Analyse varying ways in which agro-industrialization has led to environmental degradation.

Examine the loss of distinctiveness that some places experience as a result of global interactions.

Agro-industrialization refers to (mostly) large-scale, mechanized food production and processing, often involving a high level of fertilizer, pesticide or chemical (antibiotic) use. In the context of global interactions, global food production is dominated by agro-industries (or agro-businesses). These are large TNCs (Cargill, Del Monte, Monsanto) with extensive production networks.

At the national scale, ways include impacts of large-scale mechanized production on biodiversity, forest cover and soil fertility. For instance:

• Removal of tropical forests for cash crops increases flooding and soil erosion.
• Palm oil industry in Indonesia has led to widespread burning of native forest and smoke pollution.
• Impacts on ecosystems of large amounts of pesticides or fertilizers entering the water cycle (eg, eutrophication).
• Industrialized fish farming (aquaculture) can lead to mangrove forest loss and the spread of disease to wild fish populations.
• Agri-business TNCs process food too, with implications for air and water quality.

At the global scale, ways include: raised greenhouse gas emissions, due to methane emissions (cattle ranching), forest removal (loss of carbon store) or air freight movements. However, the focus should be on the way agro-industrialization has led to this rather than an in-depth analysis of climate change impacts.

Good answers may apply (AO2) a more varied range of knowledge and understanding (AO1) in a well-structured way (AO4). One approach might be to break down large-scale environmental degradation into explicitly national and global effects. Another approach might be to analyse the varied impacts of different types of agro-industry (cattle rearing and arable systems, for instance) or varied impacts on different environmental domains (local, global, atmosphere, hydrosphere, etc).

For band C (4–6), expect either some weakly-evidenced outlining of impacts/challenges of agro-industry/ modern farming.

For band D (7–8), expect a structured, well-evidenced analysis of:

• either varied kinds of environmental degradation (eg water/air/soil) caused by global-scale/large-scale mechanized/industrialized agriculture
• or specific agro-industries/TNCs whose global operations have led to environmental degradation.

For band E (9–10), expect both band D traits.

Marks should be allocated according to the Paper 3 markbands Part (a) (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials).

Credit all content in line with the markbands (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials). Credit unexpected approaches wherever relevant.

The focus is on the loss of distinctiveness of places (either localities, cities or countries). The question suggests that this may be a result of global interactions. Possible dimensions of loss include visible changes to/erosion of cultural landscapes and the built environment; also, social/identity changes for people living in these places (diet, languages spoken, music, etc). Also credit ideas of a loss of political distinctiveness (ie sovereignty) due to the growth of multi-governmental organizations (MGOs).

Material dealing with ‘switched-off’ places - where change has been resisted altogether (eg North Korea, or Amish populations) – should not be over-credited. This is because the question asks for an examination of the losses that have happened (and not a discussion of whether or not there is any loss). In contrast, material that reflects critically on the degree/spectrum of loss should be credited highly (this could include N Korea/Amish if there is recognition that some losses have occurred for these populations).

Possible applied themes (AO2) include knowledge and understanding (AO1) of:

• issues of landscape homogenization [Guide 4]
• the homogenizing power of global media and TNCs [Guide 5]
• telecommunication network growth (as a vehicle for cultural transmission) [Guide 2]
• processes of cultural diffusion linked with flows of people and commodities [Guide 5]
• the extent to which glocalization (adaption, rather than adoption, of culture) leads to loss of distinctiveness [Guide 5]
• changing political identities/distinctiveness due to MGO growth [Guide 6].

Good answers may synthesize (AO3) three or more of these themes in a well-structured (AO4) way.

Good answers may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3) that examines contrasting contexts, scales and/or aspects of place distinctiveness. One approach might be to examine the connections between particular types of global interaction and particular changing place characteristics. Another approach might be to examine the extent to which changes are highly distinctive (and visible) or not. Another approach might be to examine a spectrum of losses (ranging from places that have lost only a little of their original distinctiveness to those that have suffered a major loss; but do not over-credit accounts of places where there has been no loss at all, as this is outside the remit of the question).

For band C (5–8), expect weakly-evidenced outlining of two or three relevant themes from the geography guide.

For band D (9–12), expect:

• either a structured synthesis that links together several well-evidenced and well-focused themes from the geography guide
• or a critical conclusion (or ongoing evaluation).

For band E (13–15), expect both of these traits.

Marks should be allocated according to the Paper 3 markbands Part (b) (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials).