Year 6 - Geography
Food and climate change
Farms and factories: where does our food come from?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores how food is produced and distributed, both locally and globally. Pupils investigate where different foods come from, how diets are changing, and what environmental and social factors shape food production and supply.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe ways in which food systems contribute to climate change and investigate possible actions that can be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of food.
Key Notes
- Farming and food production are major causes of climate change.
- All of the stages of the journey of food, from where it is grown or made to our plates, have a carbon footprint.
- Different types of food and stages of a food's journey emit different amounts of greenhouse gases.
- There are many different ways to take action to reduce the carbon footprint of food.
Vocabulary To Learn
- climate: Climate is an average of weather conditions (e.g. rain, sun, wind) in a place taken over a long period of time (usually 30 years or more)
- atmosphere: The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth. It includes the oxygen we need to breathe, so it is essential for life on Earth
- emission: An emission is something that is released into the world. An example is the release of carbon dioxide when we breathe out
- carbon footprint: A carbon footprint is a measure of the total amount of greenhouses gases that are released as a result of our actions
- agriculture: Agriculture is the science and practice of cultivating soil and farming
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Difficulties in understanding the science of climate change.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Farming and food production are major causes of climate change. All of the stages of the journey of food, from where it is grown or made to our plates, have a carbon footprint.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'climate'
Climate is an average of weather conditions (e.g. rain, sun, wind) in a place taken over a long period of time (usually 30 years or more).
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: Difficulties in understanding the science of climate change. Correction: There are many resources about the causes and impacts of climate change available online.
More Lessons In This Unit
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