Deck 12: The Production and Distribution of Food

Question 1

The industrial revolution has led to an increased reliance on fossil fuels to

A)power farm machinery.
B)power farm machinery and to produce fertilizers.
C)power farm machinery and to produce fertilizers and pesticides.
D)develop new types of crops.

Answer 1

power farm machinery and to produce fertilizers and pesticides.

Question 2

A rapidly growing population in sub-Saharan Africa continues to produce high levels of poverty,hunger,and child mortality.You want to give to a charitable organization that is working to address these problems.To make the greatest impact,you decide to support the African

A)Neolithic Revolution.
B)Gene Revolution.
C)Industrial Revolution.
D)Green Revolution.

Answer 2

Green Revolution.

Question 3

About 150 years ago,agriculture underwent a revolution due to

A)genetic engineering of new crops.
B)the development of new herbicides and pesticides.
C)the industrial revolution,which brought changes in agricultural technology.
D)new markets that emerged from increased international trade.

Answer 3

the industrial revolution,which brought changes in agricultural technology.

Question 4

Over the past 200 years,the greatest change in agriculture is the

A)productivity of an acre of farmland.
B)elimination of global hunger and malnutrition.
C)production of insect resistant crops.
D)declining reliance on fertilizers for crops.

Question 5

The high price of food on the global market is closely related to

A)the increased use of fertilizers and the rising cost of fossil fuels to produce fertilizers.
B)the increased use of biological control and other sustainable agricultural methods.
C)the cost to construct and use modern forms of irrigation.
D)the cost of remediation to restore degraded soils to usable conditions.

Question 6

The industrial revolution resulted in many changes to farms in the United States.This revolution

A)increased the number of family farms and increased the size of each farm.
B)increased the number of family farms but decreased the size of each farm.
C)increased the efficiency of farming resulting in fewer,larger farms.
D)introduced new crops that required the development of new farming techniques.

Question 7

Up until about 12,000 years ago,human populations were primarily limited by

A)widespread disease.
B)the availability of food.
C)limits of transportation.
D)widespread warfare.

Question 8

The development of new varieties of grain crops increased productivity by increasing the

A)surface area of the leaves of the plants.
B)size of the roots and ability to absorb water.
C)strength of the stems to support more grains.
D)size and number of seeds.

Question 9

The industrial revolution has greatly impacted global agriculture such that

A)the need for fertilizers and herbicides has nearly been eliminated.
B)agricultural productivity has more than doubled.
C)soil degradation has been nearly eliminated.
D)the cost of world agriculture has dropped significantly.

Question 10

The charitable organization Heifer International uses donations to provide people in developing nations with farm animals to help feed hungry families.Heifer International is therefore contributing to

A)the Green Revolution.
B)subsistence farming.
C)the Industrial Revolution.
D)high impact farming.

Question 11

In the last 50 years,the greatest progress in addressing worldwide hunger and malnutrition came from the

A)use of better transportation methods to export grain more efficiently.
B)development and use of new varieties of high-yielding wheat and rice.
C)reduced reliance on pesticides,herbicides,and chemical fertilizers.
D)widespread use of sustainable irrigation methods.

Question 12

The Green Revolution continues today,and

A)subsistence farmers increasingly rely on sustainable agricultural methods.
B)the harvest of shade grown coffee and rain forest nuts and fruits has been abandoned.
C)the global amount of land used to raise crops continues to decline.
D)high-yield varieties need expensive fertilizer,pesticides and irrigation;and ecosystem services have been lost.

Question 13

In the lower 48 states of the United States,the pressure to convert new land into crop production has

A)decreased,and the use of erosion-prone land has been reduced.
B)decreased,but the use of erosion-prone land has increased.
C)increased,but the use of erosion-prone land has been reduced.
D)increased,and the use of erosion-prone land has been increased.

Question 14

Part of the Green Revolution,the wheat in this photograph was specially selected because of its ability to

A)produce high-yields of grain.
B)resist prolonged droughts.
C)naturally produce pesticides.
D)produce grain with high levels of iron.

Question 15

In the past 40 years,pesticide use has tripled yet pests still cause extensive damage to crops.Why has this increased use of pesticides not been more effective?

A)The pesticides in use today are much less powerful due to government regulations.
B)The pesticides available are no longer suited for the most common types of pests.
C)Increases in ultraviolet radiation and global warming break down pesticides faster.
D)The widespread use of pesticides has resulted in the evolution of pesticide resistant pests.

