APHUGE Ch. 12-14

Agriculture

the purposeful cultivation of plants or raising of animals to produce goods for survival (affected by climate, elevation, soil, & topography)

Climate

affected by distance from equator, oceans & wind currents, location to a large body of water, & elevation

Climate Regions

areas with similar climate patterns generally based on their latitude and their location on coasts or continental interiors (Koppen)

Tropical Climate

warm temps all year round but vary in precipitation, wet tropical climate (rain forests), tropical monsoon (S Asia & W Asia), & tropical wet and dry climate; BEST for agriculture

Temperate Climate

mid temps, mid rain, long warm summers and short winters; good for growing grains (wheat (N), corn (S), rice (S)). The humid temperate climate is found on the east sides of continents, having colder winters and year round rain. The marine west coast is found in the west coast of continents at higher latitudes and have cooler winters and lots of rain. The Mediterranean climate is found in the east coasts of continents near deserts and the Mediterranean Sea (Italy, Greece, Tunisia) and have milder, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

Mediterranean Agriculture

consists of growing hardy trees (olive, fruit, and nut) and shrubs (grape vines) and raising sheep and goats

Polar Climate

found in the North and South poles, very cold, short, mild summers, cannot grow anything so people herd reindeer

Continental Climates

cold winters and snow and are found in the interior of continents in the Northern Hemisphere

Dry Climate

common in continental interiors usually arid or semi-arid, can grow grasslands

Subsistence Agriculture

growing crops and livestock enough for one’s family and close community using fewer technology and more hand labor

Commercial Agriculture

growing crops and livestock for profit to sell to customers

Bid-rent Theory

explains how land value determines how a farmer will use the land, intensively or extensively

Central Business District (CBD)

a central location where the majority of customer services are located at the center of the city due to its accessibility (distance from CBD increases, land value decreases)

Metes & Bounds

spread through relocation diffusion from England to the colonies in the 17th century, boundaries were shown with lines drawn in a certain direction for a specific distance from clear points of reference (hill/tree) led to odd shaped land parcels in the mid-Atlantic region (eastern U.S.)

Long-Lot Survey

used by the French and Spanish colonies around the same time where properties were divided into adjacent long strips of land stretching back from frontage along a river/lake. Allowed for equal access to the waterway and mix of soils and these properties became narrower and narrower as time went on due to French inheritance traditions (Louisiana, Missouri, Great Lake States, French Canada, along the Rio Grande)

Township & Range

started in the 18th century where land was divided into rectangular grids, It created townships of 6 miles x 6 miles and each square mile was 640 acres. Land was sold by the full, half, or quarter section. (Old Northwest (Ohio to Minnesota))

Intensive Agriculture

where farmers spend lots of effort to produce as much yield as possible from an area of land

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

common in periphery/semi-periphery countries requires lots of human labor and will have detrimental effects if affected by weather, disease, and pests

Clustered Settlement (nucleated settlement)

where residents live in close proximity, leads to social unity, but can cause social friction, houses and farms are near one another with farmland and pasture land surrounding settlements

Dispersed Settlement

where houses and buildings are isolated from one another, and all the homes in a settlement are distributed over a large area. This promote independence and self-sufficiency, but lack social interaction, access to shared institutions and ability to help neighbors

Linear Settlement

where buildings and houses extend in a long line that usually follows a land feature (hill, riverfront, coast) or aligns with a transportation route. The fields stretch out behind the line of settlement

Intensive Commercial Agriculture

common in core countries using heavy investments in labor, capital and results in high yields for a profit from selling at market. Relies on heavy chemicals and machines

Monocropping

the cultivation of one or two crops that are rotated seasonally (corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton) usually on demand and profitable (used in the U.S.)

