Question 1
A government proposes converting steep, nutrient-poor grassland into fields for growing cereal crops.
State what is meant by arable land.
[1]
Explain why retaining livestock grazing may be more suitable than cereal production on this land.
[2]
Question 2
Figure 1 summarizes a farm in a semi-arid region.
Identify four classifications that apply to the farm shown in Figure 1.
[4]
Question 3
Figure 1 shows the fate of food produced in a region during one year. All quantities represent edible food at the point where it enters each stage.
Figure 1. Fate of edible food produced in one region during one year.
| Stage | Food entering stage / thousand tonnes | Food removed / thousand tonnes | Removal type | Food continuing / thousand tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food produced | 1000 | — | — | 1000 |
| Harvesting | 1000 | 80 | Food loss | 920 |
| Storage and transport | 920 | 120 | Food loss | 800 |
| Processing | 800 | 50 | Food loss | 750 |
| Retail | 750 | 30 | Food waste | 720 |
| Consumers | 720 | 170 | Food waste | 550 consumed |
Identify the stage at which the greatest quantity of food is removed from the supply chain.
[1]
Calculate the percentage of the food produced that is lost before reaching retailers. Show your working.
[2]
Distinguish between food loss and food waste using evidence from Figure 1.
[2]
Suggest one strategy to reduce food loss and one strategy to reduce food waste in this region.
[2]
Question 4
Approximately one-third of food production is estimated to be lost or wasted.
Distinguish between food loss and food waste.
[2]
Outline one strategy for reducing food loss and one strategy for reducing food waste.
[2]
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Question 5
Figures 1 and 2 show information about two contrasting agricultural systems.
Monthly climate data for the two agricultural sites.
| Month | Site A temperature / | Site A precipitation / mm | Site B temperature / | Site B precipitation / mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -12 | 15 | 23 | 20 |
| February | -9 | 18 | 24 | 25 |
| March | -2 | 25 | 26 | 35 |
| April | 7 | 35 | 28 | 50 |
| May | 14 | 45 | 30 | 190 |
| June | 18 | 55 | 30 | 280 |
| July | 21 | 60 | 29 | 350 |
| August | 19 | 55 | 29 | 320 |
| September | 12 | 40 | 28 | 270 |
| October | 4 | 30 | 27 | 200 |
| November | -4 | 25 | 25 | 70 |
| December | -10 | 27 | 23 | 40 |
| Annual precipitation | — | 430 | — | 1850 |
| Frost-free growing season / days | 125 | — | >330 | — |
Identify which farm is the more intensive agricultural system.
[1]
Calculate the difference in annual food production per permanent worker between Farm A and Farm B. Show your working.
[2]
Explain three ways in which the data account for the contrasting agricultural systems.
[3]
Question 6
An agricultural research station conducted identical rainfall simulations on plots with four soil-management treatments. Table 1 shows the mean soil loss and measurement range for each treatment.
Identify the treatment with the lowest mean soil loss.
[1]
Calculate the percentage reduction in mean soil loss when a cover crop is used instead of contour ploughing. Show your working.
[2]
Describe two patterns shown in Table 1.
[2]
Explain why the combined use of terraces and a cover crop reduces water erosion.
[2]
Question 7
High-yielding wheat varieties were introduced into a region together with irrigation, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Explain one way this Green Revolution package may increase food security.
[2]
Explain one environmental cost associated with the package.
[2]
Question 8
A farmer cultivates maize on a sloping field that experiences intense seasonal rainfall and declining soil fertility.
Explain how contour ploughing could reduce soil erosion on this field.
[2]
Outline two ways in which a legume cover crop could improve the sustainability of the farm.
[2]
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Question 9
A city introduces a programme encouraging households with high meat consumption to replace some beef meals with meals based on beans and grains.
Explain why this dietary change may reduce the area of land required to supply food.
[2]
Outline two reasons why livestock may still contribute to a sustainable food system.
[2]
Question 10
In the fictional low-income country of Nembala, tomatoes are transported from small farms to urban consumers. A cooperative introduced reusable field crates, sealed stores and refrigerated collection vehicles in 2023.
