Food Supply & Modern Technology Drawbacks
Biology: Cambridge International GCSE Supplement, topic 20.1.2
Drawbacks to Modern Food Production Practices
Modern food production practices have led to much-needed increases to food production. However, these improvements have not been without their associated disadvantages.
Monocultures of crops
- Monocultures of crops (only one type of crop being grown in a particular place) reduce biodiversity and genetic variety within an ecosystem:
- Reduced insect populations affect food webs.
- There can be an over-reliance on chemical fertilisers that do not replenish organic structure and nutrients to soil.
Intensive livestock production
- Intensive livestock production (keeping large numbers of animals indoors or with restricted movement) leads to:
- Increased risks of disease.
- Large amounts of waste that may negatively impact the ecosystem.