Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns + Processes
Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns + Processes
Big Ideas
How culture and available resources influence food production.
Variations in production and consumption across different locations.
Impact of cultural changes and technological advancements on food production and consumption.
5.1 Introduction to Agriculture
Essential Knowledge
Agricultural practices are influenced by the physical environment and climatic conditions (e.g., Mediterranean and tropical climates).
Intensive farming practices: market gardening, plantation agriculture, and mixed crop/livestock systems.
Extensive farming practices: shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching.
Learning Objectives
Explain the connection between physical geography and agricultural practices.
Commercial vs. Subsistence Agriculture
Commercial Agriculture:
Goal: Making money.
Large-scale.
Intended for widespread distribution.
Common crops: wheat, maize, tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana, cotton.
Subsistence Agriculture:
Goal: Feeding yourself/family/community.
Small-scale.
Crops grown for livelihood and survival, not profit.
Little to no surplus.
Extensive vs. Intensive Agriculture
Extensive Agriculture (EXTENSIVE = LAND):
Fewer inputs of capital + paid labor relative to the space being used (a lot of land compared to the invested capital and labor).
Examples: Shifting Cultivation, Nomadic Herding, Ranching.
Intensive Agriculture (INTENSIVE = LABOR):
Greater inputs of capital + paid labor relative to the space being used (a lot of capital and labor compared to the amount of land).
Examples: Rice Farming, Market Gardening, Plantation Farming.
Influences on Agricultural Practices
Agricultural practices are based on the physical environment, climatic conditions, and established agricultural regions.
Physical Features:
Climate.
Soil type.
Soil nutrient levels.
Access to fresh water.
Landforms.
Consequences:
Desertification.
Pollution.
Nutrient depletion.
Loss of biodiversity.
New Technology:
Irrigation.
Terracing.
Deforestation.
Draining of wetlands.
Fertilizer.
Climate, Soil Types, and Precipitation
Determine which crops can grow and which animals can thrive.
Most of the world’s land area supports agricultural activity, except for high latitudes (N+S Poles) and high altitudes (mountains).
Pastoral Nomadism
Climate: Drylands, Arid, Semiarid.
Locations: SW, C, + E Asia, N Africa.
Extensive.
Nomads take care of animals necessary for their survival (cattle, camels, reindeer, goats, yak, sheep, horses).
Animals raised for meat, milk, and hides.
Herds are moved to different pastures for constant food sources.
Shifting Cultivation
Climate: Tropical.
Locations: Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, SE Asia.
Extensive.
Process:
Land is cleared (sometimes by slash + burn).
Crops are planted and harvested repeatedly until soil is depleted of nutrients.
Farmers move to a new area and clear the land.
NOT the same as crop rotation.
Plantation
Climate: Tropical, Subtropical.
Locations: Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, S+SE Asia.
Intensive.
Large, commercial farm that specializes in one crop (coffee, cocoa, rubber, sugarcane, bananas, tobacco, tea, cotton, coconuts).
Developed out of colonialism.
Often exploits cheap labor in nearby populations.
Mixed Crop/Livestock
Climate: Cold + Warm Mid-Latitude.
Locations: Midwestern US + Canada, Central Europe.
Extensive+Intensive.
Integrated system found in developed regions.
Majority of crops feed livestock; livestock is used for meat or milk; animal manure is used to fertilize crops.
Most common grains: corn + soybeans.
Grain
Climate: Cold Mid-Latitude.
Locations: N Central US, S Central Canada, Eastern Europe.
Extensive.
Most common > wheat.
Mostly consumed by people.
US is 4th in wheat production.
Two distinct types:
Spring wheat: planted in early spring, harvested in early autumn.
Winter wheat: planted in the fall, harvested in early summer.
Commercial Gardening
Climate: Warm Mid-Latitude.
Locations: SE US, SE Australia.
Intensive.
AKA: Truck Farming.
Traditionally located within driving distance from the market.
Today > most products are sold to companies for canning + freezing.
Growing seasons change where we get our food.
US products include lettuce, broccoli, apples, oranges, and tomatoes.
Dairy
Climate: Cold + Warm Mid-Latitude.
Locations: NE US, SE Canada, NW Europe.
Intensive.
Traditionally > dairy farms were local.
Today > refrigeration expanded the milk shed.
Dairy farms owned by corporations instead of families.
Dairy farms are still local in developing countries.
Mediterranean
Climate: Warm Mid-Latitude.
Locations: S Coast of Europe, N Coast of Africa, Pacific Coast of US, S tip of Africa, Chile.