Question 16

Subsistence farming

A)uses modern technology to cultivate just enough food for a family or village.
B)is no longer practiced in most of the world.
C)is the traditional agriculture practiced by humans 12,000 years ago.
D)is carried on large parcels of land that produce crops sold on the international market.

Question 17

The future worldwide use of irrigation

A)is expected to double in the next 20 years due to increasing demands for food.
B)is limited by the availability of freshwater,waterlogging,and salinization of soils.
C)depends on new technologies to extract more groundwater.
D)will require increased reliance on new hydrogen technologies to produce freshwater.

Question 18

All of the following are major problems in addressing worldwide hunger today,except

A)insufficient production of crops.
B)the distribution of available food.
C)profitability of food industries in developed nations.
D)decreased yields due to widespread droughts and other environmental impacts of food production.

Question 19

The "silent giant" that feeds most of the world's poor is inefficient because it relies upon

A)subsistence farming best suited for low population densities in regions with the fastest population growth.
B)subsistence farming best suited for high population densities in regions with the slowest population growth.
C)agricultural practices that require the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides that degrade the environment.
D)individuals walking over large regions to collect wild fruits,nuts,berries,and wood for fuel.

Question 20

Although the Green Revolution has greatly reduced world hunger and malnutrition,it has

A)doubled the amount of land used to raise crops.
B)not significantly increased the productivity of modern agriculture.
C)required high levels of increasingly expensive fertilizer and pesticides.
D)contributed significantly to the destruction of the ozone layer.

Question 21

If everyone on Earth eliminated meat from their diets,we would expect

A)increased demand for fossil fuels.
B)increased pollution of waterways.
C)increases in avian flu and Salmonella poisoning.
D)a great surplus of grains.

Question 22

In the near future,the benefits of biofuel production may be enjoyed while reducing the impact on the global production of grain.One such promising approach is to

A)bioengineer cattle and goats to produce ethanol in their milk.
B)produce biofuels from grasses and timber wastes instead of corn.
C)use the large amounts of animal wastes to produce ethanol.
D)find ways to convert oil and natural gas into ethanol.

Question 23

The method of farming illustrated in this photograph best represents

A)the Industrial Revolution.
B)the Green Revolution.
C)subsistence farming.
D)a rare form of agriculture.

Question 24

Transgenic plants are generally different from traditional hybrid plants produced hundreds of years ago,because transgenic plants may

A)contain genes from animals or bacteria.
B)contain genetic material from different species.
C)have new traits not found in their ancestral species.
D)not be used as sources of human food.

Question 25

A friend suggests that the use of corn for ethanol production is causing a rise in corn prices and corn shortages that essentially starve children to fuel American cars.Wondering if that might really be true,you investigate and learn something that suggests this relationship is not true.You find out that

A)most of the money saved by using ethanol is used by charitable organizations that feed the poor.
B)the process of making ethanol also produces antibiotics to help prevent human diseases.
C)although corn prices have risen,much more corn is now being planted and the prices of other crops have risen more than corn.
D)ethanol production uses part of corn not used to feed either animals or humans.

Question 26

If the total global production of grains cannot be significantly increased in the next 50 years,and the human population continues to increase,by perhaps 50%,how will we feed the people without destroying the world? One strategy that would likely succeed is to

A)increase our use of fossil fuels in agriculture.
B)engineer plants that can grow without sunlight.
C)greatly reduce the amount of meat in our diets.
D)increasingly rely on fungi for nutritional needs.

Question 27

Biotechnology may be able to promote sustainability by

A)reducing the need for herbicides.
B)permitting deep plowing without risk of erosion.
C)allowing more land to be brought into agricultural production.
D)reducing the use of pesticides.

Question 28

Marker-assisted breeding allows

A)desired bacterial genes to be inserted into crops.
B)beneficial animal genes to be inserted into crops.
C)crop improvements without resorting to transgenic traits.
D)plants that have been bioengineered to be easily identified in the field.

Question 29

Today,transgenic technology

A)has been restricted to plant crops that are not consumed by humans.
B)has been used in commercial plant crops consumed by humans but not in animals raised for food.
C)has probably peaked,with the continued use of transgenic plants on the decline.
D)has supported the use of no-till farming techniques that conserve soils by reducing erosion.

