Unit 5 Agriculture n Importance of AG Everyone

Unit 5 Agriculture n Importance of AG • Everyone dependent on food • AG occupies more land area than any other econ activity • AG employs 45% - almost half of world’s labor (in Africa and Asia over 50% are farmers) • W/out AG you could not have any cities or urban areas

AG – Intro cont’d n n AG practices = one of the most fundamental differences between MDCs and LDCs Big Questions…. • Where is AG distributed across the earth? • How does farming vary around the globe? • Why does farming vary across the globe?

Origins of AG n AG: purposeful modification of earth’s surface to plant crops or raise livestock for human sustenance • AG began when humans domesticated plants and animals for use • Origins of AG predate recorded human history

Origins of AG B/f AG = Hunter/gatherer societies follow game and seasonal growth n

1 st AG Revolution n n @ 10, 000 yrs ago – late 18 th C Domestication – conscious manipulation of plants/animals Invention of AG evolved slowly and over time through accident and experimentation 1 st rev shifted people from hunt/gather to semi-sedentary

1 st AG Rev – cont’d n Carl Sauer – expert on 1 st Rev • Occurred in time of plenty, not famine • Multiple hearths occurred independently in several places • Seed cultivation in Fertile Crescent (Iraq) - @ 10, 000 yrs ago • Yams in hill country of SE Asia @ 10, 000 yrs ago • Root crops & corn in Mesoamerica (Mayans) @ 5, 000 yrs ago • Likely discovered by women by accident

1 st AG Revolution – cont’d n n n AG Diffusion: spread by relocation migration & colonialism (Columbian Exchange) Today diff is hierarchical – starts in research centers of MDCs moves to smaller farms or LDCs Diff can be bad/accidental (ex: kudzu = the vine that ate the South)

AG Diffusion – Columbian Exchange – relocation diff

AG diffusion – accidental - kudzu

2 nd AG Revolution n n Began in W. Eur in 1600 s – transformed W. Eur and N. America Intensified AG by promoting higher yields per acre and per farmer Used crop rotation, fertilizers, improved collars for draft animals Farmers create surplus, people can live in cities and buy AG products at market Move from rural to urban

2 nd AG revolution – cont’d n Late 1700 s = Industrial Revolution – mechanization • Tractors, reapers, threshers replaced human labor • Better transportation – RR, steamboats, refrigerated cars, etc. allows farmers to ship food products further to urban markets

2 nd AG rev – cont’d – Ind Rev Transportation Revolutions – increase market area for farmers’ produce n

3 rd AG Rev = Green Rev – 1940 s-1960 s n n MDCs transfer techn to LDCs Main practices: • Artificial fertilizer • Irrigation • Insecticides and pesticides • Mechanical machinery • Crossbreeding/hybridization (naturally not in a lab) • …. all produce higher yields

3 rd Rev / Green Rev n n Multinational Corp encourage LDCs to focus on specialty crops – monoculture for export instead of producing food for local consumption Was successful in some LDCs but detrimental in others (new tech devastated land, bad for env, unsustainable farming, and changes in social and culture structures

Today and the Future…. . High tech AG and Agribusiness n n Computerized irrigation, remote sensing, long-term weather predictions, GMO’s GMOs: genetically modified foods – genes altered in a lab for disease resistance, increased productivity, increased nutritional value • BIG debate…U. S. pro – feed developing world; Europe anti – Franken food

GMOs

Today and Future…. n Agribusiness: multinational giant corporations dominate much of world’s AG market • demise of family farm • AG is BIG, expensive business (control land, tech, machinery, shipping, packaging, etc. ) • Globalization of AG: free trade, WTO

Geog looks at WHAT crops are produced around the globe…. affected by……. n n Environment: (Environmental Determinism)…rice needs lots of water, grapes need cool wet winters and hot dry summers, etc. Possibilism…green houses, irrigation Culture: rice in Asia, corn in MX, wheat in US/Eur, no pork in Middle East, etc.

