OCR A-Level Geography Geographical debates (03), June 2025: Question 4
9 marks · Medium difficulty · Short Answer
Identify three limitations of a figure showing soil moisture data and explain how the globalisation of the food industry creates opportunities.
Practise this questionQuestion
Question text
(a) Identify three limitations of Fig. 4 as a source of information about soil moisture. [3]
(b) Explain how the globalisation of the food industry creates opportunities. [6]
Mark scheme
Show the mark scheme
Question Answer Mark Guidance
4 (a) Identify three limitations of Fig. 4 as a source of information about 3 AO3 – 3 marks
soil moisture. AO3
The map shows soil moisture in sugar plantation in Mozambique. Possible x3 3x1 (SEEN) for three limitations of the data identified
limitations include: through critical questioning of the resource.
• What is ‘index of surface water’?
• What do the categories represent i.e. what is ‘very high / low’? Annotate as SEEN on script, one for each limitation.
• Difficult to distinguish amongst the colours.
• No key for the other colours presented on the map. If 0 marks are recorded, needs to be annotated
• Lack of information about; at the end of the answer.
o when was data collected
o where was data collected
o time period of data taken e.g. over week, month, year
o data used e.g. maximum or averages
o source e.g. possible bias
o scale
o shape and size of fields
o other factors e.g. climate, soils, irrigation
4 (b) Explain how the globalisation of food creates opportunities. 6 Indicative content
Level 3 (5-6 marks) AO1 AO1 – 6 marks
Demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of how the x6
globalisation of food creates opportunities (AO1). Knowledge and understanding of how the globalisation of
This will be shown by including well-developed ideas about how the food creates opportunities could potentially include:
globalisation of food creates opportunities. • Technological innovation e.g. global sharing of
technology and ideas → ↑ food production
Level 2 (3-4 marks) • Biotechnology → ↑ tolerance to impacts of
Demonstrates reasonable knowledge and understanding of how the global warming.
globalisation of food creates opportunities (AO1). • Developing GM crops which use N efficiently →
This will be shown by including developed ideas about how the ↓ applications of fertiliser → ↓ production of CO2
globalisation of food creates opportunities. • ↑ co-operation and co-ordination for short-term
food aid → more effective and timely response
Level 1 (1–2 marks)
• ↑ consumer choice with global trade e.g. brands
Demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding of how the globalisation
as well as ↑ availability of consumer-
of food creates opportunities (AO1).
driven/seasonal goods e.g. tropical + seasonal
There may be simple ideas about how the globalisation of food creates
produce (strawberries / bananas) in UK
opportunities.
• Increased market for food producers of all
0 marks scales – agribusiness to individual farmer.
How to answer it
Food on the Move: Resource Evaluation & Globalisation
This two-part question assesses your ability to critically appraise cartographic data representations (AO3) and construct developed, evidence-based geographical explanations of socio-economic and environmental systems (AO1).
- Part (a) [3 marks - AO3]: Critical data evaluation of a secondary thematic map — assessing qualitative vs quantitative categorisation, temporal/spatial omissions, cartographic clarity, and metadata reliability.
- Part (b) [6 marks - AO1]: Knowledge of global food systems — explaining the multi-dimensional opportunities generated by globalisation (technological transfers, market diversification, resilience, consumer choice, and crisis response).
Part (a) Resource Limitations
Identify three limitations of Fig. 4 as a source of information about soil moisture. [3]
✅ Mark Scheme Valid Points (Choose 3)
- Undefined terminology: No explanation of what an 'index of surface water' represents or how it is calculated.
- Qualitative / Ambiguous categories: Unclear quantitative cut-offs for descriptors such as 'very high' or 'low' moisture levels.
- Cartographic representation: Difficult visual distinction between adjacent colour shadings, or missing key entries for certain colours present on the map.
- Temporal omissions: Missing collection dates, frequency, duration (e.g., recorded over a day, month, or multi-year average), or extremes vs mean values.
- Spatial/Contextual omissions: Missing map scale, exact coordinate reference/location, plantation boundaries, or underlying environmental controls (e.g., irrigation lines, soil texture, rainfall).