Question 30

All of the following affect the global rise in food prices,except

A)the global price of oil.
B)bad weather,especially drought.
C)a marked decline in the demand for meat and animal products,especially in China.
D)an increase in biofuel production,especially in the United States.

Question 31

Roundup Ready corn is resistant to the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate).One of the greatest concerns about this transgenic Roundup Ready corn is the

A)lower yields produced by Roundup Ready corn.
B)evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds that commonly infect cornfields.
C)transfer of Roundup resistance to other crops,such as soybeans.
D)eventual loss of this trait from Roundup Ready corn due to hybridization.

Question 32

Based upon the data in this chart,which one of the following regions has current crop yields that are most consistent with widespread subsistence farming?

A)East Asia and Pacific
B)Latin America and Caribbean
C)South Asia
D)sub-Saharan Africa

Question 33

The goals of biotechnology currently include

A)producing greater crop yields in plants that can grow without water.
B)growing crops that are more resistant to drought and disease.
C)altering plants to increase the production of coal.
D)creating plants that do not need sunlight to grow.

Question 34

Globally,genetically modified crops are being used

A)increasingly in developed nations but rarely in developing nations.
B)increasingly in developing nations but rarely in developed nations.
C)increasingly in developing and developed nations.
D)less in developing and developed nations.

Question 35

Ethanol production in the United States

A)is likely to decline soon as the price for corn as food increases.
B)accounts for only 5% of the U.S.crop.
C)will likely increase,making less corn available to people and livestock as food.
D)has not contributed to rises in corn prices.

Question 36

One ongoing concern about transgenic crops that produce pesticides is that this trait may

A)kill other insects that are not pests.
B)be so effective,that all of the crop pests are eliminated.
C)be transferred to other crops,such as soybeans or cotton.
D)not kill pests that attack other crops,such as soybeans or cotton.

Question 37

Food safety issues of transgenic crops include

A)a decreased production of allergens in crops.
B)the promotion of antibiotic resistance in pathogens.
C)the ability to immunize people against pathogens by eating foods.
D)the development of herbicide resistance in humans.

Question 38

A vegetarian friend urges the elimination of all animal husbandry throughout the world.Arguing that the world's population of farm animals contributes to global climate change,diseases,and pollution,the friend suggests that we would all be better off by not eating meat.Listening carefully,you agree with many of these points.However,you note that

A)pastoralists practice sustainable animal husbandry,an important part of nutrition in parts of the developing world.
B)the production of grains produces even more greenhouse gases.
C)raising vegetables and other plants for food is more damaging to the environment.
D)the global production of grains would need to increase if everyone relied on plants for food.

Question 39

People most concerned about the side effects of bioengineering would more likely accept

A)food crops that have been engineered to produce vaccines.
B)transgenic crops that are more resistant to herbicides.
C)crops produced by marker-assisted breeding.
D)food crops that are able to make their own pesticides.

Question 40

Cattle production in the United States and other developed nations involves CAFOs that

A)produce large amounts of manure,all of which is diverted into soil restoration.
B)produce 20% of the greenhouse gas methane that causes global warming.
C)generate income used to support the large population of native people.
D)produce leather that sustains millions of workers in the Brazilian leather industry.

Question 41

Although refrigeration,fertilizers,modern shipping,CAFOs and Green Revolution high-yield crops have some limits or negative impacts,all have contributed to

A)lowering the cost of food.
B)sustainable farming.
C)rapid population growth in developed nations.
D)making food more widely available.

Question 42

Globally,an imbalance in grain productivity requires some countries to import grain from places where production exceeds consumption.Which of the following would benefit the most from the use of biotechnology or other techniques to increase grain production in their region?

A)Africa
B)North America
C)Western Europe
D)Argentina and Brazil

Question 43

The 2008 World Food Summit generally agreed to

A)eliminate the use of all grains for biofuel production.
B)reduce hunger and malnutrition in the world by 5%.
C)help the countries most dependent on imported grains produce more food.
D)build dams and irrigation systems to help increase crop production in the developing world.

Question 44

Today,which of the following regions relies most on the importation of food?

A)North America
B)Asia and Africa
C)Australia and New Zealand
D)Western Europe

Question 45

When a country such as the United States exports subsidized grains,it hurts a developing country importing the grain by

A)decreasing production of the grain in the developing country.
B)increasing domestic production of grains in the developing country.
C)increasing the demand for meat in the developing country.
D)causing more people to turn to subsistence farming in the developing country.

