5.2 Agriculture & Food (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS): SL): Flashcards

Extensive farming is a system with low inputs per unit of land area.

Monoculture can be profitable but is riskier, since a single crop failure, such as disease, affects the whole farm, whereas diversified farming spreads this risk.

True.

Organic farming uses natural methods, such as compost and biological pest control, instead of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers.

Farming that relies on natural rainfall rather than an artificial water supply is known as rain-fed farming.

Nomadic pastoralism is a form of agriculture where livestock is herded to different pastures in a seasonal cycle.

Slash-and-burn agriculture is a method in which forests are cut down and burned so that crops can be grown on the cleared land for a few years, until the soil is depleted of nutrients.

It relies on a rotating cycle of land use that allows the forest time to regenerate before land is cleared again, which fails at higher densities.

True.

Overgrazing associated with nomadic pastoralism can lead to soil erosion.

As populations grow and land becomes scarce, traditional practices lead to overuse of land and resources rather than allowing time for the land to recover.

The Green Revolution was a series of research, development and technology initiatives in the 1950s and 1960s that aimed to increase agricultural production and food security.

High-yielding varieties are crop varieties, such as IR8 'Miracle Rice', bred to produce significantly higher yields.

The production of synthetic fertilisers relies on nitrogen fixation, making it dependent on fossil fuels.

Green Revolution practices helped Mexico become a major wheat exporter.

False.

The Green Revolution was not universal; regions without access to the necessary resources and infrastructure saw limited benefits.

It brought greater economic benefits to larger, wealthier farmers, while increasing debt for smaller farmers who could not afford the new technologies.

Fallowing is leaving land uncultivated for a period, allowing the soil to recover and regain nutrients.

Mycorrhizae are symbiotic fungi that enhance a plant's uptake of nutrients from the soil.

Synthetic fertilisers can cause soil degradation over time and water pollution from runoff.

Its continuous tree canopy binds soil with root systems and intercepts rainfall, reducing erosion.

In agroforestry, integrating trees and shrubs into farmland improves soil health and can provide additional income from sources such as fruit or timber.

Contour ploughing is ploughing parallel to the contour lines of the land, rather than up and down slopes, to reduce the length and speed of water flow downhill.

Terracing is creating levelled steps on sloped land to slow water movement and increase infiltration.

Strip cultivation is planting crops in alternating strips or bands, leaving natural vegetation between the strips.

Windbreaks, such as rows of trees or hedges, block and reduce wind speed, protecting topsoil from wind erosion.

Bunding involves building embankments or barriers along fields to control water flow and prevent soil erosion and waterlogging.

Green manure refers to plants, such as cover crops, grown specifically to be ploughed into the soil to increase organic matter and fertility.

Lime improves soil pH by reducing acidity, which enhances nutrient availability and promotes beneficial microbial activity.

Compost enriches soil with nutrients, improves soil structure and increases water-holding capacity.

False.

Marginal land should be avoided for farming, to protect fragile ecosystems and prevent soil degradation.

Crop rotation maintains soil nutrients and reduces the build-up of disease and pests.

Reduced tillage means minimising ploughing and soil disturbance, which helps preserve soil structure and maintain moisture levels.

Growing different types of crops together, or mixed cropping, improves soil health and reduces pest and disease issues.

False.

Reducing the use of heavy machinery helps prevent soil compaction and maintains soil structure.

Diets lower in trophic levels have a reduced environmental impact compared with diets higher in animal products.

Crop production has a significantly higher yield per unit of land and lower financial costs than livestock production.

Energy is lost at each trophic level, so consuming plants directly bypasses the energy loss involved in raising animals for meat.

Feed conversion efficiency describes how much of an animal's feed energy is converted into edible biomass, rather than used for the animal's own metabolism.

Meat production requires vast amounts of land for grazing animals or growing feed crops, which could otherwise grow plant-based food directly for humans.

At least one-third of all food produced is wasted, during post-harvest, storage, transport and distribution.

UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 aims to reduce global food waste by 50% per capita at the retail and consumer levels by 2030.

False.

Global agriculture currently produces enough food to feed approximately eight billion people, but it is not distributed equitably.

Using refrigerated transport, optimising delivery routes and redistributing surplus food can all help reduce food waste in the distribution system.

Periodically draining and re-flooding rice fields, or applying additives that reduce methane, can lower methane emissions from rice cultivation.

Adjusting livestock diets and using additives such as seaweed can lower methane emissions from ruminants.

In-field solar-powered fertiliser production uses solar energy to produce fertiliser on-site, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers and fossil fuels.

Genetic modification can be used to create crops with increased productivity, such as higher yields or greater pest resistance.

False.

Extending shelf life through improved preservation methods, such as packaging and refrigeration, helps reduce food waste.

Food security is the physical and economic availability of food, allowing all individuals to get the balanced diet they need for an active and healthy life.

Availability means ensuring enough food is produced and supplied to meet the population's needs.

Access means ensuring individuals have the economic means to obtain, or afford, the food they need.

Stability means ensuring consistent and reliable access to food at all times, without disruptions from economic or climate-related issues.

The use component involves ensuring food is used properly alongside a healthy diet, clean water, sanitation and healthcare to achieve good nutritional health.

Good infrastructure, economic stability and social safety nets ensure food availability and access.

Poverty, poor infrastructure and political instability contribute to lower food security.

False.

Environmental factors such as climate change, natural disasters and resource depletion impact food production and availability.

Social and political factors affecting food security include government policies, conflict and social inequality.

Income levels, food prices and employment opportunities affect an individual's ability to purchase food.

False.

Food security also depends on access, use and stability, not just availability or production.