Distinguish between food loss and food waste, using one stage from Figure 2(a) as an example of each.
[2]
Calculate the mass of tomatoes saved annually by the intervention. Show your working.
[3]
Identify the supply-chain stage showing the greatest absolute reduction and state the size of this reduction.
[2]
Explain how reducing tomato losses may improve food security in Nembala.
[2]
Evaluate the sustainability of expanding the cooperative intervention throughout Nembala.
[4]
Question 11
Farmers in the fictional Kalo Highlands tested soil-conservation treatments on similar maize plots with a mean slope of 12 degrees. Measurements were collected after one rainy season.
Identify the treatment with the lowest soil loss and state its mean maize yield.
[2]
Calculate the percentage reduction in soil loss achieved by the combined treatment compared with conventional downslope ploughing.
[2]
Explain how the cover crop reduces water erosion.
[3]
Suggest why short-term land rental may reduce adoption of the combined treatment.
[2]
Evaluate whether the combined treatment should be promoted throughout the Kalo Highlands.
[4]
Question 12
Figure 1 compares selected resource and productivity indicators for four sources of human dietary protein.
Figure 1. Annual protein yield and selected resource indicators for dietary protein sources. Some beef is produced by grazing land unsuitable for arable crops, and livestock may consume crop residues.
| Protein source | Annual protein yield / | Freshwater use / edible protein | GHG emissions / edible protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | 50 | 13500 | 60 |
| Poultry | 180 | 4300 | 12 |
| Pulses | 400 | 1800 | 4 |
| Soybeans | 500 | 1500 | 3 |
Calculate the additional land required to produce 1000 kg of protein from beef rather than soybeans. Show your working.
[2]
Describe two relationships shown in Figure 1.
[2]
Explain why the production of animal protein generally requires more land than the production of plant protein.
[2]
Using Figure 1, explain one reason why livestock may still form part of a sustainable food system.
[2]
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Question 13
Figures 1 and 2 show two contrasting agricultural choices within the same Mediterranean biome.
Comparison of rain-fed olive and greenhouse tomato production systems.
| Indicator | Rain-fed olives | Greenhouse tomatoes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall / mm | 470 | 230 |
| Slope / % | 12–25 | <2 |
| Soil | Thin, stony calcareous | Deep soil |
| Yield / t ha^-1 yr^-1 | 2.4 | 280 |
| Irrigation input / m^3 ha^-1 yr^-1 | 400 (supplementary) | 12 000 |
| Soil loss / t ha^-1 yr^-1 | 11 (bare soil); 3 (ground cover) | Not applicable |
| Groundwater-level change / m yr^-1 | Not applicable | |
| Plastic waste / t ha^-1 yr^-1 | Not applicable | 2.8 |
Calculate the water-use efficiency of greenhouse tomato production in kilograms of tomatoes per cubic metre of irrigation water. Show your working.
[2]
Explain three factors that account for the contrasting agricultural choices.
[3]
Using the data, suggest one management change that could improve the sustainability of each system.
[2]
Question 14
Figure 2 shows two agricultural choices within the same fictional Mediterranean coastal region.
Explain how local physical conditions have influenced the agricultural choice at Site A.
[2]
Explain how farmers at Site B have modified a climatic constraint to permit intensive vegetable production.
[2]
Question 15
A regenerative farm uses mob grazing: cattle graze at high density for a short period and are then moved, allowing a long pasture-recovery period.
Explain two ways in which well-managed mob grazing may improve soil condition.
[4]
Question 16
Figure 3 shows a vertical farm proposed for a densely populated city.
Outline two potential environmental benefits of the vertical farm shown in Figure 3.
[2]
Explain one reason why this system may not be sustainable.
[2]
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Question 17
A retailer in a cool-climate city can sell winter tomatoes from either a local fossil-fuel-heated greenhouse or a distant farm where tomatoes are field-grown and transported by sea.
Explain why food miles alone are insufficient for determining which tomatoes are more sustainable.
[2]
Outline two additional factors that should be compared when assessing the sustainability of the two supply chains.
