AQA · GCSE · Biology
Course version: 8461 · Version from Sept 2018
Sustainable methods must be found to feed all people on Earth.
Full specification wording
Factors affecting food security: Sustainable methods must be found to feed all people on Earth.
Food security means having reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food.
Checked against the AQA 8461 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 9 of 9
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Food security means having reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food. The human population is rising, while factors such as climate change, pests, disease and conflict can reduce yields, so demand can outstrip supply. Sustainability means meeting present needs without damaging the ability of future generations to meet theirs. For example, overfishing cod can collapse a fishery, whereas quota systems allow breeding stocks to recover and provide food long term. Sustainable approaches include improving yields, reducing waste, using renewable resources and protecting soil and biodiversity.
What earns the marks
- State that food security means reliable access to sufficient safe and nutritious food for a growing human population.
- Explain that factors such as climate change, pests, pathogens and conflict can reduce food production or distribution.
- Define sustainability as meeting current food needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs.
- Apply the idea to an example, such as fishing quotas or crop rotation, and judge whether the method can continue long term.
- Recognise that feeding everyone requires a balance between increasing food production and protecting ecosystems.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing food security with simply having enough food in shops.
Put it right: Security also requires reliable access, affordability and nutritional quality.
Treating sustainability as any method that increases yield.
Put it right: A method is sustainable only if it can continue without depleting resources or damaging the environment.
Assuming the human population is falling.
Put it right: It is increasing, which raises demand for food.
Exam tips
- Use the phrase reliable access to enough safe and nutritious food when defining food security.
- Link each limiting factor to a specific effect on food supply, such as reduced crop yield after drought.
- When evaluating a method, state one benefit and one limitation before reaching a justified conclusion.
Try the lesson
The start of the Factors affecting food security: Sustainable methods must be found to feed all people on Earth. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which word describes a way of producing food that can continue for a long time without harming the environment?
Listen
Food security means having reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food. The human population is rising, while factors such as climate change, pests, disease and conflict can reduce yields, so demand can outstrip supply. Sustainability means meeting present needs without damaging the ability of future generations to meet theirs. For example, overfishing cod can collapse a fishery, whereas quota systems allow breeding stocks to recover and provide food long term. Sustainable approaches include improving yields, reducing waste, using renewable resources and protecting soil and biodiversity. A strong answer earns marks for these points. State that food security means reliable access to sufficient safe and nutritious food for a growing human population. Explain that factors such as climate change, pests, pathogens and conflict can reduce food production or distribution. Define sustainability as meeting current food needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs. Apply the idea to an example, such as fishing quotas or crop rotation, and judge whether the method can continue long term. A common slip: Confusing food security with simply having enough food in shops. Instead, security also requires reliable access, affordability and nutritional quality. Exam tip: Use the phrase reliable access to enough safe and nutritious food when defining food security.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Food security
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Sustainability
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Human population growth
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Sustainable food production
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Food security
- Having reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food.
- Sustainability
- Meeting present needs without damaging the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
- Human population growth
- The human population is rising, which raises demand for food.
- Sustainable food production
- Approaches include improving yields, reducing waste, using renewable resources and protecting soil and biodiversity.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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