WG UNIT 5 AGRICULTURE ORIGINS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN

WG - UNIT 5: AGRICULTURE ORIGINS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUBSISTENCE AND COMMERCIAL

ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE • INVENTION OF AGRICULTURE • PRIOR TO THE ADVENT OF AGRICULTURE, ALL HUMANS PROBABLY OBTAINED NEEDED FOOD THROUGH HUNTING AND GATHERING. • ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE CANNOT BE DOCUMENTED WITH CERTAINTY, BECAUSE IT BEGAN BEFORE RECORDED HISTORY. • AGRICULTURE IS DELIBERATE MODIFICATION OF EARTH’S SURFACE THROUGH CULTIVATION OF PLANTS AND REARING OF ANIMALS TO OBTAIN SUSTENANCE OR ECONOMIC GAIN

HUNTING AND GATHERING • HUNTING, FISHING, GATHERING PLANTS, ETC. • LIVED IN SMALL GROUPS W/ USUALLY FEWER THAN 50 PPL • MEN HUNTED GAME, WOMEN GATHERED BERRIES, NUTS, AND ROOTS • TRAVELED FREQUENTLY • DEPENDED ON MOVEMENT OF GAME AND SEASONAL GROWTH OF PLANTS

CONTEMPORARY HUNTING AND GATHERING • TODAY LESS THAN 0. 005% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION STILL SURVIVE BY HUNTING AND GATHERING • LIVE IN ISOLATED LOCATIONS • ARCTIC • INTERIOR OF AFRICA • AUSTRALIA • SOUTH AMERICA

HUNTER-GATHERERS • HUMANITY’S ONLY “ECONOMIC” ACTIVITY FOR AT LEAST 90% OF OUR EXISTENCE. • LOW POPULATION DENSITIES. • WIDE VARIETY OF NATURAL FOODSTUFFS EATEN. • WHAT STAGE OF THE DTM? ? ?

INVENTION OF AGRICULTURE • NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION/1 ST AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION • DOMESTICATION OF PLANTS/ANIMALS…. MANKIND NO LONGER SOLEY DEPENDENT ON HUNTING AND GATHERING • AROUND 8000 B. C. • WORLD’S POPULATION GREW AT MORE RAPID RATE THAN IT HAD IN PAST • LARGER, MORE STABLE SOURCES OF FOOD

CARL SAUER - TYPES OF CULTIVATION • VEGETATIVE PLANTING • DIRECT CLONING OF PLANTS • CUTTING STEMS AND DIVIDING ROOTS • ORIGINATED IN SE ASIA – TARO, YAM, BANANA, PALM • DIFFUSED TO CHINA, JAPAN, INDIA, SW ASIA, AND AFRICA • SEED AGRICULTURE • REPRODUCTION OF PLANTS THROUGH ANNUAL PLANTING OF SEEDS • ORIGINATED IN WESTERN INDIA, NORTHERN CHINA, ETHIOPIA • WESTERN HEMISPHERE – MEXICO AND NORTHERN PERU

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE Subsistence Commercial • PURPOSE OF FARMING Purpose of farming Survival Profit • % OF FARMERS IN THE LABOR FORCE % of farmers Large Small • USE OF MACHINERY • FARM SIZE • RELATIONSHIP OF FARMING TO OTHER BUSINESS Use of machinery Limited Extensive Farm size Small Large Relationship to other business None agribusiness

TYPES OF AGRICULTURE FOUND IN LDCS

Subsistence Agriculture Regions

SHIFTING CULTIVATION VEGETATION “SLASHED” AND THEN BURNED. SOIL REMAINS FERTILE FOR 2 -3 YEARS. THEN PEOPLE MOVE ON. · WHERE: LESS DEVELOPED WORLD. AMAZON, CENTRAL AND WEST AFRICA, SOUTHEAST ASIA (INDOCHINA, INDONESIA, NEW GUINEA) · CROPS: UPLAND RICE (S. E. ASIA), MAIZE AND MANIOC S (. AMERICA), MILLET AND SORGHUM A ( FRICA) DECLINING AT HANDS OF RANCHING AND LOGGING.

PASTORAL NOMADISM THE BREEDING AND HERDING OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS FOR SUBSISTENCE. Bedouin Shepherd · WHERE: ARID AND SEMI-ARID AREAS OF N. AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST, CENTRAL ASIA · ANIMALS: CAMEL, GOATS, SHEEP, CATTLE · TRANSHUMANCE: SEASONAL MIGRATIONS FROM HIGHLANDS TO LOWLANDS MOST NOMADS ARE BEING PRESSURED INTO Somali Nomad and Tent SEDENTARY LIFE AS LAND IS USURPED FOR AGRICULTURE OR MINING.

INTENSIVE SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE • WET RICE DOMINANT The Fields of Bali · WHERE: S. E. · VERY LABOR INTENSIVE PRODUCTION OF RICE · MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE OF FOOD INASIA · ASIA, E. INDIA, S. E. CHINA GROWN ON FLAT, OR TERRACED LAND DOUBLE CROPPING IS USED IN WARM WINTER AREAS OF S. CHINA AND TAIWAN Thai Rice Farmers

INTENSIVE SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE WET RICE NOT DOMINANT · WHERE: CENTRAL ASIA AND INDIA, WHERE IT IS TOO DRY FOR WET RICE · CROPS: WHEAT, BARLEY, MILLET, OATS, CORN, SOYBEANS · STILL VERY INTENSIVE USE OF LAND · CROP ROTATION RETAINS SOIL FERTILITY AND ALLOWS CONSTANT PRODUCTION Subsistence Farm, India

Plantation Farming • LARGE SCALE MONO-CROPPING OF PROFITABLE PRODUCTS NOT ABLE TO BE GROWN IN EUROPE OR U. S. • WHERE: TROPICAL LOWLAND PERIPHERY • CROPS: COTTON, SUGAR CANE, COFFEE, RUBBER, COCOA, BANANAS, TEA, COCONUTS, PALM OIL.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IN AGRICULTURE

LAND DEGRADATION • 2 MAIN TYPES • DEFORESTATION • DESERTIFICATION • OTHER TYPES • MINING • OIL DRILLING/ FRACKING

DESERTIFICATION •

THE GROWING SAHARA DESERT • THE SAHEL REGION WAS ONCE A TREE/GRASSLAND AREA LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THE SAHARA • TODAY, DUE TO DEFORESTATION AND DESERTIFICATION IT IS AN EXTENSION OF THE SAHARA AND GROWING

SO HOW DO YOU THINK DEFORESTATION, DESERTIFICATION, AND AGRICULTURE ALL RELATED? • DESERTIFICATION - GOOD EARTH • DRIED UP ARAL SEA • MEATHOOKED