Extensive + Intensive.
Crops: figs, dates, olives, grapes, cheese, wine, lamb, some wheat.
Crop farming > intensive.
Herding > extensive.
Transhumance = seasonal herding of animals from higher elevations in the summer to lower elevations in winter.
Livestock Ranching
Climate: Drylands, Arid, Semi-Arid.
Locations: W North America, SE South America, C Asia, S Africa.
Extensive.
Commercial grazing of animals is confined to a specific area.
Found in areas too dry for growing large quantities of crops.
Countries: US, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal, China, Australia.
Intensive Subsistence
Climate: Warm Mid-Latitude.
Locations: S, SE, + E Asia.
Intensive.
Farming to feed yourself/your family.
Lack of technology = need for more intensive labor.
Wet rice is the most common.
Wet rice is not dominant regions = wheat, barley, legumes.
Check for Understanding
Compare and contrast commercial and subsistence agriculture.
Compare and contrast extensive and intensive agriculture.
Explain how the physical environment impacts agricultural practices.
5.2 Settlement Patterns + Survey Methods
Essential Knowledge
Specific agricultural practices shape different rural land-use patterns.
Rural settlement patterns are classified as clustered, dispersed, or linear.
Rural survey methods include metes and bounds, township and range, and long lot.
Learning Objectives
Identify different rural settlement patterns and methods of surveying rural settlements.
Agricultural Practices Shape the Landscape
Terracing.
Irrigation.
Deforestation.
Slash + Burn.
Rural Settlement Patterns
Clustered Settlements:
European villages/hamlets.
People live near each other - walking distance to fields, school, church.
Strong sense of community.
Dispersed Settlements:
North American farms.
Many farm properties over 100 acres.
Agricultural villages were rare because farms were so spread out.
Linear Settlements:
French settlements.
Correlates with the French Long-Lot System.
In a “line” along rivers or bodies of water.
Rural Survey Methods
Metes + Bounds:
England before 1785.
Used to describe plot boundaries.
Metes - short distances (e.g., “here to the oak tree,” “100 yards north to the corner of the barn”).
Bounds - larger areas, based on larger physical features like streams or roads.
English colonists in America used this system until…
Township + Range:
Public Land Survey System of 1785.
Used to standardize organization of landscape.
Townships = 6 mi. X 6 mi. (6 \text{ mi. } \times 6 \text{ mi. })
Sections = 640 acres (each square mile).
Ranges - a measure of the distance east or west in units of 6 miles.
First seen in the US in the Midwest.
Long-Lot System:
France + French settlements in North America.
Farms were long, thin sections of land, perpendicular to the river.
Many farmers could have riverfront property.
Great for water transport of goods.
In North America - Quebec + Louisiana.
Check for Understanding
How do agricultural practices alter the landscape?
Compare and contrast clustered, dispersed, and linear settlements.
Compare and contrast methods of surveying land, including metes + bounds, township + range, and long-lot survey system.
5.3 Agricultural Origins + Diffusions
Essential Knowledge
Early hearths of domestication of plants and animals arose in the Fertile Crescent and several other regions, including the Indus River Valley, Southeast Asia, and Central America.
Patterns of diffusion, such as the Columbian Exchange and agricultural revolutions, resulted in the global spread of various plants and animals.
Learning Objectives
Identify major centers of domestication of plants and animals.
Explain how plants and animals diffused globally.
Overview of Agricultural Revolutions
First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution):
~10,000 BCE.
Domestication of plants + animals.
Subsistence farming.
Simple tools + manual labor.
Second Agricultural Revolution:
Began in the 1700s.
Grew out of advances of the Industrial Revolution.
Growing population = need for higher crop yields.
Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution):
Began in the 1960s.
Agribusiness model emerges.
Technology includes GMOs, seed hybridization, pesticides + herbicides.
Early Hearths of Domestication
Agricultural hearths were established independently at various times and locations.
The first hearths were likely regions of high biodiversity on the edge of forests.
Animal Domestication:
Raising and caring for animals by humans for protection of food.
Probably began with hunting dogs.
Later, goats and sheep.
Plant Domestication:
Began after animal domestication.
The first domesticated plants were vegetative - parts of stems or roots of existing plants.
Next - domestication of seeds.
Multiple hearths often developed in different regions simultaneously.
Each region has a unique legacy based on climate, cultural preferences + native crops.
Diffusion of some crops occurs when farmers discover that crops can thrive outside their hearth.