- Data provenance: No declared source or potential author bias indicated.
🧠 Exam Technique: AO3 Critical Questioning
Treat maps and figures with a forensic mindset. Ask yourself four core questions whenever asked for limitations of a spatial source:
- When? (Is it a single snapshot, season, or multi-year average?)
- How? (Are metrics defined numerically, or are they subjective labels?)
- Where? (Is there a scale bar, north arrow, and clear orientation?)
- Why/Who? (Could the collector have an agenda? Is raw data hidden?)
❌ Common Errors in Part (a)
- Describing rather than evaluating: Stating what the map shows (e.g., "The map shows low soil moisture in the east") instead of explaining why the map is inadequate.
- Vague aesthetic critiques: Writing "It looks messy" without stating cartographic issues (e.g., "Colours are too similar to differentiate moisture bands reliably").
- Overlapping points: Making three variations of temporal lack (e.g., 1. No year, 2. No day, 3. No time) which examiners condense into a single mark.
Part (b) Globalisation of the Food Industry
Explain how the globalisation of the food industry creates opportunities. [6]
💡 Key Knowledge Themes (AO1 Indicative Content)
Global sharing of agricultural tech (precision GPS, drip irrigation, machinery) and biotechnology (e.g., drought-resistant or nitrogen-efficient GM seeds) increases crop yields and reduces carbon emissions (less fertiliser synthesis = less fossil fuel consumption and lower CO₂ release).
Integration into global supply chains allows smallholders and large agribusinesses alike to access international markets, increasing income, stability, and farm investment.
Counter-seasonal production and global cold chains mean temperate markets receive year-round fresh produce (e.g., Peruvian asparagus, Kenyan green beans, winter strawberries).
Interconnected logistics and multi-lateral agencies (e.g., UN World Food Programme) allow rapid redistribution of global grain surpluses to disaster-hit zones during crop failures.
✅ Model Answer: Achieving Level 3 (5–6 Marks)
The globalisation of the food industry creates significant technological and agronomic opportunities. Through transnational agribusinesses and research partnerships, agricultural innovations are shared globally. For instance, the transfer of biotechnology—such as genetically modified (GM) crops engineered to fix nitrogen more efficiently—allows farmers in low- and middle-income countries to cut synthetic fertiliser inputs. This lowers unit production costs while reducing agricultural greenhouse gas footprints, including CO₂ and N₂O.
Secondly, global supply chain integration creates economic opportunities via expanded market access. Smallholder cooperatives in developing countries can bypass saturated local markets to export higher-value cash crops (such as Fairtrade coffee or off-season fruits) directly to affluent global consumers. This elevates household incomes, diversifies rural economies, and provides capital for local reinvestment.
Finally, globalisation enhances food security and consumer access. At a consumer level, global transport networks overcome seasonality, ensuring consistent nutritional access to perishable fresh goods worldwide. More critically, global logistical linkages improve international humanitarian responses: organisations like the World Food Programme can procure and move food surpluses rapidly across borders to mitigate regional famines triggered by extreme weather events.
🧠 Level 3 Mark Scheme Breakdown
How to "Develop" an Idea
Always follow the Feature → Consequence → Opportunity chain:
GM seed sharing → Drought/Salinity tolerance → Sustained yields in marginal drylands under climate stress.
❌ Common Pitfalls in Part (b)
- Writing about challenges / negatives: Discussing food miles, exploitation of smallholders, or loss of biodiversity. The question strictly asks how globalisation creates opportunities. Any critique gains zero marks.
- Vague generalisations: Stating "it helps farmers make money" without explaining how international supply chains or new markets enable this.
- Single-focus answers: Only discussing consumer supermarket choices in the UK, ignoring production, technological sharing, or emergency relief.
Topics
Topic 3.4 Future of Food · 1.b. Food is a precious resource and global food production can be viewed as an interconnected system. · 1.c. Globalisation is changing the food industry.
Question and mark scheme from the OCR A-Level Geography examination, Geographical debates (03), June 2025. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.