Lesson 3.4.3

3.4.3 What are the threats to global food security? Quiz: OCR Geography, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.4.3, What are the threats to global food security?: 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Geography (H481), Unit 8: Future of Food, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. According to Thomas Malthus, how does agricultural production grow over time?

    • Exponentially
    • Geometrically
    • Logarithmically
    • Arithmetically

  2. Which concept forms the basis of Esther Boserup's optimistic food supply theory?

    • Resource depletion
    • Induced innovation
    • Positive checks
    • Preventative checks

  3. What term describes narrow, strategic maritime routes critical for global food distribution?

    • Economic chokezones
    • Transport corridors
    • Trade bottlenecks
    • Geographical pinchpoints

  4. Blockage of which major maritime pinchpoint severely disrupted global agricultural supply chains in 2021?

    • Suez Canal
    • Strait of Malacca
    • Panama Canal
    • Bosphorus Strait

  5. What process causes soil degradation when excessive irrigation water evaporates, leaving salts behind?

    • Eutrophication
    • Acidification
    • Salinisation
    • Desertification

  6. Which environmental problem occurs when excess agricultural fertilisers wash into nearby freshwater ecosystems?

    • Salinisation
    • Siltation
    • Desertification
    • Eutrophication

  7. Which physical factor directly accelerates desertification by removing protective vegetation cover during prolonged dry spells?

    • Soil leaching
    • Severe drought
    • Overgrazing
    • Flash flooding

  8. What term describes foreign investors purchasing large tracts of farmland in developing nations?

    • Landgrabbing
    • Commercial farming
    • Subsidised agriculture
    • Terrace farming

  9. Which climate phenomenon periodically alters ocean temperatures, causing severe droughts in Southern Africa?

    • North Atlantic Oscillation
    • Indian Ocean Dipole
    • El Niño
    • La Niña

  10. Which traditional food source provides essential nutrients for indigenous Inuit communities in extreme Arctic environments?

    • Marine mammals
    • Cattle livestock
    • Root vegetables
    • Grain crops

  11. Which agricultural sector consumes the largest proportion of global freshwater resources worldwide?

    • Fertiliser production
    • Food processing
    • Crop irrigation
    • Livestock drinking

  12. How can volcanic ash eruptions directly disrupt local agricultural food production over large areas?

    • Smothering crops
    • Melting crop stores
    • Freezing groundwater
    • Increasing soil acidity

  13. In Boserup's theory, what primary factor drives societies to innovate and increase agricultural yield?

    • Industrial decline
    • Climate cooling
    • Population pressure
    • Government regulation

  14. Which synthetic inputs in modern farming primarily cause nitrate contamination in rural drinking water supplies?

    • Chemical fertilisers
    • Genetically modified seeds
    • Biological pesticides
    • Organic composts

  15. What hydrological change in degraded drylands leads to increased soil erosion during rare rainfall events?

    • Higher groundwater tables
    • Lower surface runoff
    • Increased transpiration
    • Reduced infiltration

  16. Why are geographical pinchpoints particularly high-risk areas for global food security?

    • Low shipping costs
    • High soil fertility
    • Excessive crop yields
    • Vulnerable to blockages

  17. What key ecological loss occurs directly when tropical rainforests are cleared for cattle ranching?

    • Salinisation
    • Eutrophication
    • Biodiversity loss
    • Atmospheric cooling

  18. How do extreme flood events directly cause immediate short-term food security shocks?

    • Improving soil aeration
    • Accelerating crop ripening
    • Lowering food prices
    • Destroying standing crops

  19. In developing nations, what main issue causes post-harvest food losses before reaching markets?

    • Overproduction of crops
    • Strict export quotas
    • Excessive refrigeration
    • Inadequate cold storage

  20. What did Thomas Malthus classify war and famine as, regarding population control?

    • Positive checks
    • Technological solutions
    • Economic incentives
    • Preventative checks

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