Geographical careers in food security activity

This short activity encourages students to explore examples of local, national and international solutions to food insecurity through examples of job roles across the sector at a range of scales.

The aim of this activity resource is to showcase the range of ways that geography is used within the food security sector, supported by examples of real jobs. The resource is a tool to blend careers education into the geography curriculum, specifically geography at GCSE and A Level.

The resource also aims to strengthen skills in critical thinking and evaluation. 

The resource supports teachers in providing careers provision under Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers. For more information on the Gatsby Benchmarks, visit: Gatsby benchmarks of good career guidance

Links to specification 

GCSE links
AQA: Section C: The challenge of resource management, specifically, 3.2.3.2 ‘Different strategies can be used to increase food supply’

OCR B: Topic 8: Resource Reliance, 8.2 Can we feed nine billion people by 2050? a. ‘What does it mean to be food secure?’, b. How can countries ensure their food security’, c. ’How sustainable are these strategies?’

Edexcel A: Topic 5: Global development, specifically ‘5.3a ‘impact of uneven development on … access to food security’.

WJEC: Key idea 8.1 Consumerism and its impact on the environment, specifically 8.1.2 ‘How may climate change affect people and the environment and how can technology be used and people’s lifestyles changes to reduce these impacts?’ 

A Level links
AQA: 3.2.4 Population and the environment; 3.2.4.2 ‘Strategies to ensure food security’, 3.2.4.3 ‘Role of international agencies and NGOs in promoting health’

OCR: Topic 3.4 Future of Food, specifically; ‘5. Is there hope for food?’, Key Idea 5.a ‘..a number of key places will continue to influence the food system’ and 5.b ‘There is a spectrum of strategies that exist to ensure and improve food security’  

Edexcel: Key idea 6.7a ‘growing demand for food ..has led to contrasting regional trends in land use cover affecting terrestrial carbon stores…’ 7.6a ‘Superpower resource demands … can cause environmental degradation’

WJEC: 4.3 Economic growth and challenge: either India or China, specifically; 4.3.6 ‘environmental issues of food security’ and 4.3.7 ‘strategies to improve the security of food’ 

Detail and context of job profiles 

The job profiles outlined in the supplied documents aim to provide real-world examples of careers within food security. They are all based on real job postings, which have been linked in a separate downloadable document, ‘Job Descriptions’.  This information aims to support teachers with a contextual understanding of careers in food security at local, national and international scales. The jobs may not necessarily require a geography degree, but they each draw on geographical knowledge and concepts taught across the GCSE and A Level geography curriculum.