GCSE Revision

Food, water and energy in the UK

Food in the UK

The UK produced 62% of the food it needed in 2023, by value, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: roughly 60% is home-grown and 40% imported.

  • High-value imports: people want exotic fruit, vegetables and drinks, such as bananas, avocados and coffee, from abroad.
  • All year round: shoppers expect strawberries and salads even in winter, so they are imported out of season.
  • Organic food: demand has grown for food grown without artificial chemicals.
  • imported food travels far, adding to its , so many people now buy local and seasonal food.
  • farming run as big business, with large, efficient, intensive farms.

Key terms

Water in the UK

  • Demand is rising, with more people, more homes and more appliances. A person on a water meter uses about 122 litres a day; without a meter, about 171.
  • Surplus and deficit: the north and west get the most rain but have fewer people: a . The south and east get less rain but have more people: a .
  • The future: the Environment Agency warns that England could be 5 billion litres a day short for public supply by 2055 without more action.
water surpluswater deficitwater transferElan ValleyBirminghamLondonScotlandWalesRepublic ofIrelandNsimplified,not to scale
  • move water from surplus to deficit areas: the Elan Valley reservoirs in Wales have supplied Birmingham since the early 1900s.
  • Quality: fertilisers from farms, sewage overflows and plastic pollute rivers, so water must be treated and polluters controlled.

Key terms

Energy in the UK

The UK's , the sources it uses, has changed fast:

  • Coal once produced most of the UK's electricity. The last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, closed on 30 September 2024.
  • Renewables, especially wind, produced over half of the UK's electricity for the first time in 2024, according to the government.
  • Gas is still important for heating and electricity, but North Sea oil and gas production has been falling for years, so the UK imports more.

Issues of exploiting energy:

  • economic: new nuclear power stations are very expensive; jobs are lost as North Sea fields close;
  • environmental: fracking for shale gas may cause small earthquakes and pollute water; wind farms change the look of the landscape.

Key terms

Exam practice

Plan your own answer first, then open the model answers to see what each level looks like.

6 marks · about 6 minutes

Explain why the UK has areas of water surplus and water deficit, and how transfers help.

Explain means: Give the reasons why something happens, developing each point with "because" or "so".

Level 1 (Basic)· 2/6 marks (band 1–2)
The north of the UK gets more rain than the south. Water can be moved from one place to another.

Why this level: Two correct ideas, but surplus and deficit aren't explained. To reach Level 2: link rainfall and population to supply and demand, and explain how transfers work.

Level 2 (Clear)· 4/6 marks (band 3–4)
The north and west of the UK get the most rain but have fewer people, so supply is greater than demand, giving a water surplus. The south and east get less rain but have more people, so they have a water deficit. Water transfers move water from surplus areas to deficit areas through pipes and rivers.

Why this level: Clear explanation of surplus and deficit, and how transfers help. To reach Level 3: add a named transfer and evidence of rising demand.

Level 3 (Detailed)· 6/6 marks (band 5–6)
The north and west of the UK get the most rain, because moist westerly winds rise over the uplands, but fewer people live there. Supply is greater than demand, giving a water surplus. The south and east get less rain, but have far more people, including London, so demand is greater than supply: a water deficit. Water transfers move water from surplus to deficit areas through pipes, canals and rivers. For example, the Elan Valley reservoirs in Wales have supplied Birmingham since the early 1900s. As demand rises, transfers matter more: the Environment Agency warns that England could be 5 billion litres a day short by 2055.

Why this level: Detailed explanation linking rainfall and population to surplus and deficit, with a named transfer and evidence. This is Level 3.

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