Mediterranean Climate
Has mild winters and dry summers, suitable for crops like grapes, olives, nuts, and citrus fruits.
Arid/Semiarid Climates Agriculture
Includes pastoral nomadism, ranching, and grain farming.
Tropical Climates Agriculture
Involves plantation, shifting cultivation, and intensive subsistence wet rice dominant.
Extensive Farming
Requires more land and less labor, e.g., shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching.
Intensive Farming
Needs more labor/machinery and less land, e.g., market gardening, plantation agriculture, mixed crop, and livestock systems.
Bid-Rent Theory
Land costs influence farming practices, with extensive farming farther from cities due to lower land prices.
Von Thunen Model
Explains rural land use based on transportation costs from the market.
Green Revolution
Technological changes in agriculture increasing food production.
Subsistence Agriculture
Farmers grow food for family consumption; Commercial Agriculture:Farming for profit and wider consumption.
Conservation Efforts
Aim to preserve farmland and limit environmental harm, e.g., no tillage for soil fertility.
Changing diets
People have more access to foods/crops not traditionally grown in their areas due to hybrid and GMO seeds.
Role of women in agricultural production
More women in developing countries are working as farmers and in agribusiness.
Economic purpose
Farmers are shifting to commercial farming with increased technologies.
Sustainability
Debates exist on the sustainability of GMOs due to pesticide use on genetically modified crops.
Soil and water usage
Mechanical weeding of GMOs can lead to soil erosion; concerns over excessive water use in aquaculture.
Reductions in biodiversity
GMOs can reduce biodiversity if the same crops are consistently used.
Extensive fertilizer and pesticide use
Chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides can pollute the soil.
Urban farming
Growing food in cities to combat food deserts.
Community-supported agriculture (CSA)
Community support for farms, sharing risks and benefits.
Organic farming
Growing in popularity due to demand for organic, pesticide-free foods.
Value-added specialty crops
Crops processed to add value, meeting high demand.
Fair trade
Consumers support fair prices for farmers, sustainable practices, and no child labor.
Local-food movements
Consumers prefer buying from local farmers for sustainability and supporting the local economy.
Dietary shifts
Consumers are moving towards plant-based, organic, and less processed foods.
Lack of food access
Food insecurity due to poverty, large populations, and food deserts.
Problems with distribution systems
Weak distribution systems can limit food access.
Adverse weather
Natural disasters like droughts and floods can damage crops and reduce food supply.
Land use lost to suburbanization
Agricultural lands are lost as suburban areas expand.
Location of food-processing facilities and markets
Facilities located close to markets to reduce transportation costs.
Economies of scale
Allows farmers to increase production and save money.
Government policies
Regulations, health inspections, subsidies impact food production practices.
Women in Agriculture
Higher percentage of women work in agriculture in developing countries.