Agriculture and other primary economic activities Agriculture: the deliberate tending of crops and livestock in order to produce food and fiber.

Three sectors of economic activity: 1. Primary (agriculture, mining, etc.) 2. Secondary (industry) 3. Tertiary (service) a. Quaternary b. Quinary

Early peoples were hungers and gatherers, and by 8000 B.C.E., many had settled down because they were able to cultivate crops and domesticate animals

Changes brought about by the Neolithic Revolution 1. increase in reliable food supplies 2. rapid increase in total human population 3. job specialization 4. widening of gender differences 5. development of distinction between settled people and nomads

Carl Sauer: first cultivation was vegetative planting, or planting from existing plants (cutting stems or dividing roots)

Seed agriculture came later. (Sauer, again) Western India Northern China Ethiopia Diffused elsewhere

Two independent sites in Western hemisphere Southern Mexico Northern Peru

Second Agricultural Revolution Western Europe, 1600s use of fertilizers improved collars for draft animals so they could pull heavier loads Led to Industrial Revolution!

Subsistence agriculture most prevalent in LDCs and is the production of only enough food to feed the farmer’s family, with little or no surplus to sell. In LDCs, high percentage of people in subsistence agriculture Work done with hand tools and animal power Small farm size

Subsistence farming subregions

Commercial Agriculture Farmers and ranchers sell all of their output for money and buy family food at stores. Dominant in more developed countries

Types of Commercial Farming 1. Mixed crop and livestock farming U.S. west of the Appalachian mountains Europe from France through Russia grow both crops, much of which is fed to livestock, and livestock practice crop rotation

2. Dairy farming outlying large urban areas milkshed—the ring of milk production surrounding a major city

3. Grain farming from Oklahoma, Kansas & Colorado north into Canada “World’s breadbasket”

4. Livestock ranching the commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area often in arid or semi-arid regions

5. Mediterranean agriculture

6. Commercial gardening and fruit farming Southeast U.S. truck farming Rely heavily on machinery & fertilizers Migrant labor

7. Plantation farming a large farm that specializes in one or two crops found in Africa, Latin America, Asia

What model is this? RIGHT! Von Thunen Intensive agriculture closest to city Extensive agriculture farther from city

Patterns of settlement dispersed Hamlets or villages

Housing styles and building materials

Village definition and size varies by region dwellings and a few commercial buildings most people work in primary sector

Village forms 1. round village East Africa and parts of Europe

2. walled village

3. Grid village

4. Linear Village

5. Cluster village

Land ownership Primogeniture—the land is passed on to the eldest son Northern Europe and former British empire countries Land is divided equally among heirs Asia, Africa, southern Europe

Survey techniques 1. rectangular survey system

2. Metes and bounds Natural features are used to mark irregular parcels of land

3. long-lot survey system narrow parcels that extend from rivers, roads, or canals to give more people access to transportation

Third Agricultural Revolution began in mid 20 th century and is based on new, higher-yielding varieties of crops developed in laboratories and plant nurseries through biotechnology, the use of genetically altered crops in agriculture and DNA manipulation of livestock in order to increase production.

Green Revolution the use of new higher- yield seeds the expanded use of fertilizer

Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture 1. Erosion

2. Changes in the organic content of soil Desertification

3. Depletion of natural vegetation

4. Presence of chemicals in soil and ground water

5. Loss of available farmland

How do we ensure future food supplies? 1. Expansion of agricultural land has been the most common way, but there are problems with this method. 11% of world’s land is currently cultivated most of remaining land is not arable land has been lost to desertification land has been lost to urbanization

2. Increase land productivity

3. Identification of new food sources

4. Improved distribution of food

We’re done with agriculture!