1.
Look at the sources below. They give information about intensive farming and its
effects.
Source A
Agricultural employment in the UK
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Number
of
workers
Year
800 000
750 000
700 000
650 000
600 000
550 000
500 000
Changes in the numbers of farmland birds in
Scotland and the UK (1970 – 1990)
Rest of UK
Scotland
Goldfinch
Lapwing
Linnet
Whitethroat
Yellow Wagtail
Yellowhammer
Stock Dove
Reed Bunting
Grey Partridge
Tree Sparrow
Barn Owl
Corn Bunting
Corncrake
Percentage
change
+40
+20
0
–20
–40
–60
–80
–100
Page three
1. (continued)
Source B More food, cheaper food
Source C Weeds and wildlife
[0580/403]
Arable (crop) land occupies nearly 30% of Britain’s surface. Arable
farmers have always had to deal with difficult weather, poor soils and
often steep slopes. Perhaps the greatest challenge though, was the battle
with the many “weeds” in the crops.
Weeds still cause major crop losses, and some arable farmers wonder
whether it is worth conserving any wild plants on arable land. Until
recently, only a few botanists worried about the disappearance of these
plants. This has changed now that familiar plants such as Cornflower,
Poppy, Pansy and Corn Marigold have become very rare. Arable land
has a reputation for being a desert for wildlife. However, if hedgerows
are kept, they create a rich habitat for plants, animals and birds.
Modern intensive agriculture in the UK started in the 1940s. Farmers
got large subsidies from the government, at huge cost to the taxpayer.
This resulted in a rapid increase in the use of artificial fertilisers and
chemical pesticides. Increasing farm mechanisation led to the removal of
hundreds of miles of hedgerows and dykes which formed the old field
boundaries. It also led to problems in disposing of the huge surpluses of
grain and milk which had been created.
Since then, the average crop yield has increased by more than fifty
percent. The consumer has cheaper food than ever before and its quality
is more consistent and arguably better. Eggs are cheap and chicken, once
regarded as a luxury, is an everyday food.
In the last thirty years, the share of the average household’s budget spent
on food has fallen from twenty percent to nine percent. This is not just
because food is cheaper. People are much better off.
Page four
1. (continued)
QUESTIONS
(
a
) Using all the sources, summarise the effects of intensive farming on the
environment.
(
b
) Using the sources, describe the social and economic effects of intensive
farming.
(
c
) Organic farming is an alternative to intensive farming.
From your own knowledge, describe the advantages and disadvantages of
organic farming for the consumer and the environment.
(
d
) In recent years it has become more difficult for farmers to make a profit.
Many have had to find other ways of making money from their land without
farming.
From your own knowledge, describe in detail some of these other ways of
making money.
2.
Look at the sources below. They give information about the tourist industry in
Scotland compared to other industries.
Source A
[OPEN OUT]
Female
employees
Part time
jobs
Workplaces with
1-10 employees
Professional/
managerial
Skilled
and semi-
skilled
Sales and
customer
service
Unskilled Office staff
Workforce
Types of work
Key for all graphs
Tourism Other industries
14
5
5
5
20
21
36
38
59
80
76
30
50
54
38
9
14
16–24
25–34
35–44 45–54 55 and over
Age of people in employment
22
11
21
27
15
34
21
13
23
14
School
College
University Other jobs
Where employees come from
%
25
41
25
15
27
17
17
33
%
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
%
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
%
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
50
40
30
20
10
0
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