[2]
Question 18
A regional planning agency compared two nutritionally adequate diets supplying the same quantity of protein per person. The land-use and greenhouse-gas estimates include agricultural production but exclude food waste.
Comparison of land use, emissions and protein supply for two diets.
| Indicator | High-meat diet | Plant-rich diet |
|---|---|---|
| Cropland use / ha per person | 0.36 | 0.18 |
| Pasture use / ha per person | 0.92 | 0.05 |
| Agricultural GHG emissions / tonnes -eq per person per year | 5.8 | 1.1 |
| Protein supplied / g per person per day | 62 | 62 |
Calculate the percentage reduction in total agricultural land use when the high-meat diet is replaced by the plant-rich diet. Show your working.
[2]
Compare the greenhouse-gas emissions and protein supply of the two diets.
[2]
Explain why diets lower in trophic level generally require less agricultural land.
[3]
Evaluate the proposal that everyone in the region should adopt the plant-rich diet to reduce pressure on finite land resources.
[5]
Question 19
The Green Revolution package was introduced to irrigated wheat farms in the fictional Lower Savan plain in 1970. It included high-yielding varieties, irrigation, synthetic fertilizer and pesticides.
Changes in wheat yield and synthetic nitrogen application on irrigated wheat farms in the Lower Savan plain.
| Year | Wheat yield / t ha | Synthetic nitrogen / kg ha |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1.4 | 9 |
| 1970 | 1.7 | 18 |
| 1980 | 3.5 | 68 |
| 1990 | 4.6 | 112 |
| 2000 | 4.8 | 128 |
| 2010 | 4.9 | 139 |
| 2020 | 5.0 | 148 |
Agricultural, environmental and employment indicators in the Lower Savan plain, 1970 and 2020.
| Year | Farms irrigated / % | Groundwater depth / m | Canal nitrate / | One wheat variety / % | Workers / 100 ha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 31 |
| 2020 | 83 | 29 | 18 | 74 | 14 |
Calculate the percentage increase in wheat yield between 1965 and 2020. Show your working.
[2]
Describe the relationship between synthetic nitrogen application and wheat yield after 1990.
[2]
Explain two environmental changes shown in Figure 3(b).
[4]
Outline one social consequence suggested by the change in agricultural employment.
[1]
Discuss whether the Green Revolution package improved food security sustainably in the Lower Savan plain.
[5]
Question 20
Figure 1 compares three systems producing leafy vegetables for an urban market. Greenhouse-gas emissions are lifecycle estimates for 100 kg of vegetables delivered to retailers.
Lifecycle resource use and greenhouse-gas emission components for urban leafy-vegetable production systems.
| Production system | Inputs / kg e per 100 kg | Energy / kg e per 100 kg | Transport and refrigeration / kg e per 100 kg | Infrastructure / kg e per 100 kg | Total / kg e per 100 kg | Freshwater / L per 100 kg | Land / per 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field farming | 4 (fertilizer and machinery) | 3 (farm energy) | 6 | 1 | 14 | 2500 | 120 |
| Vertical farm: fossil electricity | 3 (nutrients) | 42 (operating electricity) | 1 | 6 | 52 | 400 | 18 |
| Vertical farm: renewable electricity | 3 (nutrients) | 5 (operating electricity) | 1 | 6 | 15 | 400 | 18 |
Calculate the percentage reduction in freshwater use achieved by either vertical farm compared with field farming. Show your working.
[2]
Compare the lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions of the three systems.
[2]
Evaluate the claim that vertical farming is the most sustainable system shown.
[3]
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Question 21
A farm replaced continuous grazing with mob grazing on one pasture. Mob grazing involved short periods of high-density grazing followed by long recovery periods. A neighbouring pasture continued to be grazed continuously. Figure 1 shows measurements taken at the start and after four years.
Pasture measurements at baseline and after four years of grazing management.
| Measurement | Baseline | Year 4: mob grazing | Year 4: continuous grazing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetation cover / % | 62 | 84 | 55 |
| Water infiltration rate / | 18 | 31 | 15 |
| Soil organic carbon / % | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Dry pasture production / | |||
| Additional labour time / % | — | 35 | — |
| Capital cost of new fencing and water points / local currency units | — | 18 000 | — |
Calculate the percentage increase in infiltration rate under mob grazing between the baseline and year 4. Show your working.
