Chapter 10: Agriculture Key Issue 4

  Importance of Access to Markets – von Thunen model  Concentric circles based on importance, cost of shipping, perishability of good, and space needed  Horticulture & dairy then woods then crops then pasture  Overproduction in Commercial Farming  High efficiency = surplus food  Surplus food = low prices  Not a lot of change in demand  3 US policies on high productivity  Avoid crops that are already in excess  Government makes up the difference in the falling prices  Government buys extra food to sell or donate internationally Challenges for Commercial Farming

  Sustainable Agriculture – preserve & enhance the environmental quality (ex. Organic farming)  Three basic ideas:  Sensitive Land Management  Ridge tillage  Limited Use of Chemicals  Limiting chemicals and weeding by hand  Integrating Crop & Livestock  Number of livestock  Animal Confinement  Management of Weather  Flexible feeding & Marketing Challenges for Commercial Farming

  Subsistence Farming and Population Growth  Growing populations to feed!  Adoption of new growing methods:  more workers increasing output  Land is fallow less often  Boserup 5 stages of intensifying farmland  Subsistence Farming and International Trade  Need improvements: better seeds, fertilizer equipment  Lack money to buy  Solution = grow crops to export, but  Means less/no food for people in the country!!  Drug Crops  Support many families in LDCs  Type of drug depends on climate and profit possibilities Challenges for Subsistence Farmers

  Expanding Agricultural Land  Struggle to find new land because of urbanization and desertification  Land being added but not as fast as population is increasing (ex. Africa)  Increasing Productivity  Green Revolution  Engineered higher-yield seeds  More fertilizer and machines  Identify New Food Sources  Oceans – overfishing has been a problem  Higher-protein cereals grains  Trying but doesn’t work where people grow their own food  Encouraging underused foods  Ex. US & Soybeans – taste and culture influence use  Increasing Trade  US is a major exporter of grains  Trends are changing but China & Japan remain major importers Strategies to Increase Food Supply