Monoculture

agricultural system of planting one crop or raising one type of animal annually

Crop Rotation

the varying of crops from year to year to allow for the restoration of valuable nutrients and the continuing productivity of the soil

Plantation Agriculture

involves large scale commercial farming of one particular crop (cotton, tobacco, coffee, sugarcane, rubber) for markets often distant from the plantation. common in periphery and semi periphery countries (neocolonial relationships)

Market Gardening

farming that produces fruits, veggies, and flowers and typically serves a specific market, or urban area where farmers can conveniently sell to local grocery stores, restaurants, farmers markets, and road stands. Driven by likeliness to spoil and demand by local customers

Mixed Crop and Livestock

where both crops and livestock are raised from profit (crop to feed livestock, poop for fertilizer). Between-farm mixed farming is where two farmers share resources

Extensive Agriculture

has fewer inputs and little investment in labor and capital which leads to lower outputs than intensive farming

Extensive Subsistence Agriculture

common in areas with marginal environment (too hot, too cold, too wet) with low population

Shifting Cultivation

the practice of growing crops or grazing animals on a piece of land for a year or two, then abandoning that land when the nutrients in the soil have depleted and moving to a new piece of land where the process is repeated (common in rainforests of SE Asia, S America, Central and W Africa)

Slash and Burn

a type of shifting cultivation as farmers clear the land and burn the dried veggies as fertilizer for the soil (common in S America, Papua New Guinea) causes pollution and deforestation

Nomadic Herding (pastoral nomadism)

when people move their animals seasonally or as needed to allow the best grazing. It prevents overgrazing in an area

Transhumance

the movement of herds between pastures at cooler, higher elevations during the summer months and lower elevations during winter

Extensive Commercial Agriculture

intensive farming on ranches taking place in areas with semiarid grassland where crop production is difficult/impossible (west of U.S., Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand, Botswana, & South Africa)

Domestication

the deliberate effort to grow plants and raise animals, making them adapt to human demands and using selective breeding to develop desirable characteristics (sheep and goats were the first to be domesticated in SW Asia)

Foragers

small nomadic groups who had primarily plant-based diets and ate small animals/fish for protein

Agricultural Hearth

each area where different groups began to domesticate plants and animals

Fertile Crescent

a hearth in SW Asia that forms an arc from the eastern Mediterranean coast u into now western Turkey and South and east along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to western parts of modern Iran. Grew wheat, barley, rye, and legumes (peas/beans) raised sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs

Columbia Exchange

the exchange of goods (diseases) and ideas between the Americas, Europe, and Africa

1st Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution)

occurred 11,000 years ago, lasting for several thousand more years, was the shift from foraging to farming, marking the beginning of agriculture; ate rice, wheat, corn & other stable crops. They raised sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, and camels; people settled permanently and diets became less diverse

2nd Agricultural Revolution

started in the early 18th century where there was a change in farming techniques that diffused from Britain and the low countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, & Netherlands) and tools

Enclosure System

a system developed by Britain where communal lands were replaced by farms pwned by individuals, an the use of land was restricted to the owner or tenants who rented the land from the owner

3rd Agricultural Revolution

a shift to further mechanization in agriculture through the development of new technology and advances that began in the early 20th century and continues to present day (started in core countries)

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

plants/animals with specific characteristics obtained through the manipulation of its genetic makeup. they can resist disease/drought and have more nutritional impact and consumer appeal (“4th Agricultural Revolution”)

Green Revolution

a movement beginning in the 1950s and 1960s in which scientists used knowledge of genetics to develop new high yield strains of grain crops

Infastructure

he many systems and facilities that a country needs in order to function properly (Modern farm equipment, advanced technology, large land, access to capital are all characteristics of commercial farming in core and semi-periphery countries)

Dual Agricultural Economy

refers to two agricultural sectors in the same country/region that have different levels of technology and different patterns of demand (subsistence farmers commercial operations seen in Zimbabwe and S Africa)

Agribusiness

refers to the large-scale system that includes the production, processing and distribution of agricultural products and equipment

Hybrid

the product created by breeding different varieties of species to enhance the most favorable characteristics (disease resistant, frost tolerant corn & wheat)

Vertical Integration

occurs when a company controls more than one stage of the production process which helps reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and increase profits

Commodity Chain

a complex network that connects places of production with distribution to consumers

Farm Subsidies

a form of aid and insurance given by the federal gov to farmers and agribusinesses

