Our Chicken comes from Brazil???

(click on the image for a larger picture to read the article)

Questions to ponder
1) How is Singapore ensuring food stability?
2) Are most of the countries that export food to Singapore LDCs or DCs?
3) Why do you think these countries are major producers of food, especially non-staples?

Data question for agriculture of food

This set of question focus on how you use data to answer question.

Question 1

Based on Fig. 1, and with reference to examples you have studied, describe the measures taken to increase crop production.

• Food production in relation to population, i.e. food grain production went up as did population

• Within 40 years, it increased from about 50mt to 200mt this is in contrast to population from 361m to 1000m
  Land use and yields were optimised -> introduction of hydroponics and aeroponics
  


• Educating the farmers
  


• Use of irrigation to dry areas
  


• Introduction of HYVs eg IR8 etc
  


• Introduction of the Green Revolution
  


• Better farming techniques
  


• Quick maturing seeds make it possible to practice double cropping
  


• Introduction of fertilizers and pesticides are used
  


• Mechanization instead of traditional farming methods
  


• Credit facilities and co-ops have been extended to farmers to enable them to buy items
  


• Punjab in India etc for egs
  
  (maximum of 2 marks given for use of Fig)
  (maximum of 3 marks given for describing measures)

Question 2
Figures 2A and 2B below show the agricultural productivity in Punjab, India between 1960s and 1980s.

With reference to the production of rice, describe and account for the information presented in Figures 2A and 2B. [8]



Describe Fig. 2A

· rapid rise in the production of rice from 1965 to 1980,
· especially after 1970
· from below 1 million tons in 1965 to nearly 5 million tons in 1980

Fig. 2B
· rapid increase in rice yields, between 1965 to 1980
· yield of rice exceeded that of wheat after 1970.

Account for Fig 2A

advent of the “Green Revolution” (GR) in the 1960s …
· The GR created a tremendous rise in agricultural production of crops in the cereal family – including rice and wheat; achieved through :
Use of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)

• Increased mechanization


• Irrigation


• Wide use of fertilizers and pesticides

• Farm reforms

The High Yield Varities were :

• higher yielding


• faster maturing … thus allowing – double cropping \more disease and drought resistant
  · All the above resulted in rapid increases in rice production ….
  

Give reasons to explain why the green revolution did not succeed in achieving its goal of helping countries improve their living condition.[4]

-poor countries could not afford the technology. Rich become richer.
Poor became poorer.

-some poor farmers lost their farms and their jobs as they could not repay the loans they took to pay for the new technology.

-new varieties of grain were not the staple food of people in poor countries.

-the technology was not successful in hilly areas and low lying areas that tended to flood.

-use of pesticides created pollution. Water supplies were also polluted.

-loss of plant diversity. Dangerous because when everyone plants the same crop variety, and a pest or diseases attacks, all crops will be destroyed. The consequences are far greater than if only part of the crops were to fail.

Study Figure 1A which shows the distribution of malnourished people in the world, 2001-2003.

1a.Describe the global distribution of malnourished people

1b. What is meant by ‘ malnutrition’?

1c. Some possible reasons for malnutrition includes:
1 Purchasing power
2 Lack of food stability and security
3 Lack of technology in agriculture

Discuss ,using examples of countries you have studied, the above reasons to show how they can cause malnutrition among the people.

Read the following article which gives information of the Blue Revolution.

Like the Green Revolution of the 1960s, the Blue Revolution a decade later was supposed to increase global food production miraculously and stave off widespread hunger.

By 1985, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and a variety of other international aid agencies were pumping $200 million a year into aquaculture projects. Mangrove forests in the Philippines, Thailand and Ecuador were chopped down to make way for shrimp ponds.

The compelling attraction of intensive commercial aquaculture is that it generates export revenue. In addition, it's relatively efficient: beef cattle require seven pounds of grain to produce a pound of meat. Catfish require only 1.7 pounds of grain to produce a pound of fish.

