Examine the view that food waste reduction is the best way to achieve future food security.

Examine the relative importance of physical and human factors in the diffusion over time of one vector-borne disease.

Refer to Paper 1 markbands (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials).

Food security means that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. In recent years, reducing food waste and food loss have become high on the agenda as a means of achieving food security. The reduction of wastage, be it post-harvest, in the distribution or processing stage of the food chain, or at the consumer level, will often contribute to general food security. However, if the aim is to improve access to food, in particular for the poor and over the short term, other solutions are needed.

Possible applied themes (AO2) demonstrating knowledge and understanding (AO1):

• Food is lost or wasted throughout various stages of the food supply chain: crops can become damaged, animals may die due to diseases, fish may be discarded. Food may be lost during the processing and transport stages, and consumers may waste food by throwing it away.
• In high-income countries food is mainly wasted by consumers. In low-income countries it is mainly lost during the production stages of the food chain.
• Other strategies to achieve food security may include:

• provision of food aid and relief, in the short term
• increasing food supply by improving farming technologies, such as genetically modified crops (GMOs), mechanization and irrigation
• developing sustainable farming practices
• improving infrastructure, and storage facilities for crops
• international trade agreements to facilitate the trade in food crops
• overcoming political instability.

Good answers may be well structured (AO4) and may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3) of the statement in a way that explicitly examines the view that waste reduction is the best possibility for future food security. Another approach might be to examine how interactions between food producers, consumers and other stakeholders will determine whether waste reduction can be achieved. The issues might also be examined at differing spatial scales (eg, local, national and international).

For 5–6 marks, expect some outlining of food waste reduction and/or food security issues. The response is partial, narrow or lacks supporting evidence.

For 7–8 marks, expect a well-structured account, which includes:

• either a well-evidenced explanation of how food security can be achieved by food waste reduction (also credit other strategies)
• or an ongoing evaluation (or discursive conclusion) grounded in geographical concepts and/or perspectives.

For 9–10 marks, expect both of these traits.

Refer to Paper 1 markbands (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials).

Vector-borne diseases include malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease, Zika, Ebola and West Nile virus. Vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and tsetse flies can transmit infectious diseases between humans or from animals to humans. Mosquitoes are the best-known disease vector. The distribution of these diseases is influenced by a complex set of environmental, social and economic factors.

If an inappropriate disease is chosen (eg HIV/AIDS, cholera), award up to a maximum of [4].

Possible applied themes (AO2) demonstrating knowledge and understanding (AO1):

• Physical factors affecting the diffusion of the disease, eg climate, stagnant surface water, altitude.
• Human factors affecting the diffusion of the disease, eg poverty, housing, rural-urban, age and gender.
• Diffusion of the disease may be affected by factors such as:

• increasing international travel due to tourism and trade
• migration of populations.

• Physical and human barriers to the spread of disease may include:

• health checks, border controls and quarantine
• vaccinations; bed nets; spraying

• Over time, spread of disease might be modified by climate change, improvements in health infrastructure, understanding of the disease, technological developments such as vaccinations and increased affluence.
• Globalization of travel and trade have a significant impact on the spread of disease.

Good answers may be well structured (AO4) and may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3) of the statement in a way that examines the complex interactions between the various factors affecting both the incidence and diffusion of the disease. Another approach might be to examine how the spatial diffusion of the disease is changing due to globalization and climate change processes. Another approach might be to examine the time and spatial scale of the diffusion, and the changing relative importance of physical and human factors (eg for malaria, early spread may be due to physical factors, human factors then becoming relatively more important).

For 5–6 marks, expect some outlining of human and/or physical factors in diffusion of disease. The response is partial, narrow or lacks supporting evidence.

For 7–8 marks, expect a well-structured account which includes:

• either a well-evidenced explanation of physical and human factors affecting diffusion of a disease over time
• or an ongoing evaluation (or discursive conclusion) grounded in geographical concepts and/or perspectives (for example an evaluation of changing importance over time).

For 9–10 marks, expect both of these traits.

A popular question, with some good responses regarding different aspects of food waste in NICs and LICs, and the contribution of reduction of food waste to future food security. The better answers also examined other varied ways of achieving food security, discussing the pros and cons of each strategy. Weaker responses were narrow in focus, describing and outlining some aspects of food waste reduction without addressing the question.

A straightforward question, and many candidates focused on either malaria, Zika or Ebola. There were some good, effective answers, focusing on diffusion. Few made inappropriate choices of type of disease. Many answers were descriptive about conditions favouring the disease, with little attention paid to the physical and human factors that affect diffusion over time.