Food Production (Edexcel GCSE Biology)

Topic Questions

1a
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1 mark

Which of the following is the correct definition for a sustainable resource?

  A A resource that can be replaced.
  B A resource that is running out.
  C Making sure that needs are met for future generations.
  D A resource that can be replenished as quickly as it is used.

1b
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1 mark

Fish are the largest traded food commodity in the world, with over 3 billion people relying on fish as their main protein source.

There is a high level concern regarding the decline of fish stocks as a result of overfishing worldwide. Many governments are trying to bring in measures to ensure that fishing is sustainable. 

Suggest what is meant by sustainable fishing.

1c
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3 marks

Figure 1 shows an example of a food chain in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Figure 1

Discuss the impact that would be caused by the extinction of cod in the Atlantic Ocean.

1d
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2 marks

Describe and explain one different fishing technique which could be used to promote the recovery of fish stocks.

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2a
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1 mark

Pigs can be farmed intensively for food production.

Intensive farming is just one way in which modern farming techniques are attempting to address food security.

Explain what is meant by the term 'food security'

2b
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3 marks

The number of individuals following a plant-only diet has increased rapidly over the last ten years.

Figure 1 shows how the number of internet searches for ‘plant-only diet’ from individuals in the UK compares to the rest of the World.

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Figure 1

Calculate the percentage change in the number of individuals from the UK searching for ‘plant-only diet’ on the internet from 2009 to 2019.

2c
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1 mark

The amount of energy required to produce 1kg of several different food products is shown in Figure 1.

energy-per-kg-sustainable-farming-sq

Figure 1

How does this data support the idea that a plant based diet is more sustainable than a meat based diet.

2d
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1 mark

In many places worldwide, there is a lack of food security.

Those that follow a plant-only diet argue that if we all stopped eating meat, there would be less poverty and higher levels of food security for everyone.

Suggest one reason why.

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3a
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3 marks

Identify three biological factors that provide a threat to food security.

3b
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2 marks

Increased food production to protect food security can cause conflict with maintaining biodiversity.

Explain how.

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1a
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3 marks

In Malawi, the local human population produces a food called kunga cake from the bodies of millions of small insects that swarm seasonally around the shores of Lake Malawi. 

The flies are caught in frying pans waved through the swarms; a light coating of oil in the pan causes the insects to stick and they are then crushed into a patty for cooking. Cooking can be by shallow frying which produces a burger-like product (Figure 1), treated as an important element of the diet by the locals.

kunga-1

Figure 1

Kunga cake is cheap and nutritious and even tastes good, according to those who eat it. 

Explain how the production of kunga cake has benefits for food security. 

1b
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2 marks

The insects used to make kunga cake are cold-blooded, whereas livestock is warm-blooded.

Explain how their cold-blooded physiology gives benefits to food security when making food from insects. 

1c
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6 marks

A company in the USA has pioneered the use of crickets (Figure 2) as a source of nutrients in its products, made for human consumption.

Crickets are crushed and processed into a flour-like product that can be used in many different food recipes.

cricket-1

 Figure 2

In its marketing brochure, the company makes certain claims about crickets as a food source, in direct comparison to traditional livestock animals like cattle.

These are summarised in Table 1.

Table 1

  Cattle-based food Cricket-based food
Greenhouse gas emissions / arbitrary units 100 1
Volume of water required per kg of meat / dm3 16 600 8.3
Feed consumption / kg per kg of meat 10 1.7

Skeptics reading the brochure would point to reasons why cricket-based foodstuffs have not been commercially successful yet.

Use the data in Table 1 and your knowledge of eating habits to evaluate the claims made by the company making cricket-based food products. 

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2a
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1 mark

In many parts of the world rice is a staple food. Magnaporthe grisea, also known as rice blast fungus, is a pathogenic fungus and that causes a serious disease affecting rice.

Explain how the food security of rice could be improved by using a fungicide. 

2b
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3 marks

Selective breeding of rice could help improve food security.

Explain how.

2c
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2 marks

The rice blast fungus can affect a rice crop within 10 days. Naturally occurring root-associated rhizospheric bacteria have been shown to inhibit the effect of the rice blast fungus. 

Scientists investigated the effect of different strains of rhizospheric bacteria by measuring the number of leaf lesions caused by Magnaporthe grisea. Fungal spores were sprayed on 3-week-old whole plants 24 hours after being treated with the strains of rhizospheric bacteria. The scientists' results are shown in Figure 1.

Graph showing the number of lesions resulting after different bacterial treatments

Figure 1

With reference to Figure 1 determine the most effective strain of rhizospheric bacteria on Magnaporthe grisea.

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1a
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1 mark

What is meant by the term food security?

1b
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7 marks

Beef cattle and fish are two sources of protein farmed for human consumption.

Figure 1 shows the changes in global production of beef cattle and farmed fish since 1950.

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Figure 1
(i)
Describe the changes in the global production of farmed fish and beef cattle since 1950.
(3)
(ii)
Suggest a reason for the changes described in part (i).
(2)
(iii)
In 2024, the production of farmed fish is expected to be eight times greater than in 1990.

Calculate the mass of farmed fish expected to be produced in 2024.
(2)

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2a
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2 marks

Suggest two advantages of fish farming compared to catching fish in the wild.

2b
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4 marks

Figure 1 shows the differences in food security across several regions.

 
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Figure 1 
(i)
Describe what is meant by the axis label in Figure 1: 'percentage of the population suffering from food insecurity'.
(1)
(ii)
Use Figure 1 to compare changes in food insecurity between Africa and Oceania.
(3) 

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3a
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6 marks

Discuss the key factors which may result in a threat to food security in a developing country.

3b
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4 marks

In order to maintain food security, sustainable methods of farming and food production are necessary.

(i)
Explain what is meant by sustainable methods.
(2)
(ii)
In order to maintain sustainability of the fishing trade, fishing quotas have been imposed and fishermen are required to only remove fish exceeding a certain mass.

Suggest how introducing fishing quotas and minimum masses of captured fish ensures fishing is carried out sustainably.
(2) 

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4a
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1 mark

The increasing human population is affecting farming and the habitats of animals.

Figure 1 shows the human population of the UK from 1960 to 2018.fig-12-1bio-2f-june19-qp-gcse-bio

Figure 1

Extend the line to estimate the human population of the UK in 2030 if this trend continues.

................................... million

4b
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1 mark

Food security means that a population has enough safe and healthy food.

Which of these would improve food security?

  A increased reforestation
  B increased animal farming
  C increased human population
  D increased crop yield
4c
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4 marks

A scientist tested three samples of different foods.

Figure 2 shows the results.

food
sample
result of adding
iodine solution
result of boiling
with Benedict’s
solution
result of adding
Biuret solution
result of
emulsion test
E black blue blue clear
F brown orange purple clear
G brown orange purple cloudy


Figure 2

(i)
Name the food group in sample E.
(1)
(ii)
Name the food groups in sample F.
(1)
(iii)
The emulsion test shows that food sample G contained fat.
Describe how fat is digested in the body.

(2)

4d
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6 marks

Figure 3 shows a field of a crop in one area of Africa.

The crop cannot be eaten by people.

The crop is used to produce biofuel.fig-14-1bio-2f-june19-qp-gcse-bio

Figure 3

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of growing this crop to produce biofuel.

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