Intensive coastal fish farming has also been linked to 'red tides' - an explosive growth of toxic algae that can kill fish and fatally poison people who eat contaminated seafood.

Philippine prawn farms are not producing food for the hungry, nor are they providing employment for hundreds of jobless sugar workers.

Others were simply schemes that allowed the wealthy to privatize what had previously been a public resource used by subsistence farmers and fisherfolk.

Adapted from new internationalist issue 234 - August 1992

1d. Referring to the article, discuss the impacts of the Blue Revolution.

The figure 1B below shows problems experienced by many poor farmers in India while Figure 1C shows the solutions introduced to help them.

Fig 1B

“A massive development effort led by pioneering scientists and American foundations, it introduced high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat, expanded the use of irrigation, pesticides and fertilizers, and transformed these northwestern plains into the breadbasket of India”

adapted http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/18/business/indiafood.php

Fig 1C

Discuss how the above solutions helped to solve the problems faced by Indian farmers. How successful were the solutions?

Do the questions first before you see the solution.

1a. Describe the global distribution of malnourished people.

• 
  
  Sub-saharan Africa, China, India and Asia/Pacific regions show highest numbers of malnourished people (range from 150 million to 206million


• 
  
  Latin America, Caribbean, Middle East and transitional countries range from 25million to 52million.


• 
  
  while Industrialised countries only show 9million malnourished people.
  

1b. What is meant by ‘ malnutrition’?

• 
  
  condition where there is imbalanced of nutrients due to lack of food or eating too much of a particular type of food , to the exclusion of others.

How the World Eats

Each picture depicts the amount of food eaten by all the people in the picture for a week. Take note of the following
1) How is their food preferences (staple, non-staple) different?
2) How is their food consumption (amount the eat) different? (especially between DCs and LDCs)
3) Who is consuming more processed food, and who is consuming more 'healthy' food?
4) Look at the food consumed by those in DCs. Can you identify any food that doesn't belong to their country or culture? Why is it consumed?
5) Are the staples consumed the same? Which countries consume cereals, pulses or tubers as their staple?

The Melanders Family, Germany

Family from Chile
Family from a Middle Eastern Country


The Casaleses from Mexico
The Ukitas from Japan

The Aboubakars from Chad
Family from Tibet

(Adapted from "How the World Eats", Time June 25 - July 2 2007 Issue)

Question on Agriculture of Food : Drought, Starvation and Green Revloution

1(a) Fig. 1 is an extract from a news article of Los Angeles Times on hunger in Ethiopia, Africa.

By Edmund Sanders, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 5, 2008

JEE, ETHIOPIA -- They call it the green hunger.Four-foot cornstalks sprout from rain-soaked earth, and wind billows fields of teff, the staple Ethiopian grain. Goats and cattle are getting fat on lush grasses -- but the children are still dying.

"It's strange to see hunger and starvation when everything is so green," said Wariso Shete, 26, a southern Ethiopia farmer who recently buried his 3-year-old son. "But there is no food. The boy just starved."

Once again, images of emaciated children are emerging from this Horn of Africa nation, rekindling memories of the 1984 famine that killed nearly 1 million people. This time Ethiopia has been grappling with a double whammy: drought in its traditional breadbasket and a global food crisis that has pushed prices sky high.

Green hungers are just one oddity of Ethiopia's long struggle to feed itself. The country, considered the water tower of East Africa because its highlands are the primary source of the Nile, suffers chronic drought. It is Africa's second-largest corn producer, but requires hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid every year.An exploding population is one cause.

Ethiopia, with an estimated 80 million people, has doubled in size since the mid-1980s.Others point to a socialist-leaning government that's been slow to embrace market-based policies. And everyone agrees that international donors spend too little -- less than 5% of all aid -- on long-term development, such as irrigation.

Simply put, the nation, in which 85% of people toil as small farmers, has reached a point where it can't easily grow enough food to meet its needs. Although agricultural production has increased overall, it has declined per capita, according to the World Bank.



