Alternative pest control --> introducing natural predators, biological pesticides, spraying crops with hot water
What are the advantages of organic farming?
Reduces amount of chemical pesticides used --> less harmful to environment
Less non-renewable resources used --> more sustainable
Appeals to consumers who are concerned about environment/use of artificial chemicals
What are the disadvantages of organic farming?
Lower yield
Higher production cost --> higher prices
A Genetically Modified (GM) Food is one that has had its genes altered to give it useful characteristics.
How are GM foods produced?
inserting a desirable gene from another plant/animal/bacterium into the plant you want to improve
Plant modified seeds
What are the advantages of GM foods?
Crops can grow quicker
Higher yield of crops
Food is cheaper to produce --> cheaper prices
Longer shelf life --> less wastage
Ripen earlier --> fresh foods available earlier
Contain extra nutrients --> improves nutrition
What are the disadvantages of GM foods?
Have not been around for long --> long term effects not yet known
Concerns that modified genes could get into wider environment + cause problems
GM producers can't sell food everywhere as some countries/regions restrict it
Some consumers think we shouldn't genetically modify food because it's not natural.
What are the EU regulations surrounding GM foods?
must undergo strict safety assessments
can only be sold if no associated health risks
must be clearly labelled as GM unless meat/dairy products from animals fed on GM feed
Reared animals are animals raised by humans specifically for their meat and any other food products they produce
Intensively farmed animals are often kept in cages that are very crowded with other animals - they don't have a lot of space to move.
What are some of the features of intensive farming of animals?
Kept in warm sheds --> don't waste much energymoving or keeping warm so more energy goes into producing meat - maximises food production
Fed growth hormones/force-fed --> speeds up growth - quicker and cheaper to produce meat
Intensive farming is generally cheaper than free-range since its more efficient, but it isn't as ethical, and people are getting more concerned about the welfare of the animals.
Battery cages for hens were banned in the EU in 2012, and new enriched cages with more space and nesting areas were introduced. some people still argue that these standards are still too low
Free-range food comes from animals that have lots of space to roam around, aren't given growth hormones and generally have nicer lives.
What are the disadvantages of free-range farming?
Animals use up energy moving around --> take longer to grow
extra land needed --> increases cost
The two main labels added to foods to show welfare standards are:
Red tractor --> the producer meets standards of food safety, hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection
RSPCA assured --> on eggs, fish and meat that follow strict RSPCA welfare standards
The two main methods of obtaining fish are trawling (catching fish) and fish farming (rearing fish)
In trawling, boats called trawlers catch the fish using nets. Some boats drag the net through the sea and some along the surface of the seabed.
In fish farming, large numbers of fish are raised in tanks/enclosures in rivers, lakes or the sea. This is an intensive farming method - there is overcrowding and many fish die from disease.
What happens when fish are caught?
washed and gutted in the boats before brought to shore
chilled by being packed with ice or salted to prevent spoilage
transported to fishmongers/supermarkets
What are the concerns about current fishing practices?
Bottom trawling is destructive --> nets that drag along seabed destroy coral
Trawlers can catch unwanted animals in nets
Overfishing --> more fish caught than can be naturally replaced
What is sustainable fishing?
fishing responsibly
to conserve fish stocks
and prevent overfishing (when more fish are caught than can be replaced)
What are sustainable fishing practices?
Alternative fishing methods --> longline fishing uses a line with baited hooks secured between buoys - reduces chance of catching unwanted fish + fewer fish caught
Fishing quotas --> quotas set by governments help endangered species by limiting numbers that can be caught
Regulating net size --> holes have to be a certain size so smaller, unwanted fish can escape
Why do households commonly waste food?
Food has spoiled
overcooked/burnt
wasn't covered/stored correctly
wasn't kept at right temperature
has passed use-by date.
Why do shops/retailers commonly waste food?
reject anything damaged/spoiled during transport
imperfect food often not sold, so is not accepted by retailers
stock more than can sell to avoid running out - unsold stock gets wasted
offers encourage consumers to buy more than they can use/store
How can food wastage be reduced?
Plan meals + portion sizes
only buy ingredients that you will use
store food correctly
check use-by dates
freeze left overs to be used another time
use whole food --> e.g. bones for stock, peelings for compost
donate unwanted food to food banks
The different packagings that can be used for food are plastic, glass, metal and paper
Plastic packaging is good because it is transparent, lightweight and can be shaped to the food
Glass packaging is good because it is transparent, heat resistant, gives food a long shelf-life and is reusable
Metal packaging is good because it is heat-resistant and gives a long shelf-life
Paper packaging is good because it is lightweight, can be printed on and is biodegradable