Introduction to Farming

Key Issues

Titles

Chapters

• a farming system or region in the EU to illustrate the impact on the environment of the farming methods used
• advantages to people and economy
• An overview of the environmental, economic and social (including health) implications of genetically modified food and crops in countries in different states of development
• An overview of the global increase in population and the consequent increase in demand for food together with the pressures on all businesses to be more efficient
• Both the advantages and the disadvantages of the agricultural changes should be considered
• Classify farms using the terminology in the content: arable/pastoral
• Classify farms using the terminology in the content: commercial/subsistence
• Classify farms using the terminology in the content: intensive/extensive
• Classify farms using the terminology in the content: organic
• commercial farming
• Economic activity as inputs, outputs and processes and the study of at least one selected example
• Explain the factors that influence farmer's choices
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - choice
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - climate
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - finance
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - labour
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - market
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - politics
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - relief
• Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - soils
• extensive farming
• Farms may be studied as systems, with inputs (physical, economic, technological, social, political) in which the farmer is viewed as a decision maker
• Farms may be studied as systems, with outputs, in which the farmer is viewed as a decision maker
• Farms may be studied as systems, with processes, in which the farmer is viewed as a decision maker
• How the environments are at risk includes the causes, effects and human responses
• increase in farm/field size
• intensive farming
• Introduce damage caused by farming
• Issues to consider in relation to organic farming may include its ability to meet market demands
• Knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of one major farming type
• Knowledge and understanding of the nature and causes of changes that have taken place in this farming type in recent years
• Knowledge and understanding of the social consequences of these changes in rural areas
• local economic activity to include the location and the reasons for the location plus other factors that may cause the activity to close, move or expand
• oil exploitation in Alaska
• positive and negative
• recent problems and changes
• scientific advances including HYVs and chemicals
• subsistence farming
• sun hours aid ripening
• The effects on water quality, soil, vegetation and animals by activities such as burning
• The effects on water quality, soil, vegetation and animals by activities such as draining
• The effects on water quality, soil, vegetation and animals by activities such as hedgerow removal
• The effects on water quality, soil, vegetation and animals by activities such as irrigation
• The effects on water quality, soil, vegetation and animals by activities such as ploughing
• The effects on water quality, soil, vegetation and animals by activities such as the use of chemicals
• the farm as a system
• The impact of economic factors, eg cost of land
• The impact of economic factors, eg, distance from market
• The impact of human factors, eg, perception of opportunity
• The impact of human factors, eg, tradition
• The impact of physical factors, eg, rainfall
• The impact of physical factors, eg, relief
• The impact of physical factors, eg, soil quality
• The impact of political factors, eg, subsidies
• The impact of political factors,eg, quotas
• the impact on the environment is an important consideration
• The impact on the environment of organic farming compared to 'agribusiness'
• The inputs of a farm system
• the location and the reasons for the location plus other factors that may cause the activity to close, move or expand. An example could include a farm
• the nature of the farming
• The need to increase productivity and efficiency are key reasons for farming change
• The outputs of a farm system
• the physical and human factors that affect the type of farming
• The processes of a farm system
• the relevant changes affecting the system
• the relevant physical and human factors influencing the system
• use of greenhouses
• wind damage to crops