(i) Explain what is meant by ‘drought’ and ‘starvation’. [2]

(ii) Fig. 1 made mention of Ethiopia receiving aid from international donors for
the development of the country. Explain why foreign aid is not a long-term solution for the receiving country to rely on to eradicate starvationand poverty, and improve the living conditions of its people. [4]

(iii) Describe more effective solutions to eradicate starvation and poverty, and improve the living conditions of people in the less-developed countrie.(LDCs). [5]


(b) Use Fig. 2 to help outline the benefits and drawbacks of the Green Revolution in agriculture. [6]

Fig 2

Excerpts of articles on the Green Revolution in Agriculture

HYVs raises farm yields
With faster-growing varieties and irrigation, farmers grew more crops on their land each year. It more than doubled cereal production in Asia between 1970 and 1995. Instead of widespread famine, cereal and calorie availability per person increased by nearly 30 per cent, and wheat and rice become cheaper.

Richer Farmers
The Green Revolution raised farmers’ incomes. With greater income to spend, new needs for farm inputs, and milling and marketing services, farm families led a general increase in demand for goods and services. This stimulated the rural non-farm economy, which in turn generated significant new income and employment of its own.

Is a Green Revolution Finally Blooming in Africa?
According to the World Bank's World Development Report 2007, "agricultural growth in sub-Saharan Africa has accelerated from 2.3 percent per year in the 1980s to 3.3 percent in the 1990s." As a result, the report stated, "rural poverty has also started to decline in 10 of 13 countries analyzed. Also, countries, like Malawi, have gone from net food importers to net food exporters."


Green Revolution – Not Benefiting All
The Green Revolution spread only in irrigated and high-potential rainfed areas, and any villages or regions without access to sufficient water were left out. The benefits were rarely sufficient to prevent further widening of income gaps. In India, for example, poverty in many low-potential rainfed areas has improved little even while irrigated and high-potential rainfed areas have progressed.

Greater Environmental Damage
Excessive and inappropriate use of fertilizers and pesticides has polluted waterways, poisoned agricultural workers, and killed beneficial insects and other
wildlife. Irrigation practices have led to salt build-up and eventual abandonment of some of the best farming lands. And heavy dependence on a few major cereal varieties has led to loss of biodiversity on farms.

(c) Genetic Modification is another way to increase crop yields. However,
some people in developed countries oppose its use. Do you think genetic

modification should be used in the production of food crops? Give

reasonsfor your answer. [8]


Do the above questions first before you study the answers below.


1 a. (i) Explain what is meant by ‘drought’ and ‘starvation’.

starvation : a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period

drought: A long period of abnormally low rainfall, especially one that adversely affects growing or living conditions.



Fig. 4 made mention of Ethiopia receiving aid from international donors for the development of the country. Explain why foreign aid is not a long-term solution for the receiving country to rely on to eradicate starvation and poverty, and improve the living conditions of its people.

• becomes dependent on aid



• not able to grow future food supplies



• limited to a certain area / can be disrupted



• food types supplied are not traditional ones



• aid may not reach the people who really need it



• a significant amount of aid was given as the form of loans which have to be repaid with interest, and these will accumulate as debts that the recipient countries repay out of their future earnings



• most aid end up in the hands of corrupt government officials or be invested in military equipment because of ongoing civil war



• often, aid enables the rich to get richer while the poor remain poor



• e.g. in 2003, the per capital income of Ethiopia was only US$94 despite having received over US$1 billion in aid between 1982 and 1985 as the government spent about 90% of the aid on military development.

(iii) Describe more effective solutions to eradicate starvation and poverty, and improve the living conditions of people in the less-developed countries (LDCs).