Question 46

Most of the efforts of the United Nations to promote food security,including the 2008 World Food Summit,function at the

A)global level.
B)national level.
C)family level.
D)personal level.

Question 47

Despite potential problems,the general trend in the production and use of transgenic organisms in Europe,the United States,and the developing world is towards

A)decreased production of bioengineered foods and nonfood crops.
B)increased production of bioengineered foods and nonfood crops.
C)decreased production of bioengineered foods but increased production of nonfood crops.
D)increased production of bioengineered foods but decreased production of nonfood crops.

Question 48

If you live in the United States,chances are that you have consumed some processed food that includes bioengineered plants

A)almost every day.
B)at most once a month.
C)perhaps once a year.
D)once in your lifetime.

Question 49

Golden rice 1 was not a solution to vitamin A deficiency because

A)the levels of vitamin A in the rice were too low.
B)the vitamin A was not a form that can be used by humans.
C)this type of rice could not be grown where rice is primarily consumed.
D)this type of rice required excessive use of fertilizers.

Question 50

Where would you expect to find the cheapest meat in the world?

A)Europe and North America
B)Asia
C)Africa
D)Central America

Question 51

In the past 50 years,the global production and availability of grains has

A)run out in only 3 years.
B)been about the same on each of the major inhabited continents.
C)eliminated most of the need for the production of oilseeds.
D)remained at about 70 days,but importation is still required by most of the developing regions.

Question 52

One of the general concerns about the widespread use of transgenic organisms is the

A)spread of these transgenic traits to other organisms.
B)need to apply more pesticides to crops and plow the soil twice a year.
C)reduced yields that result from using bioengineered organisms.
D)pressure to bring more land into agricultural production.

Question 53

About 150 years ago,self-sufficiency in the production of food no longer became restrictive to countries because of

A)the global decline in droughts,blights,or wars.
B)the Industrial Revolution.
C)the Green Revolution.
D)biotechnology.

Question 54

The global food crisis of 2007 and 2008 was caused in large part by

A)the large-scale conversion of cropland into roads and cities.
B)increased consumption of grains and decreased demand for meat.
C)a shortage of large ships to haul grain overseas.
D)higher production costs and increased demands for grains.

Question 55

Advocates of the Precautionary Principle as it applies to biosafety of GM organisms feel that

A)no nation has the right to deny the importation of products.
B)if there is the possibility of negative consequences,selling GM crop products should not be encouraged.
C)testing the safety of bioengineered organisms is not realistic.
D)science should not be allowed to be used to direct government policy.

Question 56

The development of golden rice 1 and 2 are different from that of other GM crops because

A)highly radioactive materials that continue to contaminate these forms of rice.
B)genes spliced from corn and beans could not contribute to benefiting a superweed.
C)they are controlled by a large for-profit corporation.
D)they have caused many serious and fatal allergic reactions in people eating them.

Question 57

The Food Stamp and Feeding America programs in the United States represents

A)a personal level safety net.
B)a family level safety net.
C)a national level safety net.
D)a global level safety net.

Question 58

The United States uses much more oil than it produces.Therefore,the United States is dependent upon other countries to meet its energy needs.However,much of this trade imbalance is offset by the exportation of large quantities of

A)automobiles.
B)grains.
C)palm oil,spices,and cocoa.
D)household goods (TVs,dishwashers,furnaces,etc. ).

Question 59

The development of golden rice is an attempt to

A)increase the caloric value of rice based foods.
B)fight insect pests that feed on rice plants.
C)increase the levels of vitamin A in rice.
D)increase the levels of iron in rice.

Question 60

Many people in the developing world who depend on rice in their diet suffer from diseases related to deficiencies of

A)calories and vitamin D.
B)calories and fiber.
C)vitamin A and iron.
D)vitamins C and E.

Question 61

One general trend that is helping developing countries become self-sufficient in food is

A)the increased production of biofuels.
B)decreased reliance on fossil fuels in the production of food crops.
C)the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs from the developed to the developing world.
D)a dramatic increase in the importation of mineral ores.

Question 62

In sub-Saharan Africa and Asia,the major nutritional problems relate to

A)inadequate exercise.
B)malnutrition in pregnant women.
C)undernourishment of adults.
D)malnutrition and undernourishment,especially in children.

