What is the change in land use and how does it affect the

environment?
 According to the Environmental Agency, agriculture has improved.
 Agriculture accounted for over 5% of pollution incidents in 2005.
 Farming has changed the landscape and created new habitats that wildlife now depend on,
such as field margins, woodlands, unimproved grasslands and hedgerows.
 The area of land in agri-environment schemes in England has increased by 38 per cent to
over one million hectares since 2000. It now accounts for about 12 per cent of the total
agricultural area.
In conjunction to this, the European Union pays farmers money to grow too much food. This food is
called a surplus, and all these surpluses are stored in a huge building. Sometimes this food gets burnt
for being too much food.

What is deforestation and how does it affect the environment?

Deforestation is the act of cutting down alot of trees in order to use the Earth’s resources
for profit. This causes permanent destruction and reduces biodiversity by making animals
extinct. Sustainable logging is encouraged as it means that tree loggers have to plant new
trees straight after they cut them.

What is desertification and how does it affect the environment?

Desertification is when becomes unfertile and cannot produce crops. This makes the land
dry, and the people poor. This is caused by flooding, fires, deforestation, climate change
or a high level of salt in soil.

What is grazing and how does it affect the environment?

Grazing is when farm animals (cattle) are used in order to eat the grass on a plot of land.
This makes the soil healthier as it encourages food to grow back.
What is different farming methods and how does it affect the
environment?
Organic Farming
Organic farming involves not growing GM foods and not using harmful pesticides, as that can harm
the insects, and water supply (rivers, streams). Organic farming is the natural way to farm. Health
benefits include biodiversity, and giving farm animals a good life. It’s good for animal rights
campaigners.

Selective Breeding
Selective breeding is when farmers breed specific animals or plants which portray particular traits.
For example, if a farmer keeps breeding the biggest wheat crops, eventually, after a few generations,
only big wheat crops will grow. Another example, is when a farmer breeds the pigs with the most
meat on them, eventually, after a few generations, only pigs with a lot of meat will be born.
Selective Breeding is also why we have gherkins, because someone decided to grow small
cucumbers.

Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically Modified foods, as in plants have had their DNA modified by scientists in order for the
plants to have specific traits. The scientists “copy and paste” genes, for example, they copy a gene
which plant X has which gives it immunity to a disease, and insert it into plant Y, making that plant
resistant to a disease too. GM foods are found to be bigger so it holds more food, disease resisitant,
and pesticide resistant (so that pesticides do not kill the crops).

Battery Farming
Battery farming is when animals such as hens are caged and are made to eat the right amount of
food in order to have maximum food production. The animals get no exercise and being caged, they,
excrement in their cage. If any of the hens fall over and get this in their eyes, they will become blind.

References
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/data/34407.aspx

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/freefood/index_en.htm