Tariffs

taxes/duties to be paid on a particular import/export (can prrotect domestic industries against foreign competition)

Von Thunen Model

suggests that perishability of the product and transportation costs to the market each factor into the location of agricultural land use and activity

Assumptions of the Model

The market is located on an isolated, self-sufficient state without external influences; a commercial agricultural system exists where farmers will seek to maximize profits; a single, centrally located market is the destination of a farmer’s produce; the land is isotropic (flat and featureless) not containing mountains/rivers; there is only one means of transportation (oxen pulling wooden cart over land)

Global Supply Chains

same as commodity chains just on a global scale; enable the delivery of a product between 2 different countries (grown in periphery then finished products sold in core countries)

Cash Crop

a crop that is produced for its commercial value (Vanilla in Madagascar and Comoros)

Fair Trade

a movement which is a global campaign to fix unfair wage practices and protect the ability of farmers to earn a living

Agricultural Landscapes

result from the interactions between farming activities and a location’s natural environment (can endure change constantly)

Agroecosystem

is an ecosystem modified for agricultural use

Deforestation

the loss of forest lands due to slash and burn practices

Terracing

the process of carving parts of a hill/mountain side into small, level growing plots (very labor intensive and common with subsistence farmers in mountainous areas in various climates)

Reservoirs

artificial lakes created by building dams across streams and rivers; could lead to dropping water levels (Aral Sea, Colorado River)

Aquifers

layers of sand, gravel, and rocks that contain and can release a usable amount of water (many are being depleted in Africa, Asia, & SW Asia)

Wetlands

areas of land that are covered by/saturated with water (swamps, marshes, and bogs). they can be drained to be used as farmland seen in the Netherlands

Desertification

a form of land degradation that occurs when soil deteriorates into a desert like condition (arid/semi arid lands)

Biodiversity

the variety of organisms living in a location

Salinization

the process which water soluble salts build up in the soil (occurs in arid/semi arid regions like Egypt due to the Nile Delta)

Debt-For-Nature

was established by the World Bank with periphery countries that borrow money. In exchange for local investments in conservation measures, the banks agree forgive a portion of a country’s debt

Biotechnology

the science of altering living organisms (gene manipulation) to create new products for specific purposes, such as resistance to certain pests (BRAZIL benefited a lot from this)

Agricultrual Biodiversity

the variety and variability of plants, animals, and microorganisms that are used directly/indirectly for food and agriculture (GE threatens this)

Precision Agriculture (precision ag/precision farming)

uses a variety of technology to apply impacts such as water and fertilizer with pinpoint accuracy to specific parts of fields in order to maximize crop yields, reduce waste, and preserve the environment.

Organic Farming

try to reduce/eliminate the amount of external inputs and strive for sustainability. (Most common in Europe)

Specialty Crops

organic/other specialty crops that are transformed from their original state to a more valuable state (cheese, yogurt, coffee, tea, chocolate)

Strongest Influence on Agriculture

Global trends (meat in China and Brazil; processed food and packaged food)

NAFTA (USMCA)

North American Free Trade Agreement of 1944 resulted in a boom of avocado exports from Mexico to U.S.

Food Security

reliable access to safe, nutritious food that can support a healthy and active lifestyle

Food Insecurity

the disruption of a household’s food intake or eating patterns because of poor access to food

Sub-urbanization

the shifting of population from cities into surrounding suburbs, reducing the amount of farmland available

Hungry People

many live in countries affect by war/conflict such as Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, South Sudan, and Nigeria

Food Deserts

areas where residents lack access to healthy nutritious foods because stores selling these foods are too far away (low income, higher unemployment, and higher poverty rates)

Economies of Scale

the reduced cost of producing food items as the quantity of production increases (average cost of production decreases as farm size increases)

Where do the largest farm subsidies go towards growing?

corn, soybeans and wheat

Aquaculture

farms fish with less space and care intensive than other types of agriculture. produces consistent amounts of fish and seafood increasing the global food supply and provides many jobs (fast growing food production)

Women in Agriculture

women are a major part of agriculture, however many in Africa do not have land rights, proper education on crops, and cannot take out loans thus government organizations help empower women