© T. M. Whitmore TODAY Agriculture and rural development continued V: Internal Colonization of...

© T. M. Whitmore

TODAY•Agriculture and rural development

continuedV: Internal Colonization of Tropical

Lowlands - AmazoniaThe issue of lowland tropical

deforestation

•Mexican Agriculture- an example of a dual system

•Other examples of Commercial Agriculture in LA

© T. M. Whitmore

LAST TIME- Questions?

•Agriculture and rural development continuedIV: Dual agricultural systems or

“The Productivity Paradox”V: Internal Colonization of Tropical

Lowlands

© T. M. Whitmore

Agricultural and Rural Development V: Internal

Colonization of Tropical South American Lowlands•Example III from Amazonia

> 600 million haAmazonian environments

Terra firmeVárzaSavanna

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Development history in Amazonia I

•Early extractive uses

•“Spontaneous” peasant agricultural colonization and Governmentally planned colonization in Brazilian AmazonAndean Amazon

© T. M. Whitmore

Development in Amazonia II•Patterns of peasant colonization

Fishbone patternsScale & geography of changeCauses Cattle ranchingConsequences Ecuadorian “Oriente”

•Commercial expansion of modern agricultureExample of soy in Mato Groso

© T. M. Whitmore

Amazonian deforestation•Wider consequences

In Brazilspeculation and abandoned lands

Loss of rare tropical rain forestDestruction of speciesDestruction of Indigenous people’s

traditional livelihoodConsequences for global warmingFails to solve land tenure problemLocal weather impacts

•Solutions?

© T. M. Whitmore

Fordlândia

Jarí

Area of high density of rubber trees

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© T. M. Whitmore© Greenpeace / Felipe Goifman

Planned

Spontaneous

Amazonian colonization

USGS

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

Source: NASA

Source: Frontiers in Ecology

© Roger J. Harris, 2001

© Roger J. Harris, 2001

Ecuadorian Oriente © Christine Erlien

© Koeppe

© Koeppe

Soy in S America

© Koeppe

© Koeppe

© T. M. Whitmore

Tropical Deforestation•Deforestation rates•Causes

Agricultural clearingPasture clearingTimber harvestingOil exploration/extractionPopulation growth?Degradation of lands in source

areas of migrantsPoor land tenure equity in source

areas of migrantsUrban poverty

© T. M. Whitmore

Mexican Agriculture-examples

•Dual system spatially and functionally

•Regions in Mexican agricultureNorthern irrigated oasesMesa Central and Bajío

Commercial, specialty, & small holder

Southern highland Mexico, lowlands near Gulf of Mexico, and Yucatan

Commercial & small holder

Bajío

Irrigated maize in Bajío

Tequila

Pulque

(like tequila & mezcal, pulque is from maguey, a species of agave) – not a cactus

Magueys in fallow field C. Mexico

© T. M. WhitmoreTraditional maize cob storage

Milpa (i.e., field – usually corn) in Chiapas

© T. M. Whitmore

Commercial Agriculture in LA

•Argentina

•Chilean central valley

•Brazil

•Peru’s coastal oases

•Columbia’s coffee

•Specialty crops: coca, flowers, ferns

•Central America’s 3 Cs

Pam

pasW

ines

Argentine Soy(98% GMO)

Navin Ramankutty, Nicholas J. Olejniczak, and Jonathan A. FoleyCenter for Sustainability and the Global Environmenthttp://www.sage.wisc.edu

Cultivation Intensity

© T. M. Whitmore

Soy Citrus

Frui

t

© T. M. Whitmore

© Chris Jochem 2006

North coastal Peruvian cane

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. WhitmoreCut flower cultivation on ancient terraces; near Tarma, Peru

© T. M. WhitmoreCut flower cultivation on ancient terraces; near Tarma, Peru

© T. M. Whitmore

Fern growth under meshIn cloud forest in theSierra de las Minas, Guatemala

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

coffee

coffee

coffee

Tropical plantation crops

Cotton, sugar

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore

© T. M. Whitmore