Types of Agriculture
Large Scale Agriculture Also called Industrial Agriculture. Very few farmers Very large farms Produce a lot of food Normally owned by corporations
Small Scale Agriculture Small family owned farms Usually produce a variety of crops and animals Does not produce huge amounts.
Some similarities Food is generally nutritionally similar. Same quality standards Food is about the same price Regulated by the same agency Both are subsidized (gov’t supported) Need the same things to grow crops/raise animals. Same goal: to feed the people of the world
Differences- Number of different crops and animals on one farm Small scale- many different kinds on one farm Large scale-focus on one crop or animal (monoculture)
Differences-Amount of pesticide used Large scale: use a lot of pesticide because they use it for prevention and as a first line of defense Small Scale agriculture: usually use integrated pest management-try to use organic farming methods but if they get a bad infestation, they will use some pesticide. Note-there are industrial farms that are organic and some small farms that use a lot of pesticide.
Differences-Bioengineering used Small Scale-a small amount of bioengineering used-seeds that are pesticide resistant etc. Large scale- almost everything produced is bioengineered. Featherless Chickens
Differences-Amount of our food produced Guesses?? <10% is small scale >90% is large scale
Differences-Type of fertilizer used Small Scale:
Differences-Fertilizer Large scale: chemical fertilizer
Differences-How many people it takes to produce the same amount of food Small Scale: A lot 27 acres/person Large Scale: less 740 acres /person
Differences-Where you can buy it Small Scale: farmer’s markets, at the farm, some grocery stores Large Scale: grocery stores, target, Wal Mart, CVS, dollar store, restaurants.
Differences-Appearance of fruits and veggies. Large scale agriculture fruits and veggies usually look better
notes Small scale farms still use equipment