Question 63

Regularly providing food to regions with chronic hunger in developing countries can aggravate the problem of food supplies by

A)changing the types of native foods consumed by the local people.
B)causing nutritional deficiencies associated with a new type of food.
C)causing overnourishment and the health problems associated with obesity.
D)decreasing the local production of food and disrupting the local economy.

Question 64

Cuba exemplifies a new direction in food production through

A)programs to convert citizens to vegetarian diet.
B)urban agriculture.
C)using polyculture farms.
D)Green Revolution high-yield grains.

Question 65

A person who is gaining weight but lacking in some vitamins exhibits

A)malnutrition.
B)undernourishment.
C)malnutrition and undernourishment.
D)malnutrition and overnourishment.

Question 66

The best way to address obesity is with

A)a diet primarily of dairy products and whole grains.
B)hard physical labor and a high protein diet.
C)food aid and educational programs.
D)a diet based on a balanced "food plate" selection,exercise,and limits on fats and sugars.

Question 67

The document produced by the Rio+20 conference in 2012 included

A)having the goal of 100% sustainable agriculture by 2020.
B)the goal of eliminating world hunger.
C)pressing rapidly forward with the development of new GM crops.
D)a consensus that global conditions for natural disasters,more jobs and sustainable energy were dramatically improving.

Question 68

War is most likely to contribute to famine

A)where food production and distribution is already problematic.
B)where rice is the main source of food.
C)in countries that are primarily exporters of grain.
D)in coastal regions that make great use of seafood.

Question 69

The main cause of undernourishment and malnourishment in the world is

A)lack of education.
B)poverty.
C)underproduction of food.
D)problems with global distribution of food.

Question 70

Many people in the developing world primarily rely upon a diet of rice.Such a diet,even with plenty of rice available to meet the daily calorie requirements,runs the risk of

A)malnutrition.
B)overnourishment.
C)undernourishment.
D)obesity.

Question 71

Global climate change may increase the number of worldwide famines by all of the following,except

A)shifting the types of crops grown in a region.
B)causing unpredictable and extreme weather events.
C)increasing the number of droughts in the world.
D)requiring the use of alternate forms of energy.

Question 72

International trade policies involving food have to make sure that

A)developing nations are not undersold or discouraged from increasing their food productivity.
B)developed nations make a significant profit on their international food sales.
C)developing nations set the terms of trade agreements.
D)only sustainably produced food enters the international market.

Question 73

Malnutrition and undernourishment in the developing world most often kill

A)children from lowered resistance to disease.
B)the elderly who already have low resistance to disease.
C)pregnant women who are already stressed by pregnancy.
D)men who are employed in positions of hard labor.

Question 74

The development of Golden Rice 2 promises to help meet the challenges of

A)malnutrition.
B)overnourishment.
C)undernourishment.
D)obesity.

Question 75

Famine may strike anywhere in the world.However today,famine is a regular event in the dryland Sahel region of in

A)Australia.
B)Central America.
C)Africa.
D)southeast Asia.

Question 76

Permanent polyculture is an approach to sustainable agriculture where farms

A)are community-supported enterprises.
B)grow a single crop on large parcels of land.
C)and the crops grown on them are modeled on natural ecosystems.
D)use GM "super predator" species to control pests.

Question 77

This figure is one way that the United Nations can assess progress made in the battle against

A)hunger.
B)distribution of food.
C)the underproduction of food.
D)global climate change.

Question 78

In the world today,the production and distribution of food in the world is generally treated as a

A)commons.
B)market economy.
C)right of every citizen to be free of hunger.
D)responsibility of impoverished nations.

Question 79

To avoid negatively impacting food production and marketing resulting from routine shipments of food to regions of chronic hunger,the World Food Program targets

A)tropical regions where food shortages are associated with high rates of infectious disease.
B)countries with good forms of transportation to allow better distribution of food.
C)emergency situations and then purchases most of the food within the region where it is needed.
D)agricultural programs and purchases seed,fertilizers,and pesticides to encourage local farming.

Question 80

The graph in this figure suggests that

A)global grain production will increase if the global consumption of meat increases.
B)more grains should be directed into food for livestock to alleviate global hunger.
C)global grain production has not kept up with population growth.
D)eating less meat will make more grain available for human consumption.