[2]
Describe two differences between the year 4 results for mob grazing and continuous grazing.
[2]
Explain how the changes in vegetation cover and infiltration could improve soil sustainability.
[2]
Evaluate whether the data are sufficient to recommend mob grazing to other farms.
[2]
Question 22
Figures 1 and 2 compare food supply and malnutrition in two districts of the same country.
Calculate how many times greater the prevalence of child stunting is in Interior District than in Coastal District. Show your working.
[2]
Using the figures, outline why average food-energy availability alone is a poor indicator of nutritional well-being.
[2]
Explain two ways in which food distribution may contribute to undernutrition in Interior District.
[2]
Suggest one strategy for each district that would address the form of malnutrition most evident in its data.
[2]
Question 23
A forest community collects edible nuts from naturally occurring trees. Rising international demand has encouraged more intensive harvesting.
Explain one reason why traditional nut harvesting may be more sustainable than converting the forest to cropland.
[2]
Explain one way in which rising commercial demand could make the harvest unsustainable.
[2]
Question 24
A low-income region produces sufficient staple grain to meet average energy requirements. However, many children experience stunting, while many adults are overnourished and increasingly consume processed foods high in sugar and fat.
Explain why sufficient grain production does not necessarily provide food security.
[2]
Distinguish between the two forms of malnutrition described in the scenario.
[2]
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Question 25
Two farming systems occur within the same Mediterranean biome in the fictional province of Costa Sur. Site U is an upland rain-fed olive system. Site C is a coastal greenhouse vegetable system.
Figure 5(b): Farming indicators for one-hectare sites
| Indicator | Site U | Site C |
|---|---|---|
| Edible output / t ha yr | 2.8 | 92 |
| Irrigation water / ML ha yr | 0.3 | 8.4 |
| Energy use / GJ ha yr | 6 | 410 |
| Soil loss / t ha yr | 11.5 | 0.6 |
| Permanent workers / ha | 0.18 | 5.6 |
| Annual plastic waste / t ha yr | 0.02 | 2.9 |
| Farm-gate revenue / USD ha yr | 6900 | 248000 |
Calculate how many times greater the edible output per hectare is at Site C than at Site U.
[2]
Explain how two local environmental conditions influence the contrasting agricultural choices.
[4]
Analyse one trade-off between productivity and resource use shown by the data.
[3]
Suggest one soil-conservation measure suitable for Site U and justify your answer.
[2]
Evaluate which agricultural system provides the more sustainable use of land in Costa Sur.
[4]
Question 26
A temperate mixed farm tested continuous grazing and mob grazing for four years. Under mob grazing, cattle grazed a small paddock for two days before being moved, allowing 48 days of pasture recovery.
Figure 6(a): Annual soil and vegetation indicators under continuous and mob grazing.
| Year | Soil organic matter, continuous / % | Soil organic matter, mob / % | Water infiltration, continuous / mm h | Water infiltration, mob / mm h | Plant richness, continuous / species quadrat | Plant richness, mob / species quadrat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 18 | 18 | 7 | 7 |
| 1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 17 | 22 | 6 | 8 |
| 2 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 16 | 27 | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 15 | 31 | 5 | 11 |
| 4 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 15 | 34 | 5 | 12 |
Year-4 performance under continuous and mob grazing.
| Measure | Continuous grazing | Mob grazing |
|---|---|---|
| Beef output / kg ha yr | 510 | 475 |
| Purchased feed / t ha yr | 1.9 | 1.1 |
| Labour / h ha yr | 14 | 31 |
| Fencing and water cost / USD ha yr | 40 | 290 |
| Drainage-water nitrate / mg L | 12 | 6 |
Describe two changes in soil or vegetation under mob grazing between year 0 and year 4.
[2]
Calculate the percentage reduction in purchased feed under mob grazing in year 4.
