1. Warm Up
● Discuss and write down examples with your teammates for the following questions: 
2. Jared Diamond refers to the people of New Guinea as “among the world’s most culturally diverse and adaptable people in the world”, yet they have much less than modern Americans. Diamond has developed a theory about what has caused these huge discrepancies among different countries, and he says it boils down to geographic luck. Give several examples from the film to support Diamond’s theory.
8. Do you agree with Jared Diamond when he says of a civilizations ability to gain power, wealth, and strength, “…what’s far more important is the hand that people have been dealt, the raw materials they’ve had at their disposal.” Why or why not?

2. Agriculture Chapter 10 An Introduction to Human Geography
The Cultural Landscape, 8e
James M. Rubenstein
Chapter 10
Agriculture

3. Economic Activities Primary Secondary Tertiary
Raw Materials: Agriculture, mining, fishing, and forestry
Secondary
Manufacturing: capital (for industry) and consumer goods
Tertiary
Consumer: retail and personal services; entertainment
Quaternary
Business/Producer services: trade, insurance, banking, advertising, transportation and information services
Quinary
Public (government) Services: health, education, research, transportation, tourism & recreation
These three levels are often subdivided within the economic activity group “tertiary” as services may be utilized by both consumers & producers.

4. Key Issue 1: Where Did Agriculture Originate?
Origins Of Agriculture
Crop and Animal Hearths
Hunters And Gatherers
Contemporary Hunting And Gathering
Invention Of Agriculture
Two Types Of Cultivation
Location Of First Vegetative Planting
Location Of First Seed Agriculture
Diffusion Of Seed Agriculture
Mapping Agricultural Regions
Differences between Commercial and Subsistence Agriculture
Vocabulary
agriculture
crop
vegetative planting
seed agriculture
subsistence agriculture
commercial agriculture
prime agricultural land
agribusiness

5. Animal Hearths Figure 10-3 ON YOUR PLACE MAPS:
INDICATE EACH OF THE MAJOR ANIMAL HEARTHS WITH A SYMBOL FOR EACH.
Animal Hearths
Figure 10-3

6. Crop Hearths Figure 10-2 ON YOUR PLACE MAPS:
LABEL EACH OF THE MAJOR CROP HEARTHS YOU RECOGNIZE
Crop Hearths
Figure 10-2

7. Agricultural Origins and Regions
Origins of agriculture
Hunters and gatherers
Before the invention of agriculture, all humans probably obtain the food they needed for survival by hunting for animals, fishing, or gathering plants (including berries, nuts, fruits, and roots). Hunters and gatherers lived in small groups, usually fewer than 50 persons, because a larger number would quickly exhaust the available resources within walking distance.
TODAY
Estimated 250,000 people living in isolated areas still live as hunter-gatherers
Arctic, and the interiors of Africa, South America and Australia
Invention of agriculture
Agriculture is the deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain.
Neolithic/Agricultural Revolution c B.C.

8. Location of Agricultural Hearths
Vegetative planting
(aka root cropping) is the reproduction of plants by direct cloning from existing plants, such as cutting stems and dividing roots [Cassava (manioc or yucca), yams, sweet potatoes]

9. Agricultural Origins and Regions
Location of agricultural hearths
Seed agriculture
the reproduction of plants through annual planting of seeds that result from sexual fertilization
rice
millet
sorghum
flax
barley
wheat

10. Seed Agriculture Hearths
Seed agriculture also originated in several hearths and diffused from those elsewhere.

11. Carl Sauer: 11 areas of agriculture innovations
Agriculture probably did not originate in one location, but began in multiple, independent hearths, or points of origin. From these hearths agricultural practices diffused across Earth’s surface.

13. Animal Domestication
The best animals to farm are large, plant eating mammals. Over the years, humans have probably tried to domesticate all of them, usually without success. Despite repeated efforts, Africans have never domesticated the elephant.
Animals which make suitable candidates for domestication have the following characteristics:
start giving birth in their first or second years
have one or two offspring a year (so their productivity is high)
behaviorally they need to be social animals (males, females and the young live together as a group)
get along with humans
internal social hierarchy
which means that if humans can control the leader, they will also gain control of the whole herd.
Diamond counted 148 different species of wild, plant eating, terrestrial animals that weigh over 100 pounds. Of those, we have only successfully farmed for any length of time –just 14. They are: goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, donkeys, Bactrian camels, Arabian camels, water buffalos, llamas, reindeers, yaks, mithans and Bali cattle. All but one [llamas of South America] of these animals are native to Asia, North Africa and Europe.
The Big Four livestock animals: cows, pigs, sheep and goats were native to the Middle East.

