UNIT 5 KBAT HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Agribusiness

Commercial agriculture characterized by the integration of different steps in the food-processing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations.

Agriculture

The deliberate modification of Earth's surface through the cultivation of plants and rearing of animals for sustenance or economic gain.

Aquaculture

The cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions.

Biotechnology

The use of scientific techniques to modify plants, animals, and microorganisms for agricultural purposes.

Boserup Hypothesis

Theory that agricultural methods depend on the size of the population; as populations grow, humans will find ways to increase food production.

Carl Sauer

Geographer who defined the concept of cultural landscape and studied the origins of agriculture and domestication.

Cash Crop

A crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower.

Commercial Agriculture

Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm.

Commodity Chain

The series of links connecting the many places of production and distribution resulting in a commodity that is exchanged on the world market.

Contour Plowing

Plowing along the contours of the land in order to minimize soil erosion.

Crop Rotation

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

Dairying

The business of producing, storing, and distributing milk and its products.

Domestication

The process of taming animals and cultivating plants for human use.

Double-Cropping

Harvesting twice a year from the same field.

Extensive Subsistence Agriculture

Farming practices that use large amounts of land with minimal labor per land unit (e.g., shifting cultivation, pastoral nomadism).

Fallow

Farmland left unplanted for a season to restore its fertility.

Feedlot

A place where livestock are concentrated in a small area and fed to fatten them up for slaughter.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)

An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.

Green Revolution

The rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers, beginning in the 1940s-60s.

Horticulture

The growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

A form of subsistence farming where farmers must expend a relatively large amount of effort to produce the maximum feasible yield from a parcel of land.

Intertillage

The practice of mixing different crops in the same field.

Livestock Ranching

The commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area.

Luxury Crops

Crops that are not essential for human survival but are sold at a high price (e.g., coffee, tea, tobacco, cocoa).

Market Gardening

The small-scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers.

Mediterranean Agriculture

Specialized farming that occurs only in areas where the dry-summer Mediterranean climate prevails.

Milkshed

The area surrounding a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling.

Neolithic Revolution

The first agricultural revolution, marking the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement.

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on the herding of domesticated animals.

Plantation

A large farm in tropical and subtropical climates that specializes in the production of one or two crops for sale.

Ranching

A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area.

Ridge-Tilling

A system of planting crops on ridge tops to reduce soil erosion and conserve soil moisture.

Shifting Cultivation

A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for a few years then left fallow.

Slash-and-Burn (Swidden)

A method of agriculture where fields are cleared by cutting down and burning trees and vegetation.

Subsidy

A government payment that supports a business or market (often used to support farmers).

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming in which food is produced by a family for its own consumption.

Survey Patterns

Systems used to divide land, including township-and-range, metes-and-bounds, and long lot systems.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming methods that preserve long-term productivity of land and minimize pollution, typically by rotating soil-restoring crops with cash crops.

Thomas Malthus

Economist who theorized that population growth would outpace food production, leading to widespread famine and hardship.

Transhumance

The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures.

Truck Farm

Commercial gardening and fruit farming, so named because 'truck' was a Middle English word meaning 'bartering' or 'exchange of commodities.'

Vertical Integration

The combination of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate companies into one company.

Von Thünen's Model

A model that explains the location of agricultural activities in a commercial economy based on transportation cost and land value.

Agriculture in LDCs

Agriculture in less developed countries focuses on subsistence farming, with small farm sizes, labor-intensive methods, and traditional techniques.

Subsistence vs. Commercial Agriculture

Subsistence agriculture: Growing food mainly for family consumption. Commercial agriculture: Growing crops and raising animals for sale in markets.

Green Revolution

A set of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives that increased agricultural production worldwide, especially in developing countries, starting in the mid-20th century through high-yield crops and synthetic fertilizers.

Application Flashcards

How Agriculture Originated and Agricultural Hearths: Agriculture began during the Neolithic Revolution; major hearths include: Southwest Asia (Fertile Crescent: wheat, barley), East Asia (rice, millet), Sub-Saharan Africa (sorghum, yams), Mesoamerica (maize, beans, squash), South America (potatoes).

Evolution of Agricultural Practices

First Agricultural Revolution: Domestication of plants and animals. Second Agricultural Revolution: Improvements in technology during the Industrial Revolution. Green Revolution: Modern chemical farming and genetically modified crops. Contemporary agriculture: High-tech, commercialized farming.

Climate and Terrain vs. Agricultural Regions

Different crops thrive in different climates: Wheat: dry climates. Rice: wet, monsoon climates. Livestock ranching: arid/semi-arid land. Mediterranean agriculture: hot, dry summers.

Applying Von Thünen's Model

Small scale: Explains land use around a single town. Large scale: Adjusted to consider broader factors like international trade and refrigeration.

Map Linkages Between Regions of Production and Consumption

Global scale: Exports: Coffee from Latin America to Europe. Imports: Wheat from U.S. to Japan. Within a country: Midwest U.S. produces corn; consumed nationwide.

Agriculture to Differentiate LDCs vs. MDCs

LDCs: Subsistence, labor-intensive farming, traditional methods. MDCs: Mechanized, commercial agriculture with high crop yields.

Current Trends and Changes in Agricultural Practices

Farm Size: Increasing in MDCs; small farms remain common in LDCs. Farming Methods: More mechanization and biotechnology in MDCs; more traditional in LDCs. Crop Types: MDCs grow commercial cash crops; LDCs grow staple crops.

Changing Markets and Government Policies

Farm subsidies in MDCs. Trade agreements like NAFTA impact agricultural exports.