CHAPTER 10

AGRICULTURE

INTRO

• Sharp contrast between U.S./Canada and much of

the rest of the world (what is it?)

• How farmers deal with their physical environment varies according to:– Dietary preferences– availability of technology– Cultural traditions

Geographers classify farms based on their environmental and cultural characteristics

ISSUE #1

Where Did Agriculture Originate?

ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE

• Hunters and Gatherers– Less than 0.005% today (where

are they?)

• Invention of Agriculture (Sauer)– Vegetative planting – Seed agriculture – KNOW THIS!

LOCATION OF AGRICULTURAL HEARTHS

FIRST VEGETATIVE PLANTING• Originated in SE Asia

– Diffused NE to China and Japan; westward through India to SW Asia, Africa and Mediterranean

– Dog, pig, chicken probably first domesticated in SE Asia

– Other early hearths may have originated in West Africa and NW South America

FIRST SEED AGRICULTURE• 3 hearths in the Eastern

Hemisphere:– Western India, northern China,

Ethiopia

– SW Asia was also first to combine seed agriculture with domestication of herd animals (cattle, sheep, goats)

• 2 hearths in the Western Hemisphere:– Southern Mexico– Northern Peru

Vegetative Planting Hearths

Fig. 10-1: There were several main hearths, or centers of origin, for vegetative crops (roots & tubers, etc.), from which the crops diffused to other areas. Carl Sauer suggested that Southeast Asia was a primary hearth.

Seed Agriculture Hearths

Fig. 10-2: Seed agriculture also originated in several hearths and diffused from those elsewhere.

CLASSIFYING AGRICULTURAL REGIONS

• LDC farmers –generally practice subsistence farming

• MDC farmers - usually practice commercial farming

5 FEATURES DISTINGUISHING SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE FROM COMMERCIAL AGRICULTRE….

1. Purpose of farming2. % of farmers in the

labor force3. Use of machinery4. Farm size5. Relationship of

farming to other businesses

Labor Force in Agriculture, 2005

Fig. 10-3: A large proportion of workers in most LDCs are in agriculture, while only a small percentage of workers in MDCs are engaged in agriculture.

Tractors, per cropland

Fig. 10-4: Tractors per 1000 hectares of cropland. Use of machinery is extensive in most MDC agriculture, but it is much less common in LDCs.

MAPPING AGRICULTURAL REGIONS

• Most widely used map of agricultural regions was created by Whittlesey in 1936– Identified 11 main agricultural

regions and an area where agriculture is nonexistent

– 5 important in LDCs, 6 important in MDCs

– Based primarily on climate

World Agriculture Regions

Fig. 10-5b: Locations of the major types of subsistence and commercial agriculture.

ISSUE #2

Where are Agricultural Regions in Less Developed Countries?

(no notes for this section, see packet)

ISSUE #3

Where are Agricultural Regions in More Developed Countries?

(no notes for this section, see packet; with the exception of the slides on Von Thunen)

IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS TO MARKETS

• Distance from farm to market influences what crops a commercial farm will grow– Clearest ex. – dairy farming

(spoils quickly)

• Von Thunen Model is used to explain the importance of proximity to market and crop choice of commercial farms

Got to get this to market before it

spoils!!!

VON THUNEN MODEL

• Commercial farm compares two costs:

- Cost of land vs. cost of transporting the product to the market (how much it costs to maintain the land vs. profit they can make, taking into account the cost of shipping the product)

• As a result, farms closer to markets tend to grow crops w/ higher transportation costs and vice versa

• They can’t just look at how valuable the crop is, they must also look at how much it costs to ship. (I can sell it for $1,000/lb, but it costs me $200 to ship it 10 miles, so I only made $800 if the market is 10 miles away….but what if the market it 50 miles away? Is that crop still worth growing and selling?)

• What does his model fail to take into account? (p.351)

Von Thünen Model

Fig. 10-13: Von Thünen’s model shows how distance from a city or market affects the choice of agricultural activity in (a) a uniform landscape and (b) one with a river.

ISSUE #4

Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

CHALLENGES FOR COMMERCIAL FARMERS

OVERPRODUCTION

• Victims of their own success? (read the dairy farming ex. on page 351!!!)

• Subsidies: 3 American governmental policies to deal w/overproduction (Europe?)

a. Encourage/pay not to produce crops in excess supply

b. Subsidies (Pay farmers when prices drop)c. Buy surplus crops (what happens to those

crops?)

• Switch to sustainable agriculture? – Ex. organic farming– What makes sustainable agriculture different

than conventional agriculture (3 things)

supply

demand

Price/profit

CHALLENGES FOR SUBSISTENCE FARMERS

OVERPOPULATION• Can’t provide enough for rapidly growing

populations

• Urban populations don’t produce their own food

• Irony when compared to subsidies in MDCs?

• Boserup’s thesis?– 2 ways subsistence farmersIncrease productiona. Shorter fallow periodsb. New farming methods

INT’L TRADE MODEL• To generate income for

profit and/or buy supplies, they must produce goods for MDCs

• Dilemma: What happens if too much land is devoted to selling export crops?