The First Agriculture Hearths
Mesoamerica
Sub-Saharan Africa
East Asia
Southwest Asia
Southeast Asia
Patterns of Diffusion
First Agricultural Revolution:
Nomadic hunter-gatherers transitioned to permanent agricultural settlements.
Agricultural hearths became the first complex civilizations.
Civilizations led to increased trade, large empires, and conquest + expansion.
Improved agricultural techniques led to a decreased need for farmers and new occupations (specialized work).
Patterns of Diffusion - Roman Empire
Trade in wheat and other agricultural products from England to Africa + SW Asia.
Diffusion occurred through the Mediterranean + Trans-Saharan Trade routes.
Patterns of Diffusion - Silk Roads
Trade in silk, rice, and other goods (like porcelain).
The Silk Road was a trade route connecting Rome with China.
Often traveled by horse and camel.
Patterns of Diffusion - Columbian Exchange
Global movement of plants, animals, + diseases between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas.
Began with European arrival in the Americas.
Europeans BROUGHT plants + animals to the Americas and TOOK plants + animals back to the East.
Check for Understanding
Define plant and animal domestication.
Choose one crop and describe its hearth’s location, date of domestication, method of diffusion, and extent of diffusion.
Explain how plants and animals diffused through the expansion of the Roman Empire, the development of the Silk Road, and the Columbian Exchange.
5.4 The Second Agricultural Revolution
Essential Knowledge
New technology and increased food production in the Second Agricultural Revolution led to better diets, longer life expectancies, and more people available for work in factories.
Learning Objectives
Explain the advances and impacts of the Second Agricultural Revolution.
Advances of the Second Agricultural Revolution
Before the Second Agricultural Revolution:
The vast majority of families were farmers.
The production of textiles, tools, and other goods was done in the home by hand.
Most people spent their entire lives within their village/community.
Communities were self-sufficient and disconnected from one another.
Start of the Second Agricultural Revolution:
1700s (18th century) in Great Britain.
The Second Ag. Revolution aligns with the Industrial Revolution.
Mechanized agricultural production drastically changed daily life and led to increased crop yields and urbanization.
Advancements and Their Effects
Iron/Steel Plough (1819): Reduced human labor and could break through harder soils.
Mechanized Seed Drilling (18th century): Increased the number of crops grown per acre; increased the size of farms; planted and covered each seed quickly; resulted in increased yield per acre.
McCormick Reaper/Harvester (1831): Increased harvest and reduced human labor; reduced the amount of crops that perished in the field before harvest.
Grain Elevator (1849): Increased storage space and food supply and protected harvested food from animals and the elements.
Barbed Wire (1870s): Provided inexpensive fencing to keep livestock in grazing areas.
Mixed Nitrogen and Nitric Acid Fertilizer (1903): Increased crop yields per acre.
Impact of the Second Agricultural Revolution
Mechanized agriculture reduces the need for human labor:
Fewer, larger, more productive farms with fewer owners + laborers.
Many farmers + workers are now unemployed and looking for work in urban centers.
The increase in more reliable crop yields improves the quality of life:
Better diets.
Longer life expectancies.
Reliable food surplus leads to a dramatic increase in population.
Industrialization leads to changes in agricultural practices:
Mass production of goods, like textiles, creates greater demand for more raw materials (high demand fuels colonization efforts).
Cheaper prices for goods lead to a rise in consumer culture.
Check for Understanding
Describe life in Great Britain prior to the Second Agricultural Revolution.
Describe the advances in technology that emerged during the Second Agricultural Revolution.
Describe the impact of the Second Agricultural Revolution on quality of life, urbanization, and agricultural practices.
5.5 The Green Revolution
Essential Knowledge
The Green Revolution was characterized in agriculture by the use of high-yield seeds, the increased use of chemicals, and mechanized farming.
The Green Revolution had positive and negative consequences for both human populations and the environment.
Learning Objectives
Explain the consequences of the Green Revolution on the food supply and the environment in the developing world.
The Green Revolution (Third Agricultural Revolution)
Started in the mid-20th century (1960s).
Advances in technology are based in biology (science) and include more efficient farming practices:
Seed Hybridization.
GMOs.
Fertilizers.
Pesticides + Herbicides.
Advanced machinery + irrigation systems.
Seed Hybridization
The cross-breeding of two seeds, each with a particular desirable trait, to produce a single seed with both desirable traits.
Hybridization has been practiced for hundreds of years.
