Factors affecting food security — AQA GCSE Biology
Test yourself on Factors affecting food security with AQA GCSE practice questions.
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Factors affecting food security explained
Food security means having enough food to feed a population.
Read the full explanation
Students must describe specific factors affecting this. An increasing birth rate threatens food security as more people require feeding. Changing diets in developed countries mean scarce food resources are transported globally, depriving local populations. New pests and pathogens can destroy crops or livestock, drastically reducing yields. Environmental changes, such as failing rains causing widespread famine, limit food production. The high cost of agricultural inputs, like fertilisers or genetically modified seeds, restricts farming in developing nations. Finally, conflicts disrupt farming and water supplies, preventing food production and distribution.
Your focus
- Describe the biological and human factors that affect food security.
- Explain how changing diets and increasing birth rates impact global food availability.
- Link environmental changes, pests, pathogens, costs, and conflicts to reduced food production.
Factors affecting food security exam tips
Marking Points
- An increasing birth rate increases the demand for food, threatening food security.
- Changing diets in developed countries can lead to food being exported from areas where it is needed locally.
- New pests and pathogens can cause disease in crops or livestock, reducing yields.
- Environmental changes, such as droughts or floods, can cause crops to fail and lead to famine.
- The high cost of agricultural inputs (e.g., fertilisers, pesticides) can prevent farmers from maximising yields.
- Conflicts can disrupt agriculture, destroy crops, and prevent the distribution of food and water.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Memorise the specific list of factors affecting food security from the specification, including both biological and human elements.
- 💡When describing a factor, always link it to how it reduces the amount of food available or disrupts its distribution.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking food security only relates to biological factors; correct this by including human factors like conflicts and the cost of agricultural inputs.
- Stating 'climate change' without a specific mechanism; correct this by giving an example, such as failing rains causing drought and crop failure.
- Confusing food security with food safety; correct this by stating food security means having enough food available, not whether the food is safe to eat.