How and why has farming changed in a developed country, and what are the impacts?
The changes in rural land use and farming in a developed country - mechanisation, diversification, organic farming, GM crops and the growth of larger farms - and the impacts of these changes on the landscape, the environment and people.
An SQA National 5 Geography answer on rural change in a developed country, covering changes in farming such as mechanisation, diversification, organic farming, GM crops and larger farms, and their impacts on the landscape, environment and people, with a UK example.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to describe how farming and rural land use have changed in a developed country (mechanisation, larger farms, diversification, organic farming and GM crops) and explain the impacts of these changes on the landscape, the environment and people. You should refer to a real area, such as East Anglia or lowland Scotland.
How farming has changed
Several changes have reshaped farming in the developed world.
Why these changes happened
- Money and competition - farmers must cut costs and raise output to make a profit, so they use machines and bigger fields.
- Government and EU policy - subsidies and rules have encouraged some practices and, more recently, environmental schemes.
- Consumer demand - shoppers want cheap food but also organic and ethically produced food.
Impacts on landscape, environment and people
The changes bring both benefits and problems.
- Landscape - removing hedgerows creates large open fields; diversification adds buildings, campsites and solar or wind farms.
- Environment - chemical fertilisers and pesticides pollute rivers and harm wildlife; bigger fields increase soil erosion; but organic farming and set-aside schemes restore habitats.
- People - mechanisation cuts farm jobs, leading to rural depopulation as young people leave; diversification creates new jobs and brings visitors but more traffic.
Examples in context
Example 1. East Anglia, England. Large arable farms have removed hedgerows for big fields and heavy machinery, raising wheat yields but reducing wildlife and increasing soil erosion on the flat, open land.
Example 2. Lowland Scotland. Many farms have diversified into farm shops, holiday lets and wind turbines to add income, while some have converted to organic production to meet consumer demand.
Try this
Q1. Name one way farmers in a developed country have diversified. [1 mark]
- Cue. Farm shop, campsite, holiday lets, or solar/wind energy (any one).
Q2. State one environmental impact of removing hedgerows. [1 mark]
- Cue. Loss of wildlife habitats (or increased soil erosion).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style5 marksExplain the impacts of recent changes in farming on the landscape and environment in a developed country.Show worked answer →
A 5-mark Explain answer wants developed impacts, so cover both positive and negative effects and link each to the change that caused it.
Removing hedgerows to make bigger fields for large machinery destroys wildlife habitats and increases soil erosion, because there are fewer roots and windbreaks to hold the soil.
Heavy use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides to raise yields can pollute rivers and groundwater (eutrophication) and harm insects such as bees.
On the positive side, organic farming avoids these chemicals, so it protects wildlife and improves soil health, and set-aside or rewilding schemes restore habitats.
Diversification, such as turning fields into farm shops, campsites or solar farms, changes the look of the countryside and can increase traffic and building. Markers reward each impact linked to a specific farming change, and a mix of negative and positive effects.
SQA N5 style4 marksDescribe the recent changes that have taken place in farming in a developed country.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Describe answer rewards four clearly different changes, each developed a little.
Farms have become more mechanised, with larger and more advanced machinery replacing farm workers, so fewer people are needed.
Many small farms have merged into fewer, much larger farms (farm amalgamation), and hedgerows have been removed to make bigger fields.
Many farmers have diversified, earning extra income from farm shops, campsites, holiday lets, solar farms or wind turbines alongside food production.
There has been growth in organic farming (no artificial chemicals) and in the use of GM crops and new technology to raise yields. Markers reward each distinct change clearly described, not just one-word answers.
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Sources & how we know this
- National 5 Geography Course Specification (C833 75) — SQA (2025)
- National 5 Geography - Course overview and resources — SQA (2025)