AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Origins and Regions Hunters and gatherers

Small groups, nomadic movement based on game/plants

Small groups exist today in the Arctic, Africa, Australia and South America

Invention of agriculture Plant cultivation evolved from accident and

experiment Two types

Vegetative and Seed

Location of agricultural hearths Vegetative planting

Reproduction through cloning, cutting and splitting roots

Originated in Southeast Asia to China, Japan, India, S.W. Asia, Africa, and Mediterranean

1st plants were taro, yam, banana and palm 1st animals were dog, pig, and chicken

Seed agriculture Planting seeds W. India, N. China and Ethiopia S.W Asia was the 1st place to integrate seed

agriculture and domestication Mexico and Peru developed independently (origin

of corn and squash)

Seed Agriculture Hearths

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

Classifying agricultural regions

Subsistence Practiced in LDC Personal

consumption Large farmer work

force Use hand tools,

little machinery Small farms

Commercial Practiced in MDC Produced for sale Small farmer work

force High level of

machinery Large farms Large connection to

manufacturing sectors

Tractors, per Population

Fig. 10-4: Tractors per 1,000 people. Use of machinery is extensive in most MDC agriculture, but it is much less common in LDCs.

Agriculture in Less Developed Countries

Shifting cultivation Humid low latitude, Amazon, W. C. Africa,

S.E Asia Characteristics of shifting cultivation

Slash and burn and fallow fields Plows and animals barely used Potash (potassium) from burning Rice, corn, cassava, millet, sorghum, yams,

sugarcane, plantain and vegetables Future of shifting cultivation

Replaced by logging, cattle ranching and cultivation of cash crops

Large scale destruction of rain forest (Bolivia)

Pastoral Nomadism

Pastoral nomadism Characteristics of pastoral nomadism

Animals are used for meat, hides and milk Animals are selected by local cultural and physical

characteristics Camels, horses, goats, and sheep Movement is tied to territory

Future of pastoral nomadism Offshoot of sedentary agriculture Governments try to resettle groups or provide

alternative jobs

Intensive subsistence agriculture

Farmers must produce more with less land for more people

Labor intensive and some use of animals, no machines

Intensive subsistence with wet rice dominant S.E. Asia, China, and E. India Plowed land is flooded with water and seedlings are

transplanted and harvested by hand Intensive subsistence with wet rice not dominant

Interior India and N.E. China grows wheat instead of rice Cash crops like cotton, flax, hemp and tobacco are

grown Crop rotation is used to increase yield amount

World Rice Production

Fig. 10-6: Asian farmers grow over 90% of the world’s rice. India and China alone account for over half of world rice production.

Agriculture in Developed Countries

Mixed crop and livestock systems Integration of crops and livestock (Crops fed to animals) Reduces seasonal variation in income Crop rotation for efficient output Corn and soybeans (corn belt)

Dairy farming U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia and New

Zealand Dairy farms must be close to the market Farms farther away produce dairy products like cheese,

butter, dry milk or condensed milk Labor intensive, lack of profitability

World Milk Production

Fig 10-8: Milk production reflects wealth, culture, and environment. It is usually high in MDCs, especially production per capita, and varies considerably in LDCs.

MDC agriculture con’t Grain farming

Commercial production, easily shipped worldwide U.S., Canada, Argentina, Australia, France and U.K. Winter and spring wheat

Livestock ranching Animals grown for commercial sale Beef demand rose through the use of railroads and

changed ranching and breeds Chisholm trail was the cattle route used bring to

market The Code of the West led to Range Wars when the

government sold land previously used for grazing

World Wheat Production

Fig. 10-10: China is the world’s leading wheat producer, but the U.S. and Canada account for about half of world wheat exports.

MDC agriculture con’t Mediterranean agriculture

Mediterranean climate (borders a sea, prevailing seas, moisture and mild winters)

Fruits, vegetables, flowers, olive oil, wine, and grapes Commercial gardening and fruit farming

U.S. southeast because of climate Consumer goods of agriculture (apples, cherries and

lettuce) Use of migrant workers keep labor cost down

Plantation farming Located in LDCs but owned by MDC corporations Cotton, sugarcane, coffee, rubber, tobacco and tea Crops are processed on site then shipped

Economic Issues of Commercial Farmers

Economic issues of commercial farmers Access to markets-proximity determines crop

choice Overproduction-brings down prices of crops

Avoid certain crops, farmer assistance and gov’t buys surplus

Sustainable agriculture- land management and integration Ridge tillage, Round up ready seeds Integration of crops and livestock to get rid of the

middle man (farmer grows food to feed livestock instead of purchasing it)

Economic issues of subsistence farmers

Population growth and international trade are issues faced by LDCs

Boserup suggests that LDCs need to consider new farming approaches in order to produce enough food for their population

This is achieved through more efficient agriculture (fallow fields, better machinery and more fertilizer)

Increasing food supply Expand agricultural land Increase efficiency on current land Identify new sources of food Increase exports so there are funds to purchase food

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.