Most hybrids are grains - a focus on rice in the 1960s (e.g., long-grain Indonesian rice + dense-grain Taiwanese dwarf rice = longer + denser rice).
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
Biological engineering to change the DNA of a seed.
The new seed allows for increased yield and resistance to drought, diseases, + pesticides.
Controversial.
Research surrounding long-term consumption of GMOs is not yet available (although most biologists agree there is little to no risk).
Farmers who rely on GMO seeds are required to purchase seeds every season due to the use of heritage seeds.
Fertilizers
Add necessary nutrients to the soil.
Fertilizers benefit regions that have been overused and become depleted of nutrients AND make it possible to grow plants where it was previously impossible.
Fertilizer use has increased in developing countries in Asia + the Americas.
Dependence on fertilizer to grow crops is a negative consequence of the introduction of agricultural chemicals.
Pesticides + Herbicides
Agricultural chemicals are used for destroying insects and diseases harmful to cultivated plants and/or animals.
Pesticide/Herbicide use has increased in developing countries in Asia + Africa.
Similar to fertilizers, farmers are becoming dependent on expensive pesticides and herbicides.
Advanced Machinery + Irrigation
Tractors.
Tillers.
Broadcast seeders.
Grain carts.
Harvesters.
Consequences of the Green Revolution
POSITIVE:
Higher crop yields: prevent famine; by the 2010s, 80% of the developing world has an adequate diet (e.g., Wheat - 208% increase, Corn - 157% increase, Rice - 109% increase, Potatoes - 78% increase)
Money for research and business: high rates of investment in public + private sectors for research and development.
The decrease in food prices: higher yields lead to falling food prices; eases economic stress in developing countries.
Increased nutritional value: GMOs, hybridization, and agricultural chemicals support longer growing periods and healthier plants.
NEGATIVE:
Environmental damage: chemical runoff ruins freshwater sources; commercial agriculture leads to persistent abuse of arable land; draining of wetlands disrupts ecosystems + leads to loss of biodiversity; deforestation > desertification.
Unemployment: Mechanized agriculture replaces the need for human labor; large-scale unemployment in farming.
Dependence on agricultural chemicals: Farmers become dependent on fertilizers, pesticides/herbicides to grow viable crops.
Population growth: Food surplus leads to rapid population growth, particularly in less developed regions.
The Green Revolution + Africa
The Green Revolution was unsuccessful in Africa.
Climate + soil diversity - much of Africa would have needed to use expensive fertilizers to grow successful crop yields.
Harsh conditions in some regions (insects, viral strains, desert climates, etc) are challenging for technologies to adapt to and for researchers to collect data.
Sub-Saharan Africa lacks sufficient transportation infrastructure, so research + development requires even more capital investment.
Staple crops native to Africa (sorghum, millet, cassava, yams, peanuts) were not always included in research.
Check for Understanding
Describe 3 advancements in agricultural technology introduced during the Green Revolution.
Identify positive consequences of the Green Revolution.
Identify negative consequences of the Green Revolution.
Why was the Green Revolution least successful in Sub-Saharan Africa?
5.6 Agricultural Production Regions
Essential Knowledge
Agricultural production regions are defined by the extent to which they reflect subsistence or commercial practices (monocropping or monoculture).
Intensive and extensive farming practices are determined in part by land costs (bid-rent theory).
Learning Objectives
Explain how economic forces influence agricultural practices.
Subsistence vs. Commercial Agriculture
Subsistence: farming to feed yourself/your family.
Commercial: farming for profit.
Regions utilizing either subsistence or commercial agriculture differ in terms of:
Percentage of farmers in the labor force.
The use of machinery.
Farm size.
Percentage of Farmers in the Labor Force
DEVELOPING Regions (LDCs):
Most residents are subsistence farmers - many families work together to maintain a farm.
LDCs - 44% of the labor force works in agriculture.
DEVELOPED Regions (MDCs):
Almost all farmers are commercial farmers.
MDCs - ~5% of the labor force works in agriculture.
US - <2%.
The labor force is concentrated in manufacturing work and service industries.
Use of Machinery
DEVELOPING Regions (LDCs):
More farmers per square unit of arable land (high agricultural density).
Most of the farm work is done by hand (hand tools, use of animals).
Yields feed fewer people.
DEVELOPED Regions (MDCs):
Fewer farmers per square unit of arable land (low agricultural density).
Most of the farm work is done by machinery (expensive technology).
Higher yields.
Yields feed more people.
Farm Size
SUBSISTENCE:
SMALL.
The average farm size in China is 2.51 acres.
