Land use, farming systems and farm planning
Explain how people use agricultural land, why different places support different systems and how planning responds to population needs.
Section Paper 1 · Theory · subject content
Exam scope and assessment notes
Use this original lesson for the listed 2026, 2027–2028 and 2029–2031 Cambridge syllabus cycles. This route maps Cambridge's 2026 Version 2, 2027–2028 Version 1 and 2029–2031 Version 1 syllabuses. The 2026 update changes only a weblink; Cambridge reports no significant teaching changes for the 2027–2028 or 2029–2031 cycles. Exams are in the November series, and the qualification is not available in every administrative zone; confirm entry with your centre. Centre-selected local crop, weed, pest, disease and livestock examples must be checked against local agriculture. StudyForA does not replace supervised, risk-assessed practical work, the four assessed practical exercises, the individual practical investigation/report, teacher assessment or Cambridge moderation. Online practice is not an official mark or grade.
Before you begin
- Read the syllabus that matches your exam year and confirm your centre can enter you for code 0600. This route maps Cambridge's 2026 Version 2, 2027–2028 Version 1 and 2029–2031 Version 1 syllabuses. The 2026 update changes only a weblink; Cambridge reports no significant teaching changes for the 2027–2028 or 2029–2031 cycles. Exams are in the November series, and the qualification is not available in every administrative zone; confirm entry with your centre. Centre-selected local crop, weed, pest, disease and livestock examples must be checked against local agriculture. StudyForA does not replace supervised, risk-assessed practical work, the four assessed practical exercises, the individual practical investigation/report, teacher assessment or Cambridge moderation. Online practice is not an official mark or grade.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Why might a steep field be unsuitable for frequent ploughing?
What you will learn
- Compare rotations, mixed farming, monoculture, forestry and aquaculture.
- Explain how relief, climate and environmental conditions constrain land use.
- Connect population growth to efficient land use and farm planning.
Recognise different uses and systems
Crop rotation changes the crop grown on a field over time; mixed farming combines crop and livestock production; monoculture concentrates on one crop. Forestry manages trees and woodland, while aquaculture raises aquatic organisms.
A system describes how a farm uses land and inputs. A place can combine systems, and no label alone tells you whether a farm is sustainable or profitable.
Match land use to its setting
Slope, soil, rainfall, temperature, water supply, drainage and hazards can restrict what grows or where buildings and access routes are placed. A steep slope may increase erosion risk; a dry climate may limit crops unless water is available.
Farm planning considers land capability, water, labour, markets, transport, costs and environmental effects. It aims to use each area appropriately rather than assuming every field should grow the same crop.
Plan for changing demand
Population growth can increase demand for food, fuel, fibre and water. Efficient planning may raise output per area, reduce waste or combine enterprises, but it must consider soil and water capacity and who can access the food.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Why might a steep field be unsuitable for frequent ploughing?
Worked example
A farm has steep wet hills, a flat fertile valley and a nearby reservoir. Propose a land-use plan and explain two choices.
Show the worked solution
- Avoid intensive cultivation on the steepest slopes if erosion risk is high; protect soil with permanent vegetation or managed forestry.
- Consider crops or mixed farming on suitable valley land after checking drainage and soil.
- Use aquaculture near the reservoir only if water quality, legal permissions, ecology and market access make it suitable.
Answer The plan matches each use to physical conditions and checks water, environmental, legal and economic limits before investment.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A growing town needs more food. Explain how a farm could adjust its land use without assuming every field should become monoculture.
Give me a hint
Match each land unit to its physical limits and consider more than yield.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify soil, slope, water and climate differences across the farm.
- Choose suitable combinations such as rotation, mixed farming, protected vegetation or aquaculture where appropriate.
- Check costs, demand, environmental effects and future soil and water capacity.
Land planning can combine crop rotations, livestock, protected slopes and suitable water-based production. The best mix depends on local conditions, demand, costs and environmental limits.
Look for these in your work
- Uses site evidence
- Includes more than one possible system
- Checks long-term limits
Compare mixed farming with monoculture for a farm facing variable rainfall and changing market prices.
Give me a hint
Explain one possible advantage and one limitation of each in the stated setting.
Compare my reasoning
- Mixed farming may spread income and allow crop residues to support livestock, but it needs varied skills, labour and infrastructure.
- Monoculture can simplify large-scale operations and market planning, but may concentrate weather, pest and price risks.
- Decide using local soils, water, labour, prices and environmental evidence.
Mixed farming may diversify risks and recycle resources but is more complex. Monoculture can be efficient but concentrates risk. Local data are needed to judge which system fits.
Look for these in your work
- Both systems explained
- Trade-offs included
- Judgement uses evidence
A development plan proposes houses on the only flat, well-watered farmland near a city. Identify two questions planners should answer before approving it.
Give me a hint
Consider population demand, food supply, alternative land and environmental effects.
Compare my reasoning
- Estimate the agricultural value and future food-production role of the land.
- Compare alternative sites, water and transport needs, and the effect of conversion on farmers and consumers.
- Assess whether a mixed land-use plan can meet housing needs while protecting high-capability farmland.
Planners should compare housing demand with the long-term value of productive land, alternatives, access, water use and impacts on local food supply and livelihoods.
Look for these in your work
- Two relevant questions raised
- Land capability addressed
- Trade-offs made explicit
Common mistakes
- Treating monoculture as a farming system that always means one crop forever
- Assuming climate alone determines what a farm can produce
- Equating more production per hectare with sustainable land use
What can you explain now?
Why might a steep field be unsuitable for frequent ploughing?
Compare with the explanation
Runoff can remove exposed soil and increase erosion
Slope and bare soil can increase runoff and erosion.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Define one farming system, explain one land-use constraint and state why population growth makes farm planning important.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.