Food production — AQA GCSE Biology
Food security, intensive farming, sustainable fishing and the role of biotechnology, including mycoprotein, GM bacteria and GM crops.
Revision notes
4 short notes, in the order of the specification. Each one in short:
Food security is having enough food to feed a population. Biological factors threatening it include the increasing birth rate, changing diets in developed countries, new pests and pathogens, environmental changes such as rains failing, the cost of agricultural inputs, and conflicts that affect the availability of water or food. Sustainable methods must be found to feed all people on Earth.
Intensive farming improves the efficiency of food production by restricting energy transfer from food animals to the environment. Limiting the animals' movement and controlling the temperature of their surroundings means they transfer less energy to their surroundings, so more energy from their food is used for growth. Some people have ethical objections, and disease can spread quickly between animals.
Sustainable fisheries keep fish stocks at a level where breeding continues, so that species do not disappear from some areas. Controlling net size helps because a larger mesh lets small, young fish escape, survive and breed. Fishing quotas limit how much fish can be caught, so enough fish are left to breed and stocks recover.
Biotechnology, including genetic modification and culturing large quantities of microorganisms for food, can help feed the growing human population. The fungus Fusarium is grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions to produce mycoprotein, a protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians. Genetically modified bacteria produce human insulin, and GM crops such as golden rice can improve nutritional value.
Exam questions
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Quick check questions
Define food security.
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Having enough food to feed a population.
Why does limiting the movement of food animals increase efficiency of food production?
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Less energy is transferred to the environment, so more goes into growth.
Give two ways to keep fish stocks sustainable.
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Control of net size and fishing quotas.
What is mycoprotein and what is it grown on?
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A protein-rich food made from the fungus Fusarium, grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions.
What is produced by a genetically modified bacterium to treat diabetes?
Show answer
Human insulin.
Frequently asked questions
What threatens food security?
Food security, having enough food to feed a population, is threatened by an increasing birth rate, changing diets in developed countries that mean scarce food is transported around the world, new pests and pathogens, environmental changes such as rains failing, the cost of agricultural inputs, and conflicts that affect the availability of water or food.
How does intensive farming increase food production?
Intensive farming increases the efficiency of food production by restricting energy transfer from food animals to the environment. The animals' movement is limited and the temperature of their surroundings is controlled, so they transfer less energy to their surroundings and more of the energy from their food is used for growth. Some are also fed high protein foods.
How can fishing be made sustainable?
Fishing can be made sustainable by controlling net size and by fishing quotas. A larger mesh lets small, young fish escape, so they survive, grow and breed. Quotas limit how much fish can be caught, so enough fish are left to breed and stocks recover. Both keep fish stocks at a level where breeding continues.
How is mycoprotein made?
Mycoprotein is made from the fungus Fusarium, which is grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions, with oxygen. The fungal biomass is then harvested and purified. Mycoprotein is a protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians, and it is an example of modern biotechnology, which allows large quantities of microorganisms to be cultured for food.
Written and checked against the AQA GCSE Biology (8461) specification · Updated October 2026