Where are Agricultural Regions in More Developed Countries? Ch. 10 Agriculture Where are Agricultural Regions in More Developed Countries?

More Developed Countries 6 main types of commercial agriculture in MDC’s Mixed Crop & Livestock Dairy Farming Grain Farming Livestock Ranching Mediterranean Agriculture Commercial gardening & fruit farming Climate is main determinant as in LDC’s

1) Mixed Crop & Livestock Common in Eastern Parts of USA, & much of Europe Integration of crops & livestock Most of land devoted to crops, but most of income (75%) comes from animal products Reduces fluctuations in income (seasonal) Crop rotation USA- corn belt (Ohio-Dakotas), soybeans

2) Dairy Farming Most important near urban areas of NE USA, SE Canada, NW Europe Transportation factor + location “milkshed” Milk or specialize in other milk products New Zealand world’s largest producer of dairy products (far away from largest world markets) # of dairy farmers decline (expense) but production up

Dairy Production in the U.S. Fig. 10-9: Milk production is widely dispersed because of its perishability, but cheese production is far more concentrated.

3) Grain Farming For consumption of humans not livestock Most important grain – wheat US largest producer; Canada, Argentina, France & UK (dry areas) N.A. – Winter wheat belt, Spring wheat belt & Palouse region (Washington) Large farms, highly mechanized World’s leading export crop; US & Canada export ½ of world total – prairies “breadbasket”

4) Livestock Ranching Commercial grazing of livestock over extensive area in semi arid or arid land US Popular culture (Texas) Declined in importance in 1880s; range wars Other ranching occurs in Spain/Portugal, Argentina, S Brazil & Uruguay Sheep over cattle in Middle East, N.Z. & South Africa

5) Mediterranean Agriculture Areas that border Mediterranean Sea + California, central Chile, SW parts of South Africa & Australia (all border a sea) Similar physical environment Horticulture (F & V, flowers, tree crops) Olives & grapes (influence of culture) ½ of land devoted to cereals (wheat) California: citrus fruits tree nuts etc.

6) Commercial Gardening & Fruit Farming Dominates US Southeast (high humidity) Most sold to processors (canning/freezing) Highly efficient, large scale operations, low labour costs (migrant workers) High use of machinery Apples, Asparagus, Cherries, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Mushrooms Specialization

What is a “cash crop” A cash crop is an agricultural crop which is grown in LDCs for sale to return a profit Usually crops which attract demand in MDCs, and hence have some export value A “Bad” thing?!?!

Guess the Cash Crop?? Cocoa/chocolate

Coffee

Cotton

Opium

Rubber

Sugar cane

Tea

Tobacco

Plantation Farming Form of commercial agriculture found in in Tropics & Sub-tropics Found in LDC’s, but owned & operated by Europeans or N. Americans + sold there Large farms that specialize in 1 or 2 crops Cotton, sugarcane, coffee, rubber, tobacco, cocoa, jute, bananas, tea, coconuts, palm oil Import workers & provide them with necessities Civil war; significance to US South

Focus on Coffee Considered one of the ‘luxury crops’ 1st domesticated in present day Ethiopia, today thrives in Middle & South America (70%) US buys more than ½ of all coffee sold, Western Europe imports most of rest One of best examples of colonial legacy’s impact on present-day agricultural practices Early 18th century- virtually unknown, now 2nd most valuable traded commodity in world There are approximately 25 million farmers and coffee workers Foreign owned plantations, low wages

Illegal Cash Crops Important cash crops, not easily mapped High demand; particularly in core Periphery farmers find it more profitable to cultivate poppy, coca, marijuana Increased through the 1980s & 1990s Coca- *Columbia, Peru, Bolivia Poppy- SE & SW Asia (+90% Afghanistan & Myanmar) USA – Role of Mexico