What is food security, how can food be produced sustainably, and how can we cut food waste?
Food security and sustainability: the meaning of food security, the threats to it, sustainable food production including reducing waste and packaging, sustainable fishing and the impact of food choices on the environment.
A focused answer to the WJEC Food Preparation and Nutrition topic on food security and sustainability, covering the meaning of food security and its threats, sustainable food production, reducing food waste and packaging, sustainable fishing, and the impact of food choices.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
You need to know what food security means and what threatens it, how food can be produced and chosen more sustainably (including reducing waste and packaging and sustainable fishing), and how food choices affect the environment.
What food security means
Threats to food security
- a growing world population needing more food,
- climate change causing droughts, floods and poorer harvests,
- the cost of food making it unaffordable for some,
- loss of farmland to building and to soil damage,
- water shortages and competition for resources.
Sustainable food production
Sustainable measures include:
- reducing food waste at every stage from farm to home,
- buying local and seasonal food to cut food miles,
- choosing sustainable fish (MSC labelled) and not over-fished species,
- eating less meat, which uses a lot of land, water and energy,
- cutting and recycling packaging,
- farming methods that protect the soil and wildlife.
Reducing food waste
A large amount of food is wasted, which also wastes the energy, water and land used to produce it. Households can:
- plan meals and use a shopping list,
- store food correctly and use the fridge and freezer well,
- use up leftovers and freeze food before it spoils,
- serve sensible portions,
- understand date labels: use-by is about safety, best-before is about quality.
Sustainable fishing
Over-fishing can make fish populations collapse. Sustainable fishing keeps stocks healthy by using quotas (limits on how much can be caught), larger net mesh sizes (so young fish escape and can breed), avoiding endangered species, and responsible farming of fish (aquaculture). The MSC label shows fish from a sustainable source, helping shoppers choose responsibly.
How food choices affect the environment
Everyday food choices add up to a large environmental impact. Eating more plants and less meat lowers the land, water and greenhouse gases used to produce food. Buying local and seasonal food cuts transport emissions. Reducing packaging and choosing recyclable materials cuts waste and pollution. Cutting food waste saves all the resources used to grow, process and transport the food. Together these choices support both food security (more food available for more people) and sustainability (protecting the planet for the future), which is why the two ideas are taught side by side.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC style6 marksExplain what is meant by food security and describe ways that food can be produced and chosen more sustainably.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark question. Mark it for the meaning of food security plus sustainable measures.
Food security means everyone having access to enough safe, affordable and nutritious food at all times. It is threatened by a rising population, climate change affecting harvests, the cost of food, and the loss of farmland. Food can be produced and chosen more sustainably by reducing food waste at every stage, buying local and seasonal food to cut food miles, choosing sustainably caught or farmed fish (such as MSC labelled), eating less meat (which uses a lot of land, water and energy), reducing and recycling packaging, and supporting farming methods that protect the soil and wildlife. These measures help make sure food production can continue into the future without harming the environment.
A top answer defines food security, gives at least one threat, and describes several sustainable measures. Reward reducing waste, local/seasonal food, sustainable fish, less meat and less packaging.
WJEC style3 marksSuggest three ways a household can reduce the amount of food it wastes.Show worked answer →
A 3-mark question. Award one mark per sensible way.
Plan meals and write a shopping list so you only buy what you need. Store food correctly and use it by its use-by date, and use a fridge and freezer well. Use up leftovers in another meal, and freeze food before it goes off. Serve sensible portions and check date labels, understanding the difference between use-by (safety) and best-before (quality).
Markers reward any three of: meal planning and shopping lists, correct storage, using leftovers, freezing, sensible portions, and understanding date labels.
Related dot points
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition specification (from 2016) — WJEC Eduqas (2016)