The United States vs. Pakistan An Agricultural Case Study

Take note of where the United States is in terms of per capita GDP and life expectancy in relation to the country of Pakistan.

Now notice the percentage of GDP that agriculture takes up in the United States vs Pakistan. What can we tell by this graph?

Now notice the correlation between the net production of cereals per person in relation to the income levels per person in the US and Pakistan.

This graph shows us the percentage of workers the agricultural sector employs in both the United States and Pakistan. What does this graph tell us that the others did not? What do we now know about the current agricultural state of Pakistan vs the United States? We know that the production of agricultural output is more efficient and effective in the United States because we produce more agricultural goods per person than does Pakistan, even though we have fewer people working in the agricultural sector.

The United States vs. Pakistan Important crop production Cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables Make up more than 75% of agricultural production Pakistan is a net food importer Imports more food than it exports Data for Pakistan food production found at US State Department website. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3453.htm

Pakistan Workers Per Hectare Agricultural Machinery Wheat Production 1.1 Agricultural Machinery 148.3 tractors per 100 hectares of arable land Wheat Production 18,200 metric tons Agricultural statistics found at www.nationmaster.com.

Pakistan Poverty Rate 24% live below the poverty line Poverty Rate found at CIA World Fact Book

The United States vs. Pakistan

United States Workers per Hectare Agricultural Machinery 0.05 Pakistan has 22x the number of workers per Hectare! Agricultural Machinery 269.3 tractors per 100 hectares of arable land Wheat production 63,590 metric tons Agricultural statistics found at www.nationmaster.com

United States Important Crops The US is a net food exporter Wheat, Corn, other grains The US is a net food exporter We export more than we import We are self sufficient in the world of agriculture. Agricultural Information found at CIA World Fact Book

United States Poverty Rate 12% lives below the poverty line Poverty rate found in CIA World Fact Book