• laws passed in countries affected to have locally processed foods fortified with iron and vitamin A



• intensive publicity campaigns to educate the public on the need for measures to improve nutrients of their local processed foods



• modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fishery practices



• help farmers improve their cultivation methods in order to increase the productivity of their farms e.g. use of modern farming technology and scientific research to develop new high-yield seedlings, improvements in irrigation and an increased use of chemicals fertilizers, e.g. India, Indonesia and Philippines during the ‘Green Revolution



• setting up agricultural training colleges for new farmers, forming advisory groups to deal with problems such as soil erosion



• financing and building infrastructure such as dams for irrigation, draining of wetlands to create new farmland and constructing roads and ports to transport surplus produce to the markets for sale, e.g. Ethiopia



• provide or improve the basic infrastructure essential for industrial development such as reliable water and power supplies, efficient transportation and communication networks and good port facilities, e.g. South Korea



• overcome problems caused by rapid population growth by reducing population growth through family planning or educating couples on the benefits of having fewer children, forced sterilizations performed on women, financial incentives given to those who voluntarily undergo abortions, e.g. India



• implement social strategies like improving availability of clean water, sanitation, housing standard, access of healthcare services and educational opportunities, e.g. Singapore and South Korea.
  
  Allow development of points

(b)Use Fig. 5 to help outline the benefits and drawbacks of the Green Revolution in agriculture.

• Benefits:



• increase in food production



• increase in national income



• self-sufficiency in food supplies



• decrease in famines



• greater prosperity for many farmers



• surplus food available for export

• Drawbacks:



• Requires expensive inputs (eg. chemical fertilizers and pesticides



• Benefits mainly the richer and more educated famers



• Increased environmental damage e.g. water pollution



• Increasing resistance of pests to pesticides



• Increase in rural unemployment
  
  Perfect balance not needed but max 3 if only benefits/drawbacks. Allow 1 mark per point and up to 2 further marks for development.

Genetic Modification is another way to increase crop yields. However, some people in developed countries oppose its use. Do you think genetic modification should be used in the production of food crops? Give reasons for your answer.

Candidates may include the following material:

Pros:

• Some people support the growth of GM crops because they can produce higher crop yields/ increase the productivity of farms. Many are genetically engineered to grow faster with less water and fertilizers .



• This can solve the problem of food shortage in the developing countries which are experiencing rapid population growth



• There can also be quality alteration to improve crop adaptability to harsh weather conditions/ ability to resist pests and diseases

Cons:

• Many concerns:- GM varieties of grains and their accompanying farming practices will lead to loss plant diversity, and also loss to resistance to disease attack.



• There is a lack of scientific evidence from both independent research and the companies producing such foods to prove that GM food is safe for consumption.



• GM food may contain food substances that may harm people with food allergy. For eg. People who are allergic to nuts may have adverse reactions after eating GM food that contain traces of nuts, as labels might not fully reveal the exact contents of the food.



• There are religious concerns over GM food, as some may contain substances that are originally found in those food not permissible for people of a certain religion to eat.



• GM opponents fear that GM crops may indirectly contaminate non-GM crops through wind or insect pollination.



• It can also be expected that innovations resulting from a biotechnology focus will lead to an increase in food production, causing prices to fall drastically.



• This may drive small-scale farmers out of business, hence more gets trap in the poverty cycle which was already exacerbated by green revolution.



• There may be potential environmental and health hazards eg the growth of super weeds and health risks, though not conclusively proven so.
  
  
  A full answer does not need to include all the above points.
  
  Candidates at each level will show the following characteristics:
  



• Level 1 (0 – 3 marks)
  



• One or two general comments on pros/cons of GM, e.g. increased yields, do not know how they affect health
  



• No presentation of other view
  
  

• Level 2 (4 – 6 marks)
  



• More detailed development of the comments, e.g. increased yields therefore increased profit, helps reduce food shortage and famine/death
  



• Some indication of awareness of other view
  
  

• Level 3 (7 – 8 marks)
  



• Details on the pros and cons
  



• Examples may be used to illustrate points, e.g. GM rice in China or BT – corn and the effect they have had on crop yields
  



• Clear indication of awareness of other views

Questions on Agriculture of Food : Food production, pattern of consumption,agro business

1a. Read the extract provided in Fig. 1A below. Identify and describe the possible consequences that this trend may have on the production and supply of food in the world. [5]

With the increasing use of biofuels in automobiles in places such as the USA, Europe and Japan, farmers all over the world are turning away from their usual crops to grow maize, palm oil and sugar cane, which can be turned into ethanol or other biofuels. Today, almost all the land in the USA that is growing maize is now being harvested to make ethanol, instead of food for humans and farm animals. Observers are worried about the impact of this trend on food prices.

