| Date | November 2021 | Marks available | 2 | Reference code | 21N.1.SL.TZ0.3 |
| Level | Standard Level | Paper | Paper 1 | Time zone | Time zone 0 |
| Command term | State | Question number | 3 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Figure 8(a): Fact file on urban agriculture and vertical farms
- Approximately 9 % of London’s land area is used for agriculture.
- Most commercial farms are on the edges of London, in the “green belt”.
- There is increasing interest in urban agriculture, such as vertical farming and rooftop gardening, including beekeeping.
Vertical farms:
- Vertical farms exist underground and inside empty industrial buildings.
- They produce vegetables such as salad leaves, lettuce, spinach and herbs.
- Compared to traditional UK agriculture, vertical farms use up to 70 % less water and no pesticides.
Urban beekeeping:
- There are over 1000 beekeepers in London.
- There is a higher density of bees in London than in rural areas of the UK.
- London’s bees have more diverse food sources and are healthier than rural bees.
- An 11 km “bee corridor” of wildflowers has been created in north London.
Figure 8(b): Underground vertical farm
[Source: LouisHiemstra / www.istockphoto.com.]
Figure 8(c): Rooftop beekeeping
[Source: Permission from Berkeley Homes.]
State one strength and one weakness of using the ecological footprint as a model for measuring sustainability.
State one factor that would allow a region’s ecological footprint to exceed its biocapacity.
With reference to Figures 8(a), 8(b) and 8(c), suggest how urban agriculture could be used to increase the carrying capacity of London.
Markscheme
Strengths of model: [1 max]
- good visualising tool/easily understood by non-specialists;
- environmental indicator / hazard warning indicator;
- (widespread use so) easy to compare with other areas;
- highlights problem areas / identifies necessary changes in lifestyle;
- iconic symbol for raising awareness;
- information can be used to inform policy by governments;
Notes: Do not credit a definition of EF e.g. ‘provides an estimate of land/resources required to sustain lifestyle’.
Do not accept ‘EF shows if a country is sustainable or not’.
Do not accept ‘it is a simple tool/method’.
Weaknesses of model: [1 max]
- calculations are complex/all models are simplifications;
- needs huge amounts of data/uses proxy data/estimates;
- land has more than one function;
- less reliable at local level / not everyone in the region has the same lifestyle;
- can be interpreted differently by cultures;
- does not show types of resources used;
- does not include all factors that contribute to sustainability;
Notes: Do not accept only ‘it is inaccurate / does not use outliers’.
Do not accept ‘does not account for changes over time’.
importing resources/food;
exporting waste products;
- increases food resources, (which increases carrying capacity);
- decreases water use, (which increases carrying capacity);
- no pesticides, so less water pollution/does not harm/pollute environment / no pesticides used so fewer inputs/resources needed, (which increases carrying capacity);
- vertical farming uses less land area, (so more land area is available for housing);
- farming on roofs and in abandoned buildings means more land area is available (for housing/population growth);
- bees result in more pollination, so more primary productivity, (increasing carbon sink);
Notes: Do not accept only ‘bees increase resources available’ without reference to increasing food.
Do not accept ‘bees provide healthier food’.
Do not accept only ‘no pesticides used / provides goods / produces agricultural items / pesticides cause eutrophication’.
Examiners report
Many students attempted to give a definition of an ecological footprint or sustainability rather than focusing on a strength and a weakness of using a model in determining EF.
Few candidates answered this question correctly. This question was misinterpreted by most students and many responses incorrectly focused on using more local resources.
Most candidates achieved some marks for this question with many recognising that vertical farming uses less water, less land area and increases availability of food. Few candidates linked beekeeping to pollination and primary productivity. Some students confused the use of pesticides with fertilizers, incorrectly suggesting pesticides cause eutrophication. There was a significant number of candidates that did not attempt this question.
