TEACHER’S NOTES
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our
Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
Duration: 30 minutes
Classroom Video Ltd.
Tel: 0117 929 1924
Fax: 0117 930 4345
Email: [email protected]
www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
For Teachers
Brief Summary of Programme
This programme examines a question that relates to all our lives – does it matter how our food is
produced? The DVD looks at how and why farming techniques have changed in the UK and similar
developed countries, particularly over the last 50 years. It then takes an in-depth look at modern
intensive farming techniques and compares these to the organic and free range farming techniques
that are slowly growing in popularity. Finally it looks at the question from the perspective of different
people – farmers, the supermarkets and a range of consumers and experts.
Curriculum Links
1. Geography – the programme has direct relevance to all three key stages in geography. Most
exam specifications contain a section which looks at the benefits and challenges of producing food for
a growing population and how some people are developing a preference for food grown in a more
traditional, less-intensive way. Key geographical concepts such as sustainability are a major focus.
2. Science - the video provides a useful starting point for looking at the benefits of food produced
intensively versus that produced organically and by free range methods. Discussions relating to food
quality and the dangers of chemicals (pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers) could follow on from
watching the video.
3. PSHE and Citizenship – there is much to analyse and debate in this video as it illustrates one of
the key dilemas in life – the morality of producing large quantities of cheap food by intensive methods
versus farming which uses no chemicals and which provides a more natural environment for farm
animals and birds.
4. Design and Technology - there are a number of opportunities to link design and technology
work into this video by looking at the equipment and techniques used in farming and how they have
evolved over time.
5. In History, there are some links in the video to the agricultural revolution and the urbanisation of
Britain. In the past, the majority of people lived in rural areas and worked on the land – today that
picture has completely reversed.
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©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
DVD Timeline
00:00:00
00:0:50
00:3:15
00:5:30
00:10:50
00:15:00
00:18:50
00:22:00
00:23:10
Introduction
How was our food produced in the past?
The impact of EU membership on farming
The intensive farming of crops
The intensive farming of animals
Organic and conventional farming
Opinions – does it matter?
Conclusion and credits
Programme end
Useful Web Resources
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/factsheets/food_farming.pdf
http://www.soilassociation.org/foodandfarming
http://www.organic-food-for-everyone.co.uk/index.html
http://www.biodelice.com/Organic-farming.asp
http://www.calonwen-cymru.com/organic-farming/
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/organic-farming-no-better-for-theenvironment-436949.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jan/13/lifeandhealth.ruralaffairs
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/
http://www.themeatrix.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/apr/18/foodanddrink.food
Related DVDs available from Classroom Video Ltd.
From the Because Food Matters series:
DVD 2 – Local or Imported Food – How to Decide?
DVD 3 – Fairtrade – Who Benefits?
Please contact customer services on 0117 929 1924
or visit www.classroomvideo.co.uk to see our full range of titles.
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©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
Student Worksheet
While Viewing the Programme
1. Give three impacts of WWII on food production in the UK:
a) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
c) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. When farmers enlarged fields to make it easier to use large modern machinery what was a
negative side effect of this process?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. The UK joined the European Union in 1973 and had to agree to the rules of the Common
Agricultural Policy (C.A.P.). What were the five main aims of the C.A.P.?
a) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
c) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
d) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
e) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Farming in the UK and other European countries became so efficient that it resulted in a surplus of
food being produced.
a) What nickname was given to these food surpluses?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4
©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
b) Why did farmers produce so much excess food?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. In 2005 the European Union tried to reduce the food surplus by changing the subsidy system to a
Single Payment Scheme. What was the main purpose of this new scheme?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Why do most modern arable farms growing crops use these chemicals?
Fertilisers?
_______________________________________________________________________
Pesticides?
_______________________________________________________________________
Herbicides?
_______________________________________________________________________
7. What are the benefits of using poly-tunnels and bio-domes for growing crops?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What are the two main concerns that people have about intensive crop farming?
a) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What are the main food products that we get from birds and animals kept on intensive farms?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. a) What is ‘factory farming’ of birds and animals?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5
©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
b) Why do some people dislike this method of farming birds and animals?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What is the meaning of ‘organic farming’?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Why is it difficult to decide if we should eat food produced by ‘intensive farming’ or food produced
‘organically’?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6
©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
After Viewing the Programme
The DVD raises many different general questions which can be followed up afterwards. These include:
a) Why have methods of producing food changed in the last 50-100 years?
b) How are newer methods of farming crops and animals better, and how are they worse, than the
methods used in the past?
c) What can be done to try and make modern farming methods safer for us as consumers?
d) What can be done to try and make the lives of birds and animals reared on farms more natural?
e) How important is it to be able to produce large quantities of cheap food?