Fig 1 A

1b. Fig. 1B below shows a summary of a report from the United States Department of Agriculture. Account for the trend as stated in the table. [4]

Higher income households in the USA tend to consume…
• Less pork, beef, eggs and potatoes

• More fruits, vegetables, fish, cheese, yogurt and food away from home

Fig 1B

1c. Explain why many people in Africa and South Asia continue to suffer from starvation and lack of food, despite the availability of methods to intensify food production today. [4]

1d. Fig. 4C below shows the projected changes in food consumption in the USA between 2000 and 2020. Describe the trend in these changes, and state how these projected changes may affect food producers, as well as consumers in less developed countries. [4]


1e.Assess whether agri-businesses can help to solve the problem of starvation in the less developed world. [8]

Try to do the question first before you look at the answer.

Suggested Answer

1a. Read the extract provided in Fig. 1A below. Identify and describe the possible consequences that this trend may have on the production and supply of food in the world. [5]

1. 
   
   
   More food crops are being used for biofuels, hence reducing the amount of crops produced for food around the world.



2. 
   
   
   This may push prices of crops such as maize, palm oil and sugar cane up drastically, as the supply of these crops for food decreases.



3. 
   
   
   The price of other types of food such as meat would also increase, because farm animals that are fed food such as maize would become more expensive to rear.



4. 
   
   
   There may also be not enough food produced to feed the world’s population as a result.



5. 
   
   
   This could lead to widespread hunger and starvation.
   
   (1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)

1b. The Fig.1B below shows a summary of a report from the United States Department of Agriculture. Account for the trend as stated in the table. [4 marks]

1. People with higher incomes tend to be more educated. Hence, they are likely to be more knowledgeable about nutrition from food, and will be more health conscious.



2. Thus, they are more likely to avoid fatty meats such as pork and beef, or products with high cholesterol such as eggs. Instead, they prefer healthier food such as fruits and vegetables.



3. Households with higher incomes are also able to afford more expensive food products such as fish, and luxury products such as cheese.



4. They may also move away from more staple and cheap products such as potatoes.



5. Lifestyle may also affect the types of food consumed. As people with higher income may tend to be away from home most of the time due to busy careers, they are more likely to consume food away from home.
   (1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)
   

1c.Explain why many people in Africa and South Asia continue to suffer from starvation and lack of food, despite the availability of methods to intensify food production today. [4 marks]

1. In many parts of Africa and South Asia, natural disasters may destroy crops, leading to famine and the lack of food supplies. For example, Bangladesh is a low-lying coastal area that experiences severe seasonal flooding, which could affect food production.



2. The occurrence of war and conflicts in Africa, such as the civil wars in Sudan and Uganda, also result in less food produced. Farmers may abandon their fields to flee the war, or crops may be destroyed during on-going wars.



3. Many areas of countries in Africa and South Asia also have very limited access to food. For example, the lack of proper transport networks may result in the disruption of food supplies to rural areas.

Farmers in Africa and South Asia may not have sufficient capital to purchase farming inputs that can help to intensify food production, such as chemical fertilisers and high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds.

(1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)

1d. The Fig. 4C below shows the projected changes in food consumption in the USA between 2000 and 2020. Describe the trend in these changes, and state how these projected changes may affect food producers, as well as consumers in less developed countries. [4 marks]

1. There is a projected overall increase in the quantities of food consumed in the USA between 2000 and 2020.



2. The percentage increase in consumption differs between the types of food. The highest projected increase is in citrus fruit and fish at 27 and 26 per cent respectively, while potatoes only have a projected 8 per cent increase in consumption over this period.