The lack of revenue means there is no capital to invest in machinery and technology.
COMMERCIAL:
BIG.
The average farm size in the US is 418 acres.
Revenue comes from high yields.
Profit and bank loans are used to invest in large, expensive machinery.
Monocropping
Monocropping/monoculture - the farming of a single cash crop on large plots of land.
Large-scale commercial farms are replacing small-scale commercial and subsistence farms:
Families/subsistence farmers in both LDCs + MDCs cannot compete with large-scale farming operations.
Globalization + the Green Revolution have resulted in many agribusinesses buying out smaller farms. Most small-scale farmers are now working for an agribusiness.
Suitcase farm - a farm in which the labor is performed by farmers who live nearby the farm rather than ON the farm. Farmers commute to the farm.
Intensive vs. Extensive Agriculture
Agriculture is influenced by THREE economic factors - the costs of LABOR, LAND, + CAPITAL
Extensive Agriculture:
Extensive - fewer inputs of capital + paid labor compared to the land area being used.
If land is plentiful and costs little, the land is used extensively.
Ex: shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, livestock ranching.
Intensive Agriculture:
Intensive - greater inputs of capital + paid labor compared to the land area being used.
If land is scarce or expensive, the land is used intensively.
Ex: market gardening, intensive subsistence agriculture.
In order to maximize yield on a small amount of land - farmers may use double cropping or intercropping.
*Reminder: Intensive OR extensive can describe subsistence OR commercial agriculture!
Bid Rent Curve
The bid rent curve refers to the use of concentric rings of different activities surrounding a city (or market area) in order to indicate the starting position for each type of land use relative to the market.
Each line = farmers’ willingness to pay more in land rent closer to the market than farther away.
In a free market economy, the land will go to the farmer who is willing to pay the most.
The intersection of lines = the end of one zone, the beginning of another.
*Bid rent theory explains the relationship between land costs and the location of intensive and extensive farming practices in relation to the market.
Check for Understanding
Compare and contrast subsistence and commercial agriculture in terms of farm size, use of machinery, and percentage of human labor required.
Compare and contrast intercropping and double cropping. Why are these practices utilized in intensive agriculture?
How does the bid rent theory relate to agricultural practices?
5.7 Spatial Organization of Agriculture
Essential Knowledge
Large-scale commercial agricultural operations are replacing small family farms.
Complex commodity chains link production and consumption of agricultural products.
Technology has increased economies of scale in the agricultural sector and the carrying capacity of the land.
Learning Objectives
Explain how economic forces influence agricultural practices.
Agribusiness
Agribusiness - a set of economic and political relationships that organizes food production from seed to the marketing of the finished product.
Agribusiness is ALWAYS commercial agriculture.
Some crops are extensive (cattle ranching).
Some crops are intensive (market gardening).
A single agribusiness would control every step of this commodity chain:
Planting + harvesting of the raw material.
Transport to manufacturing center.
Production.
Transport to market.
Sell to consumers
Consolidation
Consolidation - taking a bunch of smaller things and making them into one, larger thing.
Developing countries are still predominantly family farms, but the consolidation of these farms marks the beginning of the agribusiness process.
Plantations are being bought out by corporations and transformed into both an intensive AND extensive process (using larger land areas).
Agribusinesses take advantage of economies of scale (greater production results in saving in costs).
Elements of Agribusiness
Globalization - increased connections between distant places allows for international corporations to be involved in all steps of the production process.
Supply/Commodity Chains - a system of resources, producer transportation, communication, information, and consumers involved in different steps in developing a product.
Vertical Integration - when a company owns several smaller businesses involved in different steps in developing a product.
Complex Commodity Chains
Complex Commodity Chains are an indication of agribusiness.
One person can consume bananas from Ecuador, coffee from Brazil, chocolate from Switzerland, and apples from Honduras thanks to:
Advancements in biotechnology.
Mechanization.
Advancements in transportation.
Food preservation.
Impact of Technology
Technological improvements include:
Fertilizers, Herbicides, + Pesticides.
GMOs and Complex Seed Hybridization.
Cool Chains (transportation networks designed to keep food cool).
Positive Consequences:
Increase in yield.
Increase in land’s carrying capacity.
Decrease in food prices.
Decrease in global famine.
Negative Consequences:
Environmental damage.
Loss of biodiversity.
Threatened ecosystems.
Uneven distribution of resources.
Check for Understanding
How does globalization contribute to the growth of agribusiness?
Compare and contrast family-owned farming and agribusiness.