• Drug crops

STRATEGIES TO INCREASE FOOD SUPPLY

1. Expand the land area used for agriculture

2. Increase the productivity of land now used for agriculture (Gr. Rev.)

3. Identify new food sources

4. Increase exports from other countries

Green Revolution

20th Century

Green Revolution ***• is the ongoing transformation of agriculture that led

in some places to significant increases in agricultural production between the 1940s and 1960s

• allowed food production to keep pace with worldwide population growth (big reason for increased agricultural production in recent decades)

• has had major social and ecological impacts, and with multi-million dollar backing from organizations

History

• Began in 1943 in Mexico– Mexico became self-sufficient in wheat production

and by 1951 and began to export wheat

• Indian Success– In 1961 India was on the brink of mass famine– India began its own Green Revolution program of

plant breeding, irrigation development, and financing of agrochemicals (rice was the crop)

History

• Problems in Africa– Problems include widespread corruption,

insecurity, a lack of infrastructure, and a general lack of will on the part of the governments

Main Goals of Revolution ***

• Increase in Technology– Biotechnology• alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or

modify products , use of hybrid seeds, exporting new technologies from MDCS to LDCs

• Production Increases

• Food security/stability

Problems w/ Green Revolution ***

• Argument over food production– Not a variety of food (fewer types of rice in India as a result)– Environmental Impact: use of chemicals– More food but still more people

• Political Questions– Is it OK to “mess with” altering food products?

• Socioeconomic Questions– “Rich get Richer”, LDCs still very dependant on MDCs

** it was not the use of “green” technologies that decreased pollution; it did use pesticides, herbicides…

Chapter 10 Review

10.01 All of the following areas were primary or secondary origins of vegetative planting, except:

1. Southeast Asia2. Southern Europe3. South America4. Mesopotamia/Middle East5. West Africa

10.01 All of the following areas were primary or secondary origins of vegetative planting, except:

1. Southeast Asia2. Southern Europe3. South America4. Mesopotamia/Middle East5. West Africa

10.02 Subsistence agriculture is least common in

1. Europe2. Latin America3. China4. Africa5. Southeast Asia

10.02 Subsistence agriculture is least common in

1. Europe2. Latin America3. China4. Africa5. Southeast Asia

10.03 Shifting cultivation is most common

1. In the interior region of Australia2. Within 20 degrees latitude of the equator3. In more developed countries4. In humid continental climates5. In close proximity to large cities

10.03 Shifting cultivation is most common

1. In the interior region of Australia2. Within 20 degrees latitude of the equator3. In more developed countries4. In humid continental climates5. In close proximity to large cities

10.04 Pastoral nomadism

1. Has increased in recent decades2. Is a form of intensive subsistence agriculture3. Did not develop until after permanent agricultural settlements were built4. Is synonymous with transhumance5. Is most common in dry regions

10.04 Pastoral nomadism

1. Has increased in recent decades2. Is a form of intensive subsistence agriculture3. Did not develop until after permanent agricultural settlements were built4. Is synonymous with transhumance5. Is most common in dry regions

10.05 Plantations are most commonly found in

1. The American South2. East and West Africa3. Southeast Asia4. Latin America5. East Asia

10.05 Plantations are most commonly found in

1. The American South2. East and West Africa3. Southeast Asia4. Latin America5. East Asia

10.06 Compared to other grains, wheat

1. Is of less economic importance2. Has more uses for human food3. Cannot be stored as long4. Grows less well in humid continental climates5. Is grown primarily for domestic consumption

10.06 Compared to other grains, wheat

1. Is of less economic importance2. Has more uses for human food3. Cannot be stored as long4. Grows less well in humid continental climates5. Is grown primarily for domestic consumption

10.07 Ranching has declined in the western United States primarily because

1. Infectious diseases have killed off herds2. Growing crops is a more efficient use of land3. The federal government provides no incentives for ranchers4. Vegetarianism has become so popular5. A lack of water limits the number of animals per acre

10.07 Ranching has declined in the western United States primarily because

1. Infectious diseases have killed off herds2. Growing crops is a more efficient use of land3. The federal government provides no incentives for ranchers4. Vegetarianism has become so popular5. A lack of water limits the number of animals per acre

10.08 The most fundamental shared aspect of regions that practice Mediterranean agriculture is

1. A love of good wine2. A willingness to experiment with new crops3. Similar climate/physical conditions4. Close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea5. The speaking of Romance languages

10.08 The most fundamental shared aspect of regions that practice Mediterranean agriculture is

1. A love of good wine2. A willingness to experiment with new crops3. Similar climate/physical conditions4. Close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea5. The speaking of Romance languages

10.09 According to the von Thunen model, which of the following factors is least important to a farmer when deciding which crops to grow?

1. Distance to market2. Transportation cost per kilometer3. Yield per acre4. Price per bushel5. Nutritional value of the crop

10.09 According to the von Thunen model, which of the following factors is least important to a farmer when deciding which crops to grow?

1. Distance to market2. Transportation cost per kilometer3. Yield per acre4. Price per bushel5. Nutritional value of the crop

10.10 Which of the following areas is least affected by desertification?

1. North Africa2. American Southwest3. Central Australia4. Central Europe5. Southwestern Asia

10.10 Which of the following areas is least affected by desertification?

1. North Africa2. American Southwest3. Central Australia4. Central Europe5. Southwestern Asia