3. As the USA is a large consumer market, food producers may respond to these projected changes, and switch from crops with lesser increase in consumption, such as potatoes to crops with higher demand such as citrus fruit.



4. As potatoes are considered staple food in the diets of many people in less developed countries, the lowered production of potatoes may affect their livelihoods, as they are not able to afford more expensive food like fish.
   (1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)

1e.Assess whether agri-businesses can help to solve the problem of starvation in the less developed world. [8 marks]

1. Agri-businesses consist of a whole chain of industries that produce, process, distribute and sell farm products in large quantities.



2. As agri-businesses are often large multinational companies (MNCs), they have the resources to distribute their food to all parts of the world, including less developed countries (LDCs).



3. For example, they may set up food outlets in LDCs, thus increasing the accessibility to food in these areas.



4. Agri-businesses may also employ farmers in LDCs to grow certain crop. This ensures that farmers have a stable income, and this will help countries in the less developed world to export more crops and improve their economies. With rising affluence, LDCs can fight against the problem of starvation.



5. There is an intensity of food production by agri-businesses, thus increasing food supplies in the world. With a large amount of food crops, prices of food have fallen, thus benefiting the poor of the less developed world.



6. On the other hand, as agri-businesses are profit-driven, they may find it more viable to supply their food mainly to developed countries (DCs), where demand and consumption is higher. In this case, access to food in LDCs does not improve.



7. Farmers in LDCs who are employed by agri-businesses may switch from crops that were previously supplied to the local population, to crops that cater to consumers in the DCs. This would add to the problem of starvation instead.



8. Furthermore, farmers in LDCs who are not employed by agri-businesses may find it difficult to compete with these large companies, as they do not have the capital to purchase good farming tool or make use of modern farming technologies such as an irrigation system.



9. As a result, they may be driven out of business, thus affecting the supply of food to the local population, and adding to the problem of starvation.



10. In the long term, low food prices may adversely affect the economies of countries in the less developed world. Farmers suffer a loss of income when exporting their products, and less money will be made available to alleviate the problem of starvation in these countries.
    
    
    Level 1 (0–3 marks)
    • Generic responses without details on how agri-businesses may or may not solve the problem of starvation
    • Simple statements about agri-businesses
    • No attempts at evaluation
    
    Level 2 (4–6 marks)
    • Brief descriptions on how agri-businesses may or may not solve the problem of starvation
    More developed statements about agri-businesses
    • Some attempts at evaluation, e.g. ‘Agri-businesses, while increasing the amount of food produced, may not benefit the people in the less developed world.’
    
    
    Level 3 (7–8 marks)
    • Detailed descriptions of how agri-businesses may or may not solve the problem of starvation
    • Clear statements about agri-businesses
    • Evaluation of the pros and cons of agri-businesses, e.g. ‘with a large supply of food crops, prices of food have fallen, thus benefiting the poor of the less developed world. However, in the long term, low food prices may adversely affect the economies of countries in the less developed world. Loss of income from selling crops results in less money available to alleviate the problem of starvation.

Question on Agriculture of Food Organic Farming vs GM

Read the extract below by an environmental activist, and assess the feasibility of organic farming replacing “modern farming methods” in the long term. [8]


Today’s modern farming methods are destructive to both man and nature, and should no longer be carried out further. Organic farming is a more environmentally sustainable system over the long term.


Answer




· Today’s farming methods include the use of chemicals as well as the development of genetically modified (GM) crops. These methods help to increase the production of food, but may bring about adverse effects to both man and nature, as mentioned by the environmental activist.

· For example, the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides may lead to environmental effects such as water pollution and destruction of animal life. In addition, they may also be harmful to the health of consumers, as strains of these chemicals may be found in the food that is produced.

· GM food also contains risks such as the loss of natural species if GM crops genetically pollute natural crops. Potential health hazards are also possible if the food contains genes or substances that are harmful to humans.

· Organic farming minimises these risks, as they practice farming methods that do not use chemicals or GM crops.