What crops produced where… n Economic: grow crop that makes greatest profit (von Thunen)

Geog looks at HOW crops grown n n Labor intensive – lots of people and few tools V. Capital Intensive – little human labor, but tools, machinery Intensive AG- greater yields off smaller areas (future of farming as AG land is lost V. Extensive AG – needs lots of land, not efficient (wide spread ranching)

HOW crops grown – cont’d n n Intensive/extensive and capital intensive/labor intensive spectrums are independent of each other…. . examples? Subsistence AG (LDCs) V. Commercial AG (MDCs) …see handout

AG Regions in LDCs n 1. Shiftng Cultivation: in rainforests • Slash and Burn: clear land by slashing vegetation and burning debris • Swidden: land that’s been cleared for farming • Land often owned by village not indiv. • Cannot support dense populations • Soil depletes rapidly…leads to deforestation

AG in LDCs n Shifting cultivation – deforestation

AG Regions in LDCs n 2. ) Pastoral Nomadism – nomadic herders • Dry mntn regions of Africa and Asia where harsh climate prevent plants • Herders cover wide area searching for food for herd • Transhumance – seasonal migration • Use animals - food, clothing, milk, skins • Type of animal varies depending on culture and physical region (i. e. camel, sheep, goat, horse, etc. )

AG in LDCs n Pastoral Nomadism

AG Regions in LDCs n 3. ) Intensive Subsistence • High yield for small area of land • Densely pop areas of Asia • Often w/ wet rice in Asia • W/ wheat and barley in India and China • Double cropping – 2 crops/harvests per year • Crop Rotation – preserves soil nutrients

AG Regions in LDCs n 4. ) Plantation Farming • Found in tropics/subtropics • Large farm specializes in 1 -2 cash crops (coffee, sugar, cotton) • Often controlled/owned by MDC • Labor comes from LDC • Crops exported for sale, not sold locally

AG Regions in MDCs n 1. ) Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming • Western N. America, S. America, Australia • Integrate crops and livestock – crops (soybeans and corn) fed to animals • Employ crop rotation

AG Regions in MDCs n 2. ) Dairying: • Near large urban areas (NE United States, SE Canada, NW Eur) • Close to city b/c product perishable (esp milk…cheese & butter can come from further away) • Milk Shed how far out can supply milk w/out spoiling • These farms are expensive and labor intensive

AG in MDCs – Dairy Farms

AG Regions in MDCs n 3. ) Grain Farming: wheat, corn, barley, oats, millet • grains grown for human consumption • Sale to manufacturers for food production (cereal, bread, flour) • US – by far greatest exporter of grain (Great Plains = bread basket)

AG in MDCs – grain farming

AG Regions in MDCs n 4. ) Livestock Ranching: • Commercial grazing of livestock (cattle – beef) over extensive areas • Big in western US (i. e. ranchers) and Argentina – semi-arid areas

AG Regions in MDCs n 5. ) Mediterranean AG • Mediterranean climates of W. Eur, CA, Chile • Variety of fruits and vegetables for human consumption – olives, grapes, avocadoes, nuts, etc. • Olives and grapes = most valuable cash crops…. . olive oil and wine

AG in MDCs - Mediterranean

AG Regions in MDCs n 6. ) Truck Farming – commercial gardening and fruit farming • American SE – long growing season and humid • Apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, cherries, etc. • “Truck” was a word for barter and these items were originally produced for local markets…today produced for large scale food processors

Truck farming Apples, squash, lettuce, cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, peaches, tomatoes, green beans

Issues for Commercial Farmers n n 1. ) Access to markets – distance from market influences crop choice Von Thunen’s Model 19 th C Germany • Noticed lands w/ same physical geog were being used for diff AG products • Farmers consider 2 costs – land transporting goods to market • Land cost most expensive near market & decreases w/ distance

