Organic farming has become more widespread but intensive farming techniques are more common. This item looks at the issues concerning organic and intensive farming. Discussing different farming methods provides many opportunities to investigate why decisions about science and technology are made and the ethical issues raised. This can be developed to look at the social, economic and environmental effects of such decisions and highlights that there are some questions science cannot address.

Suggested activities and experiences to select from:

Role play exercise to highlight different view points on intensive farming.

Assessable learning outcomes:

Both tiers:
Explain that intensive farming means trying to produce as much food as possible from the land, plants and animals available.
Explain that intensive farming methods may be efficient but they raise ethical dilemmas.
Describe how intensive farming produces more food but:

• pesticides may enter and accumulate in food chains;
• pesticides may harm organisms which are not pests.

Higher tier only: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of organic farming techniques.