14. U.S. Farms by Region
The number of farms in the United States in 2008 is estimated at 2.2 million, 0.2 percent fewer than in 2007.
Total land in farms, at million acres, decreased 1.56 million acres, or 0.2 percent, from 2007.
The average farm size was 418 acres, unchanged from the previous year. The decline in the number of farms and land in farms
reflects a continuing consolidation in farming operations and diversion of agricultural land to nonagricultural
uses.
USDA 2008 Report

15. NOTE: Map at left from 2002 but change in farms from 2002 to 2008 would show little visible change on the map.

17. Spring Wheat
Winter Wheat

20. Differences Between Subsistence And Commercial Agriculture
Purpose Of Farming
Percentage Of Farmers In The Labor Force
Use Of Machinery
Farm Size
Relationship Of Farming To Other Businesses

21. Classifying Agricultural Regions
LDCs = subsistence agriculture
MDCs = commercial agriculture
Subsistence vs. commercial agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is the production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer’s family
Commercial agriculture is the production of food primarily for sale off the farm
Practice
Purpose
Labor force
Machinery
Farm size
Off farm contact
Subsistence agriculture
LDCs
Personal consumption
On average 55% of workforce engaged in farming
Human and animal powered tools
Very small
Occasional surplus sold
Commercial agriculture
MDCs
Grow crops and raise animals primarily for sale off the farm for profit
On average 5% of workforce engaged in farming
Mechanized farm machines, computer technology and science
Large [US average in 2008 = 418 acres]
agribusiness – farms one part of a large food production industry including food processing, packaging, sorting, distributing, and retailing

22. Agricultural Workers
Figure 10-5

23. Area of Farmland Per Tractor
Figure 10-6

24. Farmland Loss in Maryland
Fig :
Overlaps of soil quality, environmental and cultural features, and population growth may show areas of greatest threat of farmland loss in Maryland.
Baltimore and Washington DC population concentrations have merged over time.
Baltimore
Washington DC
A serious problem in the United States has been the loss of the most productive farmland, known as prime agricultural land, as urban areas sprawl into the surrounding countryside.

25. Classifying Agricultural Regions
Mapping agricultural regions
World Agricultural Regions: Derwent Whittlesey, 1936
11 main agricultural regions
5 important to LDCs
6 important to MDCs
Climate influences the crop that is grown and/or animals raised
Relationship exists between climate and agriculture
Dry climate often equates to livestock ranching rather than farming
Culture influences agriculture
Hog (pig/swine) production low to nonexistent in predominantly Muslim (and Jewish) regions due to religious taboo on pork.

26. World Agriculture Regions

27. World Climate Regions
Koppen Climate Regions Map

28. Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs?
Shifting cultivation
Most prevalent in low-latitude, A-type climates
Two features:
Land is cleared by slashing and burning debris
Slash-and-burn agriculture
Land is tended for only a few years at a time
Types of crops grown vary regionally
Traditionally, land is not owned individually

29. World Agriculture Regions

30. Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs?
Pastoral nomadism (herding domesticated animals)
Found primarily in arid and semiarid B-type climates
Animals are seldom eaten (“products” sold)
The size of the herd indicates power and prestige
Type of animal depends on the region
For example, camels are favored in North Africa and SW Asia
Transhumance practiced by some pastoral nomads
Vertical (mountains to valleys
during seasons)
Horizontally (across land – affected
by politics, war, climate, economy, etc.)

31. World Agriculture Regions

32. Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs?
Intensive subsistence
Found in areas with high population and agricultural densities
Especially in East, South, and Southeast Asia
To maximize production, little to no land is wasted
Intensive with wet rice dominant
Intensive with wet rice not dominant

33. World Agriculture Regions

34. Rice Production
Figure 10-12

35. Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs?
Plantation farming
Found in Latin America, Africa, and Asia
Products are grown in LDCs but typically are sold to MDCs
Plantations specialize in one or two cash crops
Important crops = coffee, sugarcane, cotton, rubber, tobacco, aaaaaaand pineapple…
A large labor force is usually
needed in sparsely settled regions

36. World Agriculture Regions

37. Where are Agricultural Regions in MDCs?
Mixed crop and livestock farming
Most land = devoted to crops
Most profits = derive from the livestock
Dairy farming
Regional distribution: the milkshed
Two primary challenges
Labor-intensive
Expense of winter feed

38. World Agriculture Regions

39. Corn (Maize) Production
Figure 10-15

40. Milk Production
Figure 10-17

41. Where are Agricultural Regions in MDCs?
Grain farming
The largest commercial producer of grain = the United States
Livestock ranching
Practiced in marginal environments
Mediterranean agriculture
Based on horticulture
Commercial gardening and fruit farming
Truck farms

42. World Agriculture Regions

43. Wheat Production
Figure 10-19

44. Grain Imports and Exports
Figure 10-32

45. Meat Production
Figure 10-21

46. 3 Agricultural Revolutions
Neolithic Revolution OR Agricultural Revolution
Industrial Revolution
Green Revolution & Bioengineering Revolution

47. NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION

48. NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION

49. NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION

50. STONE AGE WAS VERY RANDOM
NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION
THE
STONE AGE WAS VERY RANDOM

51. NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION
Transition from hunter/gather society into systematic agriculture and domestication of animals.
c. 8000ish BC or BC
It allowed people to begin to settle down and build surpluses of food (food security) which allowed specialization, and inevitably civilizations.
Mid East/Fertile Crescent/Mesopotamia/SW Asia
Improves CBR, decreases CDR.

52. INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
STEAMPUNK STAR WARS

53. INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Advancements to transportation and technologies that resulted from the Industrial Revolution greatly increased access to food, production, preservation.
This can include: railroads and trains, better refrigeration, advanced factory systems to speed up production, new methods of crop rotation, better equipment (iron plows, cotton gin, spinning jenny, flying shuttle, etc.). AD
Began in England and spread mostly to MDCs.

54. Green & Bioengineering Revolutions

55. Green Revolution
Green Revolution had massive advancements of genetically modified organisms in agriculture.
This has allowed greater yields of crops, more productivity from animals and greatly increased agricultural output.
Beginning in the 1940s.
Primarily affects LDCs (India, China, Latin America) with the diffusion of higher-yield seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and biotechnology.
Still not completely affecting Africa (Monsanto…)

56. Green Revolution
Green Revolution had massive advancements of genetically modified organisms in agriculture.
This has allowed greater yields of crops, more productivity from animals and greatly increased agricultural output.
Beginning in the 1940s.
Primarily affects LDCs (India, China, Latin America) with the diffusion of higher-yield seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and biotechnology.
This revolution sought to eradicate famine in many nations and massively increase food production, by effectively ending subsistence agriculture and replacing it with commercial agriculture. 
The idea was to transplant many of the systems, ideas and technology of Western farming into (mainly) Asian agriculture, whilst researching and utilizing the resources Asian countries had.

58. Bioengineering Revolution
The Green Revolution could not have happened without the major advancements of MDCs in Genetically Modifying Organisms (GMOs).
In agriculture, currently marketed genetically engineered crops have traits such as resistance to pests, resistance to herbicides, increased nutritional value, or production of valuable goods such as drugs (pharming).
Products under development include crops that are able to thrive in environmental conditions outside the species' native range or in changed conditions in their range (e.g. drought or salt resistance). 

59. Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?
Challenges for commercial farmers
Access to markets is important
The von Thünen model (1826)
The choice of crop to grow is related to the proximity to the market

60. Contains six assumptions
There is only one market available, self-sufficient with no outside influence.
All farmers are market oriented, producing goods for sale. (Not subsistence.)
The physical environment is uniform; there are no rivers or mountains.
All points at equal distances from the market have equal access to the market.
All farmers act to maximize profits.
The dietary preferences of the population are those of Germanic Europeans.

61. Land rent
The main concept is land rent or land value, which will decrease as one gets farther away from central markets.
Rent is highest in the closest proximity to urban markets. (Bid-Rent Theory)
Thus, agricultural products that have intensive land use, have high transportation costs and were in great demand would be located close to urban markets.

62. Major concepts: Distance from the city Preservation of food
Amount of space

63. So……….
Dairying and gardening of fruits and vegetables would be closer to the urban market while…
Timber and firewood for fuel and building materials would be in the second zone.
Mixed farming, commercial grain and orchards and extensive cattle ranching would be located farther away. Transportation is cheap: the animals can walk to the city for butchering.

64. Why?
Some products spoiled more quickly, needed more sensitive transportation, or generate higher prices at market
These products mean the farmer can afford higher land rent.

65. It doesn’t always look the same:

67. What is ridge tillage?
Ridge tillage resembles contemporary and traditional cropping systems in which plants grow on a hill or bund. Cotton, for example, is often grown on ridges for purposes of irrigation. In ridge tillage the ridges are a product of cultivation of the previous crop and are not tilled out after harvest. The planter may remove part of the ridge top, but before planting there is no tillage. This provides potential advantages in soil conservation and weed management.

68. Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?
Challenges for commercial farmers
Overproduction
Agricultural efficiencies have resulted in overproduction
Especially commodity crops like corn
Government subsidies encourage specific production
Demand has remained relatively constant
As a consequence, incomes for farmers are low
Sustainable agriculture
Sensitive land management
Integrated crop and livestock
Less usage of pesticides and chemicals

69. Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?
Challenges for subsistence farmers
Population growth
International trade
Drug crops
Changes in land usage (ie. Brazil livestock)

70. Drug Trade

71. Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?
Strategies to increase food supply
Expanding agricultural land
Increasing productivity
The green revolution: The application of science to increasing agricultural productivity, including the breeding of high-yield varieties of grains, the effective use of pesticides, and improved fertilization, irrigation, mechanization, and soil conservation techniques. The impact on environment, geopolitics or the world economy are not completely understood yet.
Identifying new food sources
Cultivating oceans, developing higher-protein cereals, and improving palatability of foods
Increasing trade

72. Agricultural Land and Population
Figure 10-28