· For example, instead of using chemical fertilisers, organic farmers make use of animal manure as fertiliser. They also rear natural predators to pests, instead of spraying pesticides on crops that may end up polluting water bodies or being consumed by man. They also practise crop rotation so as to keep the soil fertile over a long period.

· If current farming methods are employed, the environment may not be sustainable as more and more pollution occurs. By replacing these practises with organic farming, both man and nature would benefit in the long term.

· However, there are several limitations of organic farming that must be overcome if it was to be feasible. As the world’s population grows, the demand of food is ever increasing. Organic farming practises may not be able to produce enough quantity of food to supply the world’s population.

· As organic farming methods require higher costs, these costs would also be transferred to the consumers, thus making food more expensive. This would greatly affect consumers, especially those in less developed countries (LDCs), since they may not be able to afford expensive organic food products. More people may go hungry and suffer from starvation as a result.


Level 1 (0–3 marks)
• Generic responses without details on how modern farming methods are unsustainable

• Simple statements about organic farming

• No attempts at evaluation



Level 2 (4–6 marks)
• Brief descriptions on how modern farming methods are unsustainable

• More developed statements about organic farming

• Some attempts at evaluation, e.g. ‘Organic farming is less harmful to man and nature, but may also not be sustainable.’


Level 3 (7–8 marks)
• Detailed descriptions of how modern farming methods are unsustainable

• Clear statements about organic farming

• Evaluation of the pros and cons of organic farming, e.g. ‘there are several limitations of organic farming that must be overcome if it was to be feasible. As the world’s population grows, the demand of food is ever increasing. Organic farming practises may not be able to produce enough quantity of food to supply the world’s population.’

Question on Agriculture of Food. Productivity, Blue Revolution

Photo A


Photo B

Study Photo A and B carefully.

a) i) Which photograph shows a higher productivity per unit of land area?
Why? [2]

ii) With reference to Photo A and B, describe 2 ways to measure the
productivity in food production. [4]

b) Describe, with examples, how economic factors influence the productivity of land.

Photo C

Each of 10 salmon cages at a farm near Vancouver is 100-feet square, 80-feet deep, and holds 100,000 baby fish.Source : discovermagazine.com/2002/sep/featblue

c) Fish farming like the one in Fig. 5 is increasingly popular. Explain how the
blue revolution has influenced the intensity of food production and helped
to solve the world’s food problem. [5]

Marguerite Holloway “Fish farming is rapidly becoming a bigger enterprise than beef ranching. Critics contend it is also destroying land along coasts and hastening the demise of wild fish.”

Evaluate the success of the Blue Revolution, using examples you have studied. [8]

Please attempt the questions before looking at the answer below.

a) i) Which photograph shows a higher productivity per unit of land area?
Why? [2]

Photo B shows a higher productivity
Less workers are needed because of the use of machines

ii) With reference to Phot A and B, describe 2 ways to measure the
productivity in food production. [4]

1. Productivity in food production is measured by the amount of food produced compared with the amount of resources used to produce the food.

2. The resources used are usually land and labour.

3.Productivity is measured in terms of labour per unit area. Here, the same amount of crops on a unit area of land is produced using less labour.

4.Output per unit area is another way to measure productivity. This refers to the amount of food produced on a unit area of land with a certain number of workers.

b) Describe, with examples, how economic factors influence the productivity of land. [6]

1.Demand
High demand encourage food producers to increase output & productivity so as to earn more money.

eg. Coffee drinking lifestyle of people around the world increase high demand for coffee beans and more coffee plantations as coffee producers increase their output & productivity

2.Capital = sum of money used to start or expand food production
money used to buy machinery, fertilisers, pesticides, seeds etc play a role in improving productivity

eg. Purchase & use of expensive equipment in fishing to detect schools of fish means that fishing becomes more productive as catch increases

eg. $ invested in R&D enables farmers to cope better with problems & raise productivity

c) Fish farming like the one in Fig. 5 is increasingly popular. Explain how the blue revolution has influenced the intensity of food production and help to solve the world’s food problem. [6]

1. fish farming = farmers rear fish in tanks, ponds and enclosed areas under special conditions that promote growth, instead of catching fish from the oceans.