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©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
Suggested Student Responses
1. Give three impacts of WWII on food production in the UK:
a) Food could no longer be imported from other countries
b) More land had to be cultivated to produce sufficient food
c) More women had to do the work on the farms producing food
2. When farmers enlarged fields to make it easier to use large modern machinery what was a
negative side effect of this process?
Large numbers of wildlife habitats were destroyed as marshy areas were drained and hedges were
removed to make larger fields.
3. The UK joined the European Union in 1973 and had to agree to the rules of the Common
Agricultural Policy (C.A.P.). What were the five main aims of the C.A.P.?
a) to increase productivity (produce more food)
b) to stabilise markets (keep prices of farm products from rising and falling)
c)
to ensure a fair living standard for farm workers and their families
d)
to make sure there was sufficient food available for everyone
e)
to provide food at fair prices that everyone could afford
4. Farming in the UK and other European countries became so efficient that it resulted in a surplus of
food being produced.
c) What nickname was given to these food surpluses? ‘food mountains’ and ‘wine lakes’
Why did farmers produce so much excess food? The more food that farmers produced the more money
they received in the form of food subsidies.
5. In 2005 the European Union tried to reduce the food surplus by changing the subsidy system to a
Single Payment Scheme. What was the main purpose of this new scheme?
Farmers were asked to take a more environmentally friendly approach to the countryside by
encouraging wildlife, planting trees and hedges, etc.
6. Why do most modern arable farms growing crops use these chemicals?
Fertilisers? These chemicals make the crops grow faster and stronger and healthier.
Pesticides? These chemicals kill off the bugs and pests that might destroy the crops.
Herbicides? These chemicals kill the weeds that compete with the crops in the fields.
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©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Because Food Matters
Does It Matter How Our Food Is Produced?
ISBN 9781907948046
7. What are the benefits of using poly-tunnels and bio-domes for growing crops?
Poly-tunnels and bio-domes allow the farmer to control all aspects of the environment and therefore
grow crops all the year round – it extends the ‘growing season’ and protects against bad weather.
8. What are the two main concerns that people have about intensive crop farming?
a) The chemicals that are sprayed on to the land and the crops may get washed into the soil and then
get into lakes and rivers – here they may kill or affect the wildlife.
b) The chemicals that are sprayed on to the land and the crops may remain in the food that we eat and
have a bad effect on our health.
9. What are the main food products that we get from birds and animals kept on intensive farms?
Lamb, mutton (sheep), veal, beef, milk (cattle), eggs, chicken (chickens), pork, bacon, ham (pigs)
10. a) What is ‘factory farming’ of birds and animals?
‘Factory farming’ is the keeping of birds and animals indoors in cages so that they live in an artificial
environment rather than a natural environment.
b) Why do some people dislike this method of farming birds and animals? The birds and animals are
kept in very cramped conditions, they often see no daylight and they cannot behave naturally.
11. What is the meaning of ‘organic farming’?
‘Organic farming’ is natural farming that involves no chemicals and does no harm to the environment.
12. Why is it difficult to decide if we should eat food produced by ‘intensive farming’ or food produced
‘organically’?
Modern, intensive methods of farming produce large quantities of cheap food that everyone can afford.
This means that everyone can afford a healthy diet. Alternative methods such as organic farming
produce food that is more expensive and therefore not everyone may be able to afford it. Some people
believe that food produced by intensive farming methods is just as healthy as organic food. Some people
believe that although meat might be cheaper when produced by factory farming, it is cruel to the birds
and animals and we should take this into account when buying our food. Many governments, including
the UK’s, are beginning to get rid of factory farming.
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©Classroom Video Ltd www.ClassroomVideo.co.uk
Reproducing or downloading this resource pack:
You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further downloads, copying
or printing MUST be reported to The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) as per the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.