Untitled Flashcards Set

ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE

In Neolithic Period one of the major

development is the birth of Agriculture,

The Neolithic Revolution, also called the

Agricultural Revolution, marked the

transition in human history from small,

nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers to

larger, agricultural settlements and

early civilization. The Neolithic Revolution started around 10,000 B.C. in the Fertile Crescent was the critical transition that resulted in the birth of agriculture, taking Homosapiens from scattered groups of

hunter-gatherers to farming villages.

FERTILE CRESCENT

If asked where the agriculture originated,

most Americans would probably says

fertile crescent. Fertile crescent includes

parts of Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. It

is true that the fertile crescent is the

early hearth of Agriculture, but it was

actually only one of many places where

people independently domesticated

domesticated plants and animals over

the past 10,000 years. Other locations

of independent domestication include

modern day Peru, central Mexico, East

Africa, India and China.

Agriculture plays a vital role in the

economies and livelihoods of many least

developed countries (LDCs), providing

food security, income generation, and

employment opportunities for a large

portion of the population. However,

agriculture in these countries faces

numerous challenges , including low

productivity, limited access to resources,and vulnerability to climate change.

CHALLENGES FACING AGRICULTURE IN LDCs

1. LOW PRODUCTIVITY

2. CLIMATE CHANGE

3. LIMITED ACCESS TO RESOURCES

4. LACK OF INVESTMENT

METHODS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION OF LDC

SUBSISTENCE FARMING The primary goal of subsistence farming is to produce enough food for the farmer's family and immediate community, with little surplus for sale.

SHIFTING CULTIVATION (SLASH-AND-BURN)  A traditional method used in tropical regions where farmers clear a patch of forest by cutting down trees and burning the vegetation. The land is cultivated for a few years, then left fallow for several years to allow the soil to recover its fertility

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE Plantation agriculture involves large-scale monoculture farming, typically focused on cash crops

like coffee, tea, rubber, or bananas. This system is often associated with foreign investment and export-oriented

production.

AGRICULTURE IN MORE DEVELOPED

COUNTRIES (MDCs)

Agriculture more developed

countries (MDCs) typically differs from

that in less developed countries (LDCs)

in several ways . In MDCs , agriculture is highly industrialized, mechanized, and technologically advanced, often with a focus on efficiency, scale, and productivity

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE

(Conventional Farming)

MECHANIZATION: Use of advanced

machinery (tractors, harvesters, plows,

and irrigation systems) to increase

efficiency and reduce the need for

manual labor. 

PRECISION AGRICULTURE

GPS TECHNOLOGY: Use of GPS for

mapping fields, tracking equipment,

and applying fertilizers and pesticides

precisely where needed, reducing

waste and increasing efficiency. 

DRONES AND SENSORS: Drones and soil

sensors are used to monitor crop

health, detect nutrient deficiencies,

and assess soil moisture levels, enabling

more targeted interventions

GREENHOUSE FARMING

(Controlled-Environment Agriculture)

HYDROPONICS AND AQUAPONICS: Growing plants without soil using nutrient-rich water solutions. Aquaponics combines this with fish farming, where the fish waste provides nutrients for the plants. 

CLIMATE CONTROL: Greenhouses are equipped with systems to regulate temperature, humidity, and light, allowing year- round production of crops like tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.

THE GREEN REVOLUTION

The Green Revolution refers to a

trans formative 20th-century

agricultural project that utilized

plant genetics, modern irrigation

systems, and chemical fertilizers

and pesticides to increase food

production and reduce poverty

and hunger in developing countries.

THE FATHER OF GREEN

REVOLUTION

Norman Ernest Borlaug

(born March 25, 1914, near Saude,

Iowa, U.S.—died September 12,

2 0 0 9 , Dallas , Texas ) w a s an

American agricultural scientist and

plant pathologist, and winner of

the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1970. Known as the “Father of the Green Revolution”  Borlaug helped lay the groundwork for  agricultural technological advances to alleviate world hunger.

POSITIVE EFFECTS :

1. INCREASE IN FOOD PRODUCTION

2. CHANGE IN THE TRADITIONAL FORM OF FARMING 

3. REDUCTION IN FOOD PRICES 

4. DEFORESTATION HAVE BEEN LIMITED

5. RURAL DEVELOPMENT

NEGATIVE EFFECTS :

1. HARMFUL EFFECTS ON LAND AND HUMAN HEALTH 

2. IGNORED THE NEED FOR LAND REFORM 

3. INCREASED PRODUCTION COST 

4. LACK OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ON BIG FARMS 

5.  EXTINCTION OF INDIGENOUS VARIETIES OF CROPS