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CAIE IGCSE Biology 20.1 Food Supply Questions

Practise food-supply questions by evaluating farming methods, monoculture trade-offs and intensive livestock impacts on yield, biodiversity and pollution.

Syllabus
2026–2028
Course
Biology 0610

Exam points

  • distinguish fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides by the yield, nutrient, weed or pest effect they control
  • explain how protected environments and selective breeding or genetic resistance improve reliable crop production
  • evaluate higher production against pollution, non-target harm, biodiversity loss and chemical resistance
  • define a monoculture and state its yield and specialist-machinery efficiency advantages
  • explain why monocultures increase pest or disease vulnerability and reduce habitat, biodiversity, genetic diversity and soil quality
  • state how intensive livestock production can increase yield, efficiency, consistency and food security
  • explain how crowding increases disease or parasite spread and encourages antibiotic or chemical use
  • link waste feed and faeces from intensive production to pollution, eutrophication and inefficient energy transfer

Covered syllabus points

20.1.1—Humans have increased food production20.1.2—Advantages and disadvantages20.1.3—Advantages and disadvantages

Question 1

[Maximum number: 11]

Question (a)

(a)

Researchers investigated four different insecticides to determine how effective they were at removing three different species of insects, A, B and C, from crop plants.

They tested different concentrations of each insecticide to find the minimum dosage required to remove 95 % of each insect population in two hours.

Each insecticide had the same cost per gram.
The results are shown in Table 6.1.

Table 6.1

Table 6.1

[ 6 ]

Question (i)

(i)

Use the information in Table 6.1 to decide which one of the four different insecticides and which dosage would be the best choice for removing insects A, B and C from a field of crop plants.

Explain your choices.
insecticide dosage
explanation

[ 3 ]

Question (ii)

(ii)

Discuss factors, other than dosage, that should be considered to prevent the insecticide damaging the environment.

[ 3 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Describe the advantages to farmers of using insecticides.

[ 2 ]

Question (c)

(c)

Farmers also use other chemicals on their crop plants.

State the names of chemicals, other than insecticides, that are used by farmers on crop plants and explain their benefits.

[ 3 ]

Question 2

[Maximum number: 2]

Fig. 4.1 is a flow chart showing some of the processes that occur in a biofuels power plant.

Fig. 4.1

Fig. 4.1

Farmers grow giant reed plants as monocultures.

Describe the disadvantages of growing giant reed plants to provide biomass for the production of biofuels.

Question 3

[Maximum number: 3]

Intensive livestock production can be damaging to natural ecosystems.

Fig. 3.3 shows intensive farming of chickens.

Fig. 3.3 shows intensive farming of chickens.

Describe the negative impact on an ecosystem of the intensive production of livestock, such as chickens.

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