Producing enough food Cambridge IGCSE Biology (9–1) revision
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In plain words
There are over eight billion people to feed. Modern farming does it with machines, chemicals and carefully bred crops and animals. It works, but it has costs, for wildlife and for the animals themselves.
Three things to know
- Food production has been increased by machinery (larger areas farmed), chemical fertilisers (higher yields), insecticides (less damage by pests), herbicides (less competition from weeds) and selective breeding.
- A monoculture is a large area with one crop. It is efficient to sow and harvest, but pests and diseases spread fast, the soil loses the same minerals year after year, and biodiversity falls.
- Intensive livestock farming keeps many animals in a small space. It gives cheap food, but disease spreads easily, there is a lot of waste to deal with, and many people object to the conditions.
Tips and tricks
- For "discuss" questions, give advantages and disadvantages. One of each at the very least.
- Herbicides kill weeds. Insecticides kill insects. Both are pesticides.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Producing enough food: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What does a herbicide kill?
Weeds compete with crops.
What is a monoculture?
It is efficient but risky.
What is a disadvantage of monoculture?
Every plant is the same, so a pest that likes one likes them all.
Why are chemical fertilisers used?
They supply mineral ions such as nitrates.
What is a problem with intensive livestock farming?
The animals are kept close together.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 8 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Producing enough food
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (9–1) 0970 · 8 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Describe three ways in which modern technology has increased food production.[3]
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Any three: machinery to farm larger areas; chemical fertilisers to increase yield; insecticides to reduce pest damage; herbicides to reduce competition from weeds; selective breeding for high-yielding crops and animals.
Give one advantage and two disadvantages of growing crops as a monoculture.[3]
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Advantage: efficient to plant, treat and harvest, so high yields at low cost. Disadvantages, any two: pests and diseases spread easily; biodiversity is reduced; soil minerals are depleted, so more fertiliser is needed.
Explain why farmers use herbicides.[2]
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To kill weeds, which compete with the crop for light, water and mineral ions, so the crop yield is higher.
Answers: Producing enough food
- 1. Any three: machinery to farm larger areas; chemical fertilisers to increase yield; insecticides to reduce pest damage; herbicides to reduce competition from weeds; selective breeding for high-yielding crops and animals.
- 2. Advantage: efficient to plant, treat and harvest, so high yields at low cost. Disadvantages, any two: pests and diseases spread easily; biodiversity is reduced; soil minerals are depleted, so more fertiliser is needed.
- 3. To kill weeds, which compete with the crop for light, water and mineral ions, so the crop yield is higher.