The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography Chapter 10: Agriculture The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

Where Did Agriculture Originate? Origins of agriculture Agriculture = deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through the cultivation of plants and/or rearing of animals Cultivate = “to care for” Crop = any plant cultivated by people

Where Did Agriculture Originate? Origins of agriculture Hunter-gatherers Perhaps 250,000 remaining today Invention of agriculture When it began = unclear Diffused from many hearths

Crop Hearths Figure 10-2

Animal Hearths Figure 10-3

Where Did Agriculture Originate? Commercial and subsistence agriculture Subsistence = produced mainly for the farm family’s survival Most common in LDCs Commercial = produced mainly for sale off the farm Most common in MDCs

Agriculture and Climate Figure 10-4

Where Did Agriculture Originate? Commercial and subsistence agriculture Five characteristics distinguish commercial from subsistence agriculture Purpose of farming Percentage of farmers in the labor force Use of machinery Farm size Relationship of farming to other businesses

Second Agriculture Revolution A series of innovations, and techniques used to improve the output of agricultural surpluses (started before the industrial revolution). eg. seed drill new crops-potatoes & corn advances in livestock breeding new soil preparation methods & new fertilizers

Agricultural Workers Figure 10-5

Area of Farmland Per Tractor Figure 10-6

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

Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs? Pastoral nomadism (herding domesticated animals) Found primarily in arid and semiarid B-type climates Animals are seldom eaten 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 Southwest Asia Transhumance practiced by some pastoral nomads

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

Rice Production Figure 10-12

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, and tobacco A large labor force is usually needed in sparsely settled regions

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

Corn (Maize) Production Figure 10-15

Milk Production Figure 10-17

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

Wheat Production Figure 10-19

Meat Production Figure 10-21

Von Thünen Model Von Thünen Model What farmers produce varies by distance from the town, with livestock raising farthest from town. Cost of transportation governs use of land. First effort to analyze the spatial character of economic activity.

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 Figure 10-24

Von Thünen Johann Heinrich von Thünen (1783-1850) wrote Der Isolierte Staat (The Isolated State) which is the foundation of location theory. Noted how crops near Rostock, Germany changed with no change in soil-mapped the pattern With terrain, soils and rainfall the same he created the ringed-pattern Noted that transportation costs governed land use

Von Thünen Model

Application of Von Thünen Model Geographer Lee Liu studied the spatial pattern of agriculture production in China. Found: - farmers living in a village farm both lands close to the village and far away intensively - methods varied spatially – resulting in land improvement (by adding organic material) close to village and land degradation (lots of pesticides and fewer conservation tactics) farther from village.

Third Agriculture Revolution (Green Revolution) invention of high-yield grains and rice, (goal to reduce hunger). - increased production of rice - new varieties in wheat and corn - reduced famines due to crop failure, now most famines are due to political problems - impact (in terms of hunger) is greatest where rice is produced

Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties? Challenges for commercial farmers Overproduction Agricultural efficiencies have resulted in overproduction Demand has remained relatively constant As a consequence, incomes for farmers are low Sustainable agriculture Sensitive land management Integrated crop and livestock

Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties? Challenges for subsistence farmers Population growth International trade Drug crops

Drug Trade Figure 10-27

Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties? Strategies to increase food supply Expanding agricultural land Desertification Increasing productivity The green revolution Identifying new food sources Cultivating oceans, developing higher-protein cereals, and improving palatability of foods Increasing trade

Agricultural Land and Population Figure 10-28

Grain Imports and Exports Figure 10-32

The End. Up next: Industry