2.Medicine and vaccines used to improve the health and nutrition of fish.

3.International organizations spent about S$ 400 million a year on fish farming projects
R&D : FAO helped to start the CIFA to conduct research on carp, catfish and prawns.

4.Scientists were able to increase fertility of fish, improve their growth rate and their resistance to diseases.

Eg. tilapia been developed to grow faster than the normal breed

5.Ensure a significant amount of fish available à stable supply of fish & food to many

c) “Fish farming is rapidly becoming a bigger enterprise than beef ranching. Critics contend it is also destroying land along coasts and hastening the demise of wild fish.” Marguerite Holloway

Evaluate the success of the Blue Revolution, using examples you have studied. [8]

1. provide fish for an ever-growing number of consumers & helps feed world’s growing population

2.food for 1 billion chronically malnourished people worldwide who need protein.

3.contribute greatly to both food security and wealth in developing regions

4.fish and other farmed species need far less food than other terrestrial species to produce the same amount of protein.

5.Help save rapidly disappearing wild fish as raising domestic species can reduce pressure on stocks in the wild, especially those that are over-fished or exploited

6.However, it is destroying land along coasts and causing water pollution

7.Excrement from shrimp and other cultivated species, including salmon, carp, tilapia, and catfish, can sully water adjacent to farms, driving away wild fish and other sea creatures.

8.Feaces rich in nitrogen trigger the growth of algae, which can clutter and then choke bodies of water—a process called eutrophication.

9.Farmed fish eat wild fish. Eg. each year roughly 66 billion pounds of these fish are used as feed, a growing percentage of which is going to aquaculture

10. Organic wastes from fish cages in public waters can have a significant effect on the surrounding water quality. Waste from fish farms can include: fecal matter and uneaten food, along with chemicals used in farming such as pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics.

example: In New Brunswick, despite the fact that salmon farming sites occupy less than 0.01 percent of the coastal area in their region, scientists have found significant degradation of the water in the surrounding area

11. concerns that fish will escape from the fish farms and either breed with wild fish—affecting genetic diversity and decreasing their survivability—or else compete for food and spread diseases.

e.g. Over the past decade, nearly one million non-native Atlantic salmon have escaped from fish farms and established themselves in streams of the Pacific Northwest.

e.g Example, when the cages are crowded, uneaten feed, fish wastes and antibiotics are released from the cages. As a source of nutrient pollution, these wastes create high levels of nutrients that increase the growth of phytoplankton and algae.

12. The eventual degradation of algae drastically reduces the levels of oxygen in the water, which will kill fish or other organisms. Subsequently, wild fish suffer from poor water quality, the loss of bottom habitat, and the outbreaks of disease.

Level 1 (0-3m)
Simply describe one or various aspects of Blue revolution, without assessment of why the success of Blue revolution was debatable

Brief/ general statements on explanation –

‘Blue revolution increase yield’ or ‘increase use of chemicals’

• No place reference or examples
• No attempt at evaluation
  

Level 2 (4-6m)

Describe in detail and assess one or various aspects of Blue revolution, considering both advantages and disadvantages of the aspects of Blue revolution, but without reference to detailed examples.

Some detail required in explanation –‘Blue revolution increase yield’ i.e. candidate must be aware of a both positive and negative effects of
blue revolution.

Place reference given but little detail eg. in USA

Brief disagreement eg. but organic wastes from fish cages in public waters can have a significant effect on the surrounding water quality.

Level 3 (7-8m)
Suggestions have some detail (often linked to location chosen)

Place reference is fairly specific eg. In New Brunswick, despite the fact that salmon farming sites occupy less than 0.01 percent of the coastal area in their region, scientists have found significant degradation of the water in the surrounding area

Detailed /supported argument clear eg. but the seas are too big to police