Theme

AgricultureAgriculture

Agricultural Systems

• The Sahel • Southern California

San FranciscoSan Francisco

San DiegoSan Diego

Source: www.pbs.org

http://www.ibe.unesco.org/The SahelBurkina Faso Cameroon Chad Gambia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal Sudan

The Sahel -- Encyclopedia Britannica

Arabic Sa hil, semiarid region of western and north-central Africa extending from Senegal eastward to The Sudan. It forms a transitional zone between the arid Sahara (desert) to the north and the belt of humid

savannas to the south.

Source: www.fao.org

Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad

The Sahel Southern California

Less developed More developed

Nomadic herding Irrigation farming

Self subsistence farming Commercial farming

Famine Well-known food exporter

Similar physical inputs

Physical inputs• Dry climates• High solar energy• Low rainfall 200-600mm

• Infertile soil

• Drought

Cultural inputsThe Sahel Southern California

Capital Low High

Labour

(education level)

Low High

Technology Low High

Governance Poor Efficient

Market Small + Local Large + Overseas

Technology

The Sahel Southern California

Simple, low cost, manual Advanced, high cost, mechanical

Dig wells Build dams, canals, reservoirs, drainage systems

Plant tree Satellite

Eco-friendly fertilizers Chemical fertilizers

Outcome

The Sahel Southern California

Depends on international aids

Gain more than US$2 billion a year

TechnologyThe Sahel Southern California

Overgrazing Increasing arable land

Overcultivation Large scale construction

Deforestation Loss of natural habitats

Desertification Pollution

Sustainable agriculture

Technology

Advantages productivity quality variety health production cost

Disadvantages pollution habitats biodiversitydeforestationdesertification ecosystem

Livelihood + Economy Livelihood + Economy