Explain the relationship between agribusiness, commodity chains, and vertical integration.
5.8 Von Thunen Model
Essential Knowledge
Von Thünen’s model helps to explain rural land use by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market; however, regions of specialty farming do not always conform to von Thünen’s concentric rings.
Learning Objectives
Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain patterns of agricultural production at various scales.
Von Thunen’s Model
1826: Johann von Thunen→ farm owner in Germany.
The model illustrates a pattern of locations of agricultural practices in relation to the closest market.
Decisions about where to locate an agricultural practice are based on:
Transportation cost (weight of product).
Cost of Land (bid rent theory).
Whether the agricultural practice is intensive or extensive.
Von Thunen Zones
Zone 1: Horticulture
Market gardening/truck farming.
Dairying.
Perishable items→ need to get to market fast→ fruits, veggies.
Zone 2: Forests
1826→ wood is the primary source of fuel and construction.
Heavy & difficult to transport.
Zone 3: Crops like wheat & corn
Valuable.
Did not perish as quickly as veggies & milk.
Not as hard to transport as wood.
Zone 4: Grazing livestock
Could walk when it was time to transport them.
Extensive agriculture→ larger than inner-ring farms.
Expensive to buy enough land for grazing.
Von Thunen Assumptions and Reality
Assumptions:
The market is always in a central location.
There is only one market.
Landscape is isotropic.
Transportation technology is stagnant.
Agricultural practices are consistent regardless of region.
Reality:
Coastlines and other physical features may result in multiple markets or markets located in a periphery location.
Physical features like rivers, lakes, + mountains disrupt the rings.
New technology like trains, planes, and cool chains increase the distance from the market.
Some regions specialize in certain agricultural practices.
Check for Understanding
Who is Von Thunen, and what is the purpose of his model?
Identify the agricultural practice located in each of the 4 rings included in Von Thunen’s model.
What assumptions does Von Thunen make in his model? How do these assumptions compare to reality?
5.9 The Global System of Agriculture
Essential Knowledge
Food and other agricultural products are part of a global supply chain.
Some countries have become highly dependent on one or more export commodities.
The main elements of global food distribution networks are affected by political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade.
Learning Objectives
Explain the interdependence among regions of agricultural production and consumption.
Global Supply Chain
Transportation Technology + Agribusiness + Globalization = INTERDEPENDENCE
Interdependence
Interdependence - the dependence of two or more things (countries) on EACH OTHER
Regional interdependence is a result of:
Uneven Development:
Luxury crops are grown in least developed countries and sent to developing countries to be manufactured.
Manufactured goods are sent to developed countries to be sold.
Variations in Climate:
Tropical regions export coffee, tea, bananas, and pineapples to temperate + subtropical regions.
Temperate + subtropical regions export grains like wheat and rice to tropical regions.
Dependence on Export Commodities
Some countries have become highly dependent on one or more export commodities.
CAUSES:
*Monocropping practices were established during European colonization/imperialism of less-developed regions.
*Many luxury crops grow well in tropical climates.
To maintain profit, countries will allocate available farmland to produce the highest-value export.
EFFECTS:
*Farmers cannot afford the crops they’re harvesting for export.
*A decrease in the supply of necessary crops (not growing crops needed for survival because land is used for cash crops).
Environmental damage, drought, and disease lead to low crop yield - an entire economy is affected. (Cacao, Rubber, Palm Oil, Coffee)
Global Food Distribution - Political Relationships
Trade/economic relationships depend on peaceful political relationships.
Global or regional conflict will disrupt trade networks, impacting every economy.
Political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade all affect global food distribution networks. (EU, OPEC, ASEAN, United Nations, WTO)
Global Food Distribution - Infrastructure
Transportation networks allow for quick and efficient transport of raw materials + finished product.
A lack of infrastructure inhibits your ability to participate in the global trade network.
Developed countries have subsidized the development of transportation networks for the export of goods
Political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade all affect global food distribution networks. Examine the map of air traffic across the globe. Which regions experience the least traffic? How can this observation reflect a region’s infrastructure? How do you think air traffic ties to activity in the global trade network?
Global Food Distribution - Patterns of World Trade
Today’s international economic relationships are rooted in colonialism + neocolonialism.
More developed countries continue to exploit workers in developing countries who lack labor laws to protect workers and guarantee fair wages.
Political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade all affect global food distribution networks.
5.10 Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture
Essential Knowledge
Climate change poses significant challenges to agricultural productivity, food security, and rural economies around the world. