# Explain why farmers who rear livestock often use indoor housing and controlled feeding programmes to increase the efficiency of energy transfer to meat production.

> AQA A-Level Biology (7402) — 3.5.3 Energy and Ecosystems · Explain · 5 marks

> Modern livestock farming uses techniques such as keeping animals indoors in warm buildings and limiting their movement. These practices are designed to improve the efficiency of food production.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Animals lose energy/heat to the environment through respiration
2. Keeping animals warm reduces the temperature difference between the animal and its surroundings, so less energy is used maintaining body temperature
3. Limiting movement reduces the energy used in muscle contraction / reduces energy used for movement
4. More of the energy from food is therefore available to be transferred into biomass / growth
5. This increases the efficiency of energy transfer (from feed to meat), so less feed is needed per kilogram of meat produced / the farmer gets more meat for the same amount of feed

## Key terms

- [energy transfer](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/energy-transfer)
- [efficiency](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/efficiency)

## Related

- [Revision notes for AQA A-Level Biology (7402)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/explain-why-farmers-who-rear-livestock-06595d60) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.