Agricultural Geography C J Cox Geographers Perspective of

Agricultural Geography C. J. Cox

Geographer’s Perspective of World Agriculture F Geographers are interested in the patterns and distribution of agriculture in the world today. – What are the patterns of agriculture worldwide? – Why are agricultural areas distributed in the manner that they are?

Agriculture F Agri - Latin for field F culture - to cultivate F The expanded definition of Agriculture includes the cultivation of plants and animals F The goal of agriculture is produce sufficient food supplies

Physical Factors F Land/Soil (fertility) F Water (precipitation & rivers) F Sun ( temperature, evaporation rates) F Climate

Cultural Factors F Population Distribution F Diet of population u calorie supply, protein, health F Living Material u clothes, houses F Lifestyle/Cultural Tradition u nomadic, sedentary/rain dances F Economics u cash crops with greatest profit ie. viticulture F Government/Political Policies u Argentina wheat, Japan rice

Origins of Agriculture – Hunters and gatherers – Invention of agriculture

Agricultural Hearth Areas F Indus River in Pakistan F Mesopotamia in Iraq F Huang Ho in China F Nile River in Egypt

Agricultural Hearth Areas Carl O Sauer – Two types of cultivation F Vegetative Planting – Southeast Asia – West Africa – Northwestern South America F Seed Agriculture – – – western India northern China Ethiopia Southern Mexico northwestern South America

Difference between Subsistence and Commercial Agriculture 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Purpose of farming Percentage of farmers in the labor force Use of machinery Farm Size Relationship of farming to other businesses – Agribusiness

Forms of Agriculture F Subsistence – produced for consumption – work by hand – most people work shifting agriculture F nomadic herding F rice (intensive subsistence) F plantation agriculture F F Commercial – produced for market – mechanized – few laborers livestock & ranching F horticulture F dairy farming F mixed crop F grain F medditeranean F

If we lived in this area during the hunting and gathering period what types of plants and animals might we have eaten? Use whatever knowledge of the area you might have or guess if you have to.

Caloric intake – most of world’s people have an adequate supply of calories – the five concentrations have a calorie supply called well above adequate -120% – outside of Africa only Haiti and Afghanistan show serious malnutrition – many states in central and east Africa show malnutrition