[2]
Explain how mob grazing may have caused the observed changes in soil organic matter and infiltration.
[3]
Analyse one environmental and one economic trade-off associated with mob grazing.
[3]
Evaluate whether mob grazing should replace continuous grazing on all temperate livestock farms.
[4]
Question 27
Outline the four dimensions of food security.
[4]
Explain how insecure land rights may affect both food security and environmental sustainability for marginalized rural groups.
[7]
Using named examples, to what extent is expanding the area of agricultural land an effective strategy for improving food security?
[9]
Question 28
Outline four methods, other than applying synthetic fertilizer, that may improve or maintain soil fertility.
[4]
Explain why the repeated use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer may increase crop productivity while reducing agricultural sustainability.
[7]
Using named examples, evaluate the claim that sustainable agriculture should completely replace synthetic fertilizers with methods that restore natural soil fertility.
[9]
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Question 29
Distinguish between nomadic pastoralism and traditional slash-and-burn agriculture.
[4]
Explain why nomadic pastoralism and slash-and-burn agriculture may become less sustainable when population density increases and communities become more permanently settled.
[7]
Using named examples, discuss the role that traditional agricultural systems can play in achieving a sustainable global food supply.
[9]
Question 30
A city is deciding whether to support three systems for supplying leafy vegetables: an urban vertical farm, a peri-urban greenhouse and an open-field farm in another region. All values are measured per kilogram of vegetables delivered to city retailers.
Resource use, transport distance and retail food loss for three leafy-vegetable supply systems per kg delivered to city retailers.
| System | Land occupation / | Water consumption / | Electricity use / | Transport distance / km | Retail food loss / % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban vertical farm | 0.04 | 4 | 9.0 | 8 | 3 |
| Peri-urban greenhouse | 0.22 | 18 | 1.8 | 46 | 7 |
| Open-field farm | 1.10 | 65 | 0.2 | 1250 | 16 |
Identify the system with the lowest water consumption and state its retail food loss.
[2]
Calculate the projected total greenhouse-gas emissions of the vertical farm if it uses the contracted renewable electricity supply.
[3]
Analyse how the vertical farm changes the environmental impacts of supplying leafy vegetables to the city.
[4]
Suggest why vertical farming may be more suitable for leafy vegetables than for staple grains.
[2]
Evaluate whether the city should subsidize the vertical farm rather than the other two systems.
[4]
Question 31
Communities in the fictional tropical forest region of Alto Verde collect wild nara nuts. A road completed in 2018 increased access by commercial buyers. Some landowners have proposed replacing the forest with a cultivated oilseed crop.
Describe the relationship between wild nut harvest and reproductive-tree density after the road was completed.
[2]
Calculate the percentage decrease in reproductive-tree density between 2018 and 2024, using values of and , respectively.
[2]
Analyse how the regeneration study supports concern about intensive commercial harvesting.
[3]
Compare the sustainability of wild harvesting and cultivated oilseed production per hectare.
[4]
Explain how insecure land tenure could affect both livelihoods and forest sustainability.
[2]
Evaluate the claim that traditional wild harvesting is a more sustainable food system for Alto Verde than forest conversion and cultivation.
[3]
Question 32
Outline four ecological principles that may be applied in regenerative farming or permaculture.
[4]
Explain how mixed farming techniques may improve both productivity and ecosystem function in a regenerative farming system.
[7]
Using named examples, evaluate the claim that low-productivity traditional and alternative food systems can resolve the global unsustainability of food production.
[9]
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Question 33
Outline four environmental characteristics of the Brazilian Cerrado that influence agricultural choices.
[4]
Explain why mechanized soybean cultivation and extensive cattle ranching may be contrasting agricultural choices within the same biome.
[7]
Using named examples, evaluate the relative sustainability of commercial soybean cultivation and cattle ranching in tropical savanna biomes.
[9]
Question 34
Distinguish among stunting, wasting, starvation and overnourishment.
[4]
Explain how the functioning of a food supply industry may cause undernourishment and overnourishment to occur within the same country.
[7]
Using named examples, to what extent is famine caused more by failures of food distribution than by failures of food production?
[9]
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