Rural

• Diversification


  Farmers switching to alternative, non-traditional, ways of using their land to make money
• Diversification


  • Tourist accommodation
  • Old farm buildings converted to provide tourist accommodation
  • Farm shops to sell produce directly to customers
• Diversification

  • Increases farmers' income
  • Farmers have an alternative source of income if poor weather conditions lead to crop failures
  • Farmers are less vulnerable to drops in the price of crops
• Diversification

  • Outdoor activities such as quad biking, paintballing etc.
• Outdoor activities


  Can negatively impact landscape through noise pollution and damage to plant and animal habitats
• Diversification

  • Wind farms - farmers can sell part of their land to wind farm developers
• Wind farms


  • Farmers profit from sale of their land
  • Some see wind turbines as an eyesore causing visual pollution
  • Loss of farmland reduces food production
• Precision Farming


  • Farmers use satellite navigation and imagery as well as sensors on farm vehicles to create detailed maps of their land
  • Farmers can then apply water and fertilisers more precisely to areas in need
• Precision Farming

  • Higher crop yields meaning higher profits for farmers
  • Less water and fertilisers needed as they are applied more precisely
• Precision Farming

  Can be very expensive to set up so less wealthy farmers may be unable to afford it
• Increase use of machinery


  • Increased crop yield as work can be done faster by machines
  • Increased profit for farmers
  • Less hard, physical work for people
• Increase use of machinery

  • Fewer workers so less wages for farmer to pay
  • Crops are harvested faster so they are fresher
  • Loss of animal habitats and shelter belts, as hedgerows were removed to increase field size, and accommodate large machinery
  • Increase in noise pollution
  • Fewer jobs available
  • As people become unemployed they move away to find work, leading to rural depopulation
  • Machines are expensive to buy and repairs can be costly
• Sexed Semen


  • 80-90% of calves born are female so can be raised to produce milk
  • Reduces the number of male calves which are often shot at birth
• Sexed Semen

  Some people believe the use of sexed semen is unethical
• Leg Sensors for Dairy Cows


  • Farmers can monitor activity levels to detect early sign of ill health
  • Farmers can detect when cows are ready to breed through heat detection
  • Cows can be identified by their tag as they enter the parlour to be milked
• Leg Sensors for Dairy Cows

  This involves costly equipment which many smaller farmers cannot afford
• Chemical Fertilisers and Pesticides


  • Increased crop yield as fertiliser makes crops grow better
  • Fewer plants being eaten by pests so more crops to sell
  • Crops grow better when there are less weeds to compete with for water, sunlight and soil nutrients
• Chemical Fertilisers and Pesticides

  • Increased river pollution due to chemical run-off
  • Polluted river water leads to problems such as algal bloom which starves the river of oxygen affecting wildlife
  • Negative effects on human health of eating produce containing chemicals
• Organic Farming


  • Organic food is healthier and can taste better
  • Stops chemicals entering the human bloodstream
  • Sustainable method of farming
  • No need to buy expensive chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers
  • Less pollution of air or water
• Organic Farming

  • Organic farms tend to produce less crops and animal products
  • Organic produce is much more expensive for customers
  • More workers are often needed on organic farms which increases cost for farmers
  • Organic produce takes longer to grow
• Genetically Modified (GM) Crops


  • GM crops can withstand low temperatures are resistant to pests and can tolerate drought so produce higher yields
  • As GM crops are resistant to pests, there is less need for chemical pesticides to be sprayed
• Genetically Modified (GM) Crops

  • GM crops could be too expensive for many farmers
  • Farmers may need to buy expensive new seeds each year
  • GM crops may be very damaging to other organisms further down the food chain such as caterpillars
  • Some people are concerned about the unknown impact of GM crops on human health
• Government Policy


  • Government payments help farmers stay in business during difficult times such as crop failures, price drops and trade wars
• Government Policy

  Government money given to farmers may mean higher taxes for the public and takes money away from other areas government could spend on
• Increased use of machinery


  • Farmers can farm over larger areas increasing their crop yields
  • Farmers are now able to sell crops and make a profit rather than relying on subsistence farming
• Increased use of machinery


  • Fewer jobs for local people in rural areas can lead to rural depopulation
  • Poorer farmers may be unable to afford new machinery
  • Can be difficult expensive to maintain and repair machinery especially if spare parts are difficult to access
• Agro-Chemicals (Chemical Fertilisers and Pesticides)


  • Increased crop yield as fertiliser makes crops grow better on poorer land
  • Fewer plants being eaten by pests so more crops to sell
• Agro-Chemicals (Chemical Fertilisers and Pesticides)

  • Chemicals runoff the land into streams and pollute rivers, destroying aquatic life
  • Chemicals seep into underground water supplies contaminating drinking water
  • Negative effects on human health of eating produce containing chemicals
  • Farmers are exposed to dangerous chemicals when spraying the land without protective equipment such as masks
  • Pesticides get less effective the more they are used as insects develop resistance to them
• Large scale irrigation schemes


  • Farmers have a reliable source of water all year round - even during the winter dry season
  • Farmers can have 2 or 3 harvest per year meaning more crops can be grown improving the supply of food and increasing profits for farmers
• Large scale irrigation schemes

  • Irrigation schemes are expensive
  • They take up valuable land that could have been used to grow food
  • People can be forced off their land to make space for the dams and reservoirs
• Biogas plants


  • Biogas plants are cheap to build
  • The gas produced can be used for heating, cooking and lighting in the home
  • Biogas can replace the need to burn wood and charcoal in people's homes which is really bad for the lungs
  • Biogas plants also produce fertiliser from animal waste
• Biogas plants

  • People need to be trained to maintain and supervise them
  • It can be difficult to get spare parts if they break down
• GM Crops


  • Less crops are destroyed by pests so higher yields and profits for farmers
  • GM crops are more resistant to pests, so less pesticides are needed which is better for the environment
• GM Crops

  • Poorer farmers may be unable to afford the more expensive GM seeds
  • GM crops may have unexpected negative effects on insects such as caterpillars
• Biofuels


  • Provide a new source of income for farmers as demand for biofuel crops grows
  • Burning biofuels is less harmful to the environment than burning oil based fuels or coal
  • Means India is less reliant on buying oil and gas from other countries
• Biofuels

  • Biofuel crops take up farmland which could be used for growing food crops
  • Some biofuels crops such as sugarcane require a lot of water which is needed for growing food crops
  • Biofuels can be a cause of deforestation as forests are cleared to make space for biofuel crops
• Changes in farming on the Great Plains of the USA


  • Farmers turning to non-farming activities including growing sunflowers to improve soil quality, reduce erosion and increase profits
  • Use of large machinery such as combine harvesters making work much easier than manual labour
  • Use of agricultural aircraft to spread chemicals like pesticides over fields saving the farmer time
  • Hiring of agricultural contractors which has increased unemployment of local farm workers
  • Growing more than 10 genetically modified crops to meet demands
• Growing genetically modified crops


  Health concerns over their consumption as the long-term side-effects are not fully known