O-LevelGeographyEconomic development2217/13 · Oct/Nov 2011 · Q525 Marks

Study Fig. 8, which shows information about food production in selected countries. Name one country where population growth is greater than the increase in food production.

(a)(i)Study Fig. 8, which shows information about food production in selected countries. Name one country where population growth is greater than the increase in food production.[1]
(a)(ii)Give two natural factors which cause food shortages.[2]
(a)(iii)How can economic and political factors cause food shortages?[3]
(a)(iv)Describe the effects of food shortages in LEDCs.[4]
(b)(i)Study Fig. 9, which shows information about changes in agriculture in Malaysia (an LEDC) between 1985 and 2010. Describe the changes in employment in agriculture in Malaysia between 1985 and 2010. You should refer to data from Fig. 9.[3]
(b)(ii)The value of agricultural output per worker in Malaysia increased between 1985 and 2010. Suggest reasons for this increase.[5]
(c)Choose an example which you have studied of large-scale commercial farming. Name an area where your chosen farming type takes place. Describe the inputs, processes and outputs of this farming system. Example Area[7]

This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2011). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] Peru/Madagascar/Egypt/Nigeria etc.
[2] Ideas such as:
Drought;
Flooding;
Hurricanes/cyclones/typhoons;
Pests/locusts;
Volcanic eruption/earthquake;
Infertile soils;
soil erosion by wind etc.
[3] Ideas such as:
Poverty/people cannot afford food;
Poor farming practices;
Overcultivation/overgrazing;
Exhaustion of soils;
Wars/conflicts;
Lack of investment in irrigation/fertilizers/pesticides;
Can't afford agricultural technology (or example);
Production of non food crops;
Inflation/prices of food become too high;
Uneven distribution of food;
Corruption;
Difficult to distribute food properly/poor roads
[4] Ideas such as:
starvation/death;
malnutrition;
deficiency diseases or e.g. marasmus, kwashiorkor;
people become too weak to work;
therefore cannot plant crops/harvest crops/earn money etc.
[3] Reduction in employment in agriculture;
from (1.8-1.85 million) to (0.9–0.95 million)
halved between 1985 and 2010
little change between 1985 and 1990;
particularly steep reduction between 1990 and 1995;
from 1.75 million to (1.45–1.5 million);
falls steadily from 1995 to 2010;
from (1.8-1.85) to 1.75 etc.
Credit pairs of data to MAX 1
[5] Ideas such as:
increased mechanisation;
such as harvesters/tractors(dev);
greater use of fertilizers;
adding nutrients to the soil (dev)
more irrigation;
so that crops do not dry out (dev)
increases yields;
use of pesticides/herbicides;
prevent destruction of crops by insects (dev)
HYV seeds;
Hydroponics;
Aeroponics etc.
[7] Level 1 (1-3 marks)
Statements including limited detail describing a farming system.
(e.g. soil, harvesting, cereal crops)
Level 2 (4-6 marks)
Uses named example
More developed statements describing the chosen farming system.
(e.g. deep, fertile soils, harvesting using combine harvester, cereal crops exported for bread making)
(NB MAX 5 if no named example)
Level 3 (7 marks)
Uses named example (e.g. Large scale cereal growing in Canadian Prairies).
Comprehensive and accurate statements including place specific detail.
(e.g. wheat farming in the Canadian Prairies deep, fertile, chernozem soils, harvesting using combine harvester, cereal crops exported through Great Lakes for bread making)