Food Production and Consumption 2

What is the most populated continent?

Asia

What is a farm system?

Inputs e.g. labour, capital → processes e.g. harvesting, spraying → outputs e.g. crops and animals

Give some examples of physical inputs.

Land, soil, climate, relief, water, drainage

Give some examples of farming processes

Milking, seeding, harvesting, ploughing.

Give some examples of positive outputs of farming

Milk, meat, eggs, wool, hay

Give some negative outputs of farming

Soil erosion, water pollution

Examples of feedback from farming

Profits, knowledge.

Elements in a feedback loop that drives decision making and continuous improvement.

Why is temperature important for farming?

Dictates length of growing season. In temperate climates, such as the UK, a growing season exceeding 3 months is required.

Why is precipitation important for farming?

Determines water supply. Seasonal distribution of rainfall is more important to agriculture than annual totals.

Droughts can result in famine.

Why is wind and storm frequency important to farming?

Restricts cultivation of grain crops.

However, winds can also be beneficial, such as the ‘warm chinook’ which melts snow on North American prairies increasing length of the growing season.

What is commercial farming?

Typically involves farmers and agribusinesses maximising profits by specialising in single crops (monoculture) or raising one type of animal.

e.g. grain cultivation in North America, cattle ranching in South America.

What is subsistence farming?

Involves direct production of sufficient food to feed the family or community involved, with any excess produce sold or barter.

e.g. Amarindian tribes in Guiana highlands of Venezuala clear a small area in rainforest.

What is intensive farming?

Involves high investment in labour and/or capital such as machinery, glasshouses and irrigation systems.

Produces high yields per hectare. e.g. fruit, flower and vegetable production in South West England.

What is extensive farming?

Uses low inputs of labour, machinery and capital but usually involves large areas of land.

Yields per hectare are consequently low. e.g. hill sheep farming in upland regions of UK.

What is arable farming?

Farming of cereal and root crops, usually on flatter land where soils are of a higher quality.

e.g. potato cultivation in the UK.

What is mixed farming?

Production of both arable crops and livestock. Also includes diversification.

Most common in the UK.

What is pastoral farming?

Involves livestock rearing and can be subsistence, such as nomadic pastoralism in semi-desert regions of West Africa.