1. Efficient food production
Lesson objectives
• All will know how energy is transferred through a
food chain
• Most will know methods to reduce energy
wastage during food production
• Some will be able to independently develop their
own argument for/against intensive farming
2. What are the benefits of eating plants?
Your friend is at university and has phoned you to complain
that all she can afford to eat is beans on toast.
What are the energy
arguments for eating a
plant-based diet?
3. A luxury item?
A 400g steak costs An 800g loaf of bread costs
£4.00. £0.80.
This equals £1.00 per 100g. This equals £0.10 per 100g.
Why is meat more expensive than bread?
4. 1. What is a food chain and a pyramid of biomass?
2. What two things become less as you move along
the food chain?
3. How are these factors lost?
4. Why is it more efficient for humans to eat
herbivores and producers rather than
carnivores?
7. How energy efficient is it to eat meat?
Which of these chains is the most efficient?
The first food chain is the most efficient because it contains
fewest trophic levels, so less energy will be lost.
8. Is eating meat less energy efficient?
If a one-acre field of corn is
used to feed cows, it can
support one person.
If the same area is used to
feed humans directly, it can
support 10 people.
9. Why is maximizing yields important?
Many farmers use intensive farming methods to maximize their
yields. Why?
More food produced
in the same amount
of space.
Cheaper food for
consumers.
Lower costs for
farmers.
Increased energy
efficiency.
How do they do this…..
10. Intensive farming
• Farmers apply the principle
of food chains/pyramids of
biomass .
• Intensive farming looks at
maximising biomass in
animals without feeding
them anymore i.e. maintain
room temps/limiting their
movement
11. What are the problems of livestock
farming/cramped conditions?
• Abnormal behaviour e.g.
chickens may pluck out each
other’s feathers.
• Animals are more likely to
catch diseases.
To help prevent these problems, farmers must comply with
EU regulations, but some people do not think these
regulations are strict enough.
12. Your task
• Using the information you have learnt, the
textbook p.166-167 (old) and p.228-229 (new)
develop a table for and against intensive
farming (i.e. free range versus factory)
