Food Production and Supply in Industrial Countries

Up until the beginning of the 20th century, how was food production different from today?

• Food was produced on a much smaller scale and many people practised subsistence farming.

• Food was mostly imported from other countries.

• Food was produced using only machines.

• Food was only available in supermarkets.

Based on the text, what is a challenge faced by people engaged in subsistence farming?

• Limited human resources

• Excessive use of machinery

• Overproduction of food

• High export rates

Which of the following is a method humans have used to increase food production?

• Use of chemical fertilisers

• Reducing crop diversity

• Limiting the use of machinery

• Decreasing livestock production

Based on the activity description, what is the main purpose of the interactive mentioned?

• To memorize population numbers

• To introduce methods for improving food amount and quality

• To calculate population growth rates

• To predict future population sizes

What is one major benefit of increased use of machinery in agriculture?

• It increases the price of food for consumers.

• It reduces labour costs and the time needed for farming tasks.

• It makes farming more difficult.

• It eliminates the need for planting crops.

Why might a farmer choose to use modern agricultural machinery instead of traditional hand tools? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

• Modern machinery increases labour costs and time needed.

• Modern machinery reduces labour costs and time needed for farming tasks.

• Traditional hand tools are more efficient.

• Modern machinery is only used for decorative purposes.

Which of the following is a natural fertiliser?

• Manure

• Insecticide

• Herbicide

• Plastic mulch

How do herbicides help crop plants?

• By killing weeds that compete for resources

• By increasing the yield of crops directly

• By adding nutrients to the soil

• By protecting crops from insects

Which of the following best describes selective breeding?

• Humans select animals or plants with desirable features and breed them to produce offspring with those features.

• Animals and plants are allowed to breed randomly in the wild.

• Scientists use chemicals to change the DNA of plants and animals.

• Animals and plants are bred only for their ability to survive in the wild.

Why did local people start selecting maize plants with the largest seeds?

• To improve the size and yield of corn cobs over generations.

• To make the plants grow faster in the wild.

• To reduce the number of seeds produced.

• To make the plants more resistant to insects.