Science Study Guide

Bid-rent Theory

there is a distance-decay relationship between proximity to the urban market and the value of the land, meaning the closer the land is to an urban center, the more valuable it is

Capital Intensive

Using expensive machinery and other inputs

Labor Intensive

Relying on low-paid migrant workers, to tend and harvest crops

Factory Farming

capital-intensive livestock operation in which many animals are kept in close quarters, and bred and fed in a controlled environment

Aquaculture (Aquafarming)

type of intensive farming in which fish, shellfish, or water plants are raised in netted areas in the sea, tanks, or other bodies of water

Double cropping

planting and harvesting a crop two (or three) times per year on the same piece of land

Intercropping/multi-cropping

when farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously on the same field

Monoculture/monocropping

in which only one crop is grown or one type of animal is raised per season on a piece of land

Feedlots (CAFOs)

confined spaces in which cattle and hogs have limited movement, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations

Agribusiness

farms run as corporations, and the globalization of agriculture

Transnational Corporations

agribusinesses that operate in many countries

Vertical Integration

the ownership of other businesses involved in the steps of producing a particular good

Economies of Scale

an increase in efficiency to lower the per-unit production cost, resulting in greater profits

Commodity Chain

a process used by corporations to gather resources, transform them into goods, and then transport them to consumers

Cool Chains

transportation networks that keep food cool throughout a trip

Location Theory

key component of economic geography, deals with why people choose certain locations for various types of economic activity, factories, stores, restaurants, or agriculture

Von Thunen Model

an economic model that suggested a pattern for the types of products that farmers would produce at different positions relative to the market(community) where they sold their goods

VT zone 1

Horticulture, horticulture produces perishable items, and farmers need to get them to market quickly, especially important before trucks and refrigerators

VT zone 2

Forest, wood was essential both as a building material and fuel, has to be close to the market since wood is heavy, costly, and difficult to transport

VT zone 3

Grain, crops such as wheat and corn were grown, did not perish as quickly as vegetables and milk, and were not as difficult to transport wood, corn can be used as feed for the second and fourth rings

VT zone 4

Livestock, used for grazing of livestock such as beef cattle, livestock could be located further from the market since they have lower transportation costs because farmers can walk them to markets

Bid-rent Curve

can be used to determine the starting position for each land use relative to the market, as well as where each land use would end

Free Market Economy

where supply and demand, not government policy, determine the outcome of competition for land, the farmer who will have the greatest profit will pay the most at each location to occupy the land

Comparative Advantage

naturally occuring beneficial conditions, that would prompt farmers to plant crops differently from those predicted by von Thunen’s model

Von Thunen Model Assumptions

Land was an isotropic plain, a farmer had one primary market, the rings are smaller than in reality, wood is a primary source of fuel

5 criticisms of Von Thunen Model

Farming was an economic activity, farmers were in business to make a profit, there was one market where farmers sold their products, there was one transportation system, the market was situated in the center of an isotropic plain

Supply Chains

all the steps required to get a product or service to customers

Interdependence

connections among regions of the world

Luxury Crops

crops that aren’t essential for survival but have a high profit margin

Ways Rich countries exploit poor

they take advantage of the opportunity for inexpensive land and labor, and a favorable climate, they also take advantage of weak labor and environmental laws, which allow them to reduce costs and increase profits

Neocolonialism

the use of economic , political, and social pressures to control former colonies, can be one way to describe the current state of global food distribution

Fair Trade

an effort to promote higher incomes for producers and more sustainable practices

Fair Trade Movement Principles

Direct trade that will eliminate the intermediary. Transactions directly between the producer and the importer ensure more money to the producer, fair price paid promptly to farmers by importers. Also, the producer must pay workers for a fair price, decent conditions are provided for laborers, such as a safe working environment and no use of child or forced labor, environmental sustainability that required farmers to use environmentally safe practices and prohibited genetically modified organisms (GMOs), respect for local culture through shared agricultural techniques with farmers

Subsidies

public financial support, to farmers to safeguard food production

Infrastructure

includes the roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, electrical grids, sewers, telecommunications, etc. of a country

Ghana Vision 2020

long-term plans for economic and social development policies, including agricultural and industrial programs