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Food production (biology only)
Students evaluate biological factors affecting food security and compare farming, fisheries, biotechnology, genetic modification, and microbial food production.
33
Objectives
10
Flashcards
10
Questions
90 min
Study time
AqaGcseBiologyEcology
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Syllabus checklist
What you need to know
33 objective pages available
Factors affecting food security10 objectives
- Define food security as having enough food to feed a population.
- Describe how increasing birth rate can threaten food security in some countries.
- Explain how changing diets in developed countries can affect global food resources.
- Explain how new pests can reduce food production.
- Explain how new pathogens can reduce food production.
- Explain how environmental changes such as failed rains can cause famine and reduce food production.
- Explain how the cost of agricultural inputs can affect food security.
- Explain how conflict can affect the availability of water or food.
- Interpret population and food production statistics to evaluate food security.
- Explain why sustainable methods are needed to feed people on Earth.
Farming techniques7 objectives
- Explain how limiting movement of food animals can improve efficiency of food production.
- Explain how controlling temperature around food animals can reduce energy transfer to the environment.
- Explain how reducing energy losses can increase growth in food animals.
- Describe feeding animals high-protein foods to increase growth.
- Describe ethical objections some people have to intensive farming methods.
- Evaluate advantages of modern farming techniques.
- Evaluate disadvantages of modern farming techniques.
Sustainable fisheries6 objectives
- Explain why declining fish stocks are a problem for food production and ecosystems.
- Explain why fish stocks must be maintained at levels where breeding continues.
- Describe how controlling net size can conserve fish stocks.
- Describe how fishing quotas can conserve fish stocks.
- Explain how applying different fishing techniques can promote recovery of fish stocks.
- Evaluate fishery management strategies using supplied information.
Role of biotechnology10 objectives
- Describe how modern biotechnology can culture large quantities of microorganisms for food.
- Describe Fusarium as a fungus used to produce mycoprotein.
- Explain that Fusarium is grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions.
- Describe harvesting and purifying fungal biomass to produce protein-rich mycoprotein.
- Describe mycoprotein as a protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians.
- Explain how genetically modified bacteria can produce human insulin.
- Describe harvesting and purifying insulin produced by genetically modified bacteria for treating diabetes.
- Explain how GM crops could provide more food.
- Explain how GM crops could provide improved nutritional value, such as golden rice.
- Describe and explain agricultural or biotechnical solutions to demands from a growing human population.
Key terms
food securityDefinebirth ratedietfood resourcepestExplainpathogenenvironmental changefamineagricultural inputconflict
Exam tips
- Factors affecting food security exam tip 1: Use precise biological vocabulary when you explain how to define food security as having enough food to feed a population..
- Factors affecting food security exam tip 1: Use precise biological vocabulary when you explain how to describe how increasing birth rate can threaten food security in some countries..
Common mistakes
- Factors affecting food security common mistake 1: Answer by clearly explaining how to define food security as having enough food to feed a population..
- Factors affecting food security common mistake 1: Answer by clearly explaining how to describe how increasing birth rate can threaten food security in some countries..
Practice preview
- Which option best matches the approved learning objective for Factors affecting food security (1)?
- Question 2: Which option best matches Factors affecting food security for this AQA GCSE Biology objective: Define food security as having enough food to feed a population?
- Question 3: Which option best matches Factors affecting food security for this AQA GCSE Biology objective: Define food security as having enough food to feed a population?
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