Food security is an important issue for all countries.
State what is meant by the term food security.
Which one of these would increase food security in a country?
A An increase in the size of the human population
B The arrival of a new fungal pathogen that infects wheat
C The development of a new variety of wheat that survives drought
D The use of farmland to grow crops for biofuel
Explain how an increasing human population reduces food security.
A new strain of a fungus infects banana plants. The fungus blocks the transport tissue in the stem of the plant. The table shows the mass of bananas harvested on one plantation before and after the fungus arrived.
| Year | Mass of bananas harvested (tonnes per hectare) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 42 |
| 2021 | 27 |
Name the type of organism, other than a fungus, that can act as a plant pathogen.
Use the table to calculate the decrease in the mass of bananas harvested per hectare between 2018 and 2021.
Explain how the arrival of new pests and pathogens can reduce food security.
