1

Figure 1 is taken from an article about food production by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

In the 1960s, the Green Revolution made headlines in India, where the output is pushing ahead with a Blue Revolution and is improving the countrys nutrition.
Figure 1 (i)
Explain how modern technologies, such as Green Revolution and the Blue Revolution, help less developed countries to produce more food. [4]

Wide range of developments eg computerised sprinklers, drip irrigation systems, mechanical innovations (combine harvesters), development of hybrid seeds (cross breeds) productive farming methods & fish farming methods. Green Revolution International Rice Research Institute in Philippines developed IR36 rice in 1967 and planted on 11 million hectares of land 30 years later Its yields produce about US$1billion a year in extra income from rice sales Early 1950s, farmers in Northern Indian state of Punjab produced average of one tonne of wheat per hectare of land per year. By mid-1990s, these same lands produced almost 10 tonnes per hectare of land: 5 tonnes wheat & 5 tonnes rice. Using machinery to plough, transplant & harvest rice (tripper harvesting of rice in Malaysia) has made rice growing more efficient & productive in Asia, but costly and needs maintenance. The Blue Revolution Increasing food supply from water, not land. Aquaculture rearing of aquatic organisms eg fish and crustaceans from freshwater rivers and seawater estuaries (brackish water), bays and lagoons. Fish - main source of protein for > a billion people. Oceans over-fished so fishes have to be reared. Today, almost 40 million tonnes annual world fish harvest come from commercial fish farms & not wild fisheries Largely believed that aquaculture will supply > half of fish eaten by people by 2030.

(ii)

Use Figure 2 below to outline the benefits and threats arising from genetically modified food crops. . [4]

Superweed claims dismissed Scientists deny the GM plants were responsible for producing herbicideresistant weeds. Golden Rice has more vitamins A new GM rice has up to 23 times more vitamin A. Lack of the vitamin is a major cause of childhood blindness

New Crops have little economic benefit Public hostility to GM crops in Canada, USA and Europe means low sales for farmers and even reduced profits. Gene-altered mouse produces fish oils Recent successes show that it will be possible to produce farm animals like chicken and pigs that contain healthy oils only found in fish at present.

Figure 2: Recent articles on Genetically Modified Organisms in The New Scientist

Benefits: Improvement in nutritional value of food eg Golden Rice contains 23 times more vitamin A GM organisms producing Vitamin A can help reduce childhood blindness Greater nutritional value than traditional crop making people healthier & more productive in work, increasing income returns [further devt of point] May produce healthy oils needed by humans & currently only fish can produce Healthy oils more readily available & cheaper Greater yields produced Increase food supply Allow farmers to make greater profits/incomes [devt of point] Give poorly nourished populations greater access to food Solve food shortage problem [further devt of point] Threats: May cross-breed with wild species so wild species eg weeds resist pesticides, become super-weeds [devt of point], colonise large areas at expense of farming land [further devt of point] Even more chemicals used to kill them, increasing cost & toxins in environment People consuming GM crops, health at risk Cross-breed with organic species contaminating organic crops, thus lowering value of organic farmers Lower organic farmers profits Less capital available for further investment into farms for higher returns [further devt of point]

Article New crops have little economic benefit shows people in Canada & Europe still skeptical about safety of GM food Low demand for GM food may lead to lower profits for farmers Gene-altered mouse producing fish oils may pose potential health risk when consumed