yielding varieties of crops, ensuring better food supply.
• Reduces famine and starvation.
• GM Crops provide more reliable harvests, as crops can resist disease.
• They can grow in areas where they couldn’t before by becoming more tolerant to different environments.
• Reduces the need for pesticides so may be less harmful to insects.

Question 15

Name 3 Disadvantages of GM Crops.

Answer 15

• Seeds of GM Crops are very expensive.
• Farmers become more reliant on international companies to provide seeds - and the price can change at any time.
• Farmers who cannot afford the seeds fall behind other farms.

Question 16

What are Biofuels?

Answer 16

• Biofuels are a much cheaper alternative to fossil fuels therefore more farmers can afford them to run new machinery.
• They use marginal land to grow Jatropha and Sugar Cane (land which cannot be used to produce anything else)
• Biogas gives off less emissions, and is better for the environment than the highly polluting fuels used in machinery.