Von Thunen – cont’d n Products w/ intensive land use, high transportation costs, and in high demand located near market (i. e. highly perishable items, bulky heavy items…. dairy, fruits, veggies). These generate higher prices and farmers can afford more expensive land nearest market

Von Thunen – cont’d n n Products in less demand, w/ more extensive land use or cheaper to transport are found further from market where land is cheaper (ranching, mixed farming, orchards) Formula – can farmer make profit? • P= V – (E + T) • Profit = commodity value – (production cost + transportation cost)

Von Thunen – cont’d n The model = concentric rings coming out of market • 1. nearest, perishable items diff to transport (berries, milk, tomatoes) • 2. forestry – wood heavy and diff to transport • 3. mixed farming – pigs, poultry • 4. wheat, barley, grains, livestock

Von Thunen Model

Contemporary Variables of the Model? n n n Modern transportation more efficient Transportation costs no longer proportional to distance Wood (#2 forestry) no longer needed for fuel Technology has decreased permissibility (refrigerated cars, canning, etc. ) Model still relevant today? ? ?

Issues for Commercial Farmers OVERPRODUCION n n Tech allows farmers to produce more than demanded (too much product, not enough profit) Ex: US govnt pays 4 bill in cotton subsidies, farmers make 3 bill off crop Subsidies: govnt pays to produce less – spends @ 10 bill annually Govn’t also buys surplus and donates to foreign countries

Issues for Subsistence Farmers n n n 1. ) rapidly increasing pop – must feed more people on same land (GMOs? ) 2. ) Trying to grow food for export for development and not just for consumption Strategies…. • Expand land areas and increase productivity of land already in use • Identify new food sources • When there is surplus, export, to bring in $$$

Future of Farming…. . n Intensive AG is replacing Extensive AG…generate more food on smaller plots of land • Ex: Feedlots: concentrate raising livestock in smaller space and use hormones and other fattening grains to prepare cattle for slaughter at a more rapid pace and in a smaller space

Future of Farming…. n n Biotechnology – techniques to modify living organism and improve plant and animal species and production (GMOs) Agribusiness: includes food production, canning, refining, packing, etc. • • • Little farmer goes out of business Transnational Corp – profit goes to company Can get any fruit/fresh produce all over the globe at any time of year

AG and the Environment n Negative impacts on Env • Pesticides (DDT) harm wildlife, pollute lakes, rivers, etc. • Erosion – loss of fertile topsoil – fertile topsoil accumulates slowly takes hundreds of yrs to rebuild • Salinization: soil in dry area is irrigated, water evaporates quickly and leaves salty residue • Urban Sprawl: takes over good AG land

AG and the Environment n n n Deforestation: slash and burn in rainforests (debt for nature swap – see article) Desertification: degradation of land…turns into desert b/c of extensive planting or grazing Conclusion…. greater tech often correlates w/ destruction of env.

RESOURCES n Natural Resources: • Renewable: resources w/ a theoretically unlimited supply…env continues to replace them (i. e. soil, timber). Note – we can use renewable resources faster than they can reproduce themselves

• Nonrenewable: cannot be replaced by nature; a finite supply that will be exhausted (minerals, coal, oil, copper)

Fishing n n Accounts for 20% of human and animal protein consumption (higher in some countries) 3 Sources: • Inland catch – ponds, lakes – 7% • Fish Farms – controlled/contained environment – 32% • Marine catch – oceans – continental shelf – 100 miles out – 61%

Fishing Problems…. n n Over fishing – catch is surpassing reproduction rates – endangered supplies. Tragedy of the Commons oceans = open seas, communal property, all take too much Pollution of coastal waters

Fishing n Aquaculture: fish farming – breed fish in ponds, lakes, canals, or fenced off in coastal bays • Accounts for 30% of total fish harvest in recent yrs • Fastest growing sector of world economy