World Agricultural Production

What factors allow increases in agricultural production?

• Higher population growth rates.

• Increasing wealth

• Green revolution - new high yield crop varieties.

• increase in globalised trade

What is globalised trade?

Food from any season can be shipped anywhere in the world.

Also increases specialisation.

What are TNCs?

Transnational corporations.

What is an important factor why agricultural production and consumption increase?

Due to increased demand as populations are increasing.

How can agricultural productivity be measured?

Using the TFP (Total factor productivity) which is the ratio of agricultural outputs to inputs.

What does a higher TFP mean?

It is a more efficient farming system.

Where does irrigation take place - examples?

In Oregon and Georgia.

Why is irrigation useful?

• can control remotely, saving time and money. More efficient.

• Ability to track temperatures, soils, water levels.

Why is vertical farming useful?

• Smaller, factory like sites.

• Conditions can be optimised to increase yield.

• Less space required.

• Protected from seasonal weather patterns.

Give one way technology/AI has helped farming.

Robots milking cows. Much quicker. Cow chooses when to be milked.

Less stressful for cows. Identifies cow from tag. 

Produces quality, creamier milk.

What type of system are farms?

Open systems.

What happens in an open system?

Energy and matter can be lost or gained from the environment.

What are some of the inputs to farmland?

Natural, such as solar energy and rainwater.

And some are introduced to the system by humans

How is energy and matter transferred in a farm system?

Transferred to and stored in the soil, crops and/or animals on the farm.

What is the main output of a farm system?

The food produced, however there are also other outputs such as runoff.

What is agricultural productivity?

A measure of the amount of food that is produced in an area - the ratio of agricultural ouput to inputs (e.g. human labour, capital).

What affects agricultural productivity?

• type of agricultural system.

• physical environment

What is commercial farming?

The farming of crops or livestock to make a profit. It has high agricultural productivity and is more common in developed countries than developing countries.

What is subsistence farming?

When just enough food is grown to feed the family. Its common in Africa and Asia and has lower agricultural productivity.

What is intensive farming?

As much as possible is produced from the land.

What are the 2 types of intensive farming?

• Capital intensive farming

• Labour intensive farming

What is capital intensive farming?

Has a high input of capital (money), and a low input of labour for area of land.

Often involves using fertilisers, pesticides and labour saving machinery.

What is labour intensive farming?

Doesn’t involve much capital but uses a lot of labour.

What is extensive farming?

The opposite to intensive farming. Has low capital and labour input for the area of land so produces less food than intensive farming.

Tends to have less impact on the environment, and provides better animal welfare than intensive farming.

Give an example of extensive farming.

Small numbers of livestock grazing a large area of land. e.g. livestock farms on grasslands of North America.

What is nomadic farming?

Farmers move from place to place to grow crops or graze animals on different land.

Give an example of a place where nomadic farming is common.

Many livestock farmers in sub-Saharan African countries roam over large areas to let their animals graze.

How does climate impact agricultural productivity?

• Climate affects how successfully plants can grow in an area and the animals that survive there.

• Some crops are adapted to particular climatic conditions e.g. pineapples suit tropical climates.

• Some climates make farming more difficult - e.g. if the ground is frequently frozen.

How does soil impact agricultural productivity?

• Some areas are unsuitable for farming because there is not enough soil, or the soil is of a poor quality - this is often the case in deserts.

• Different soils are suited to different types of farming, e.g. some soils are too shallow or not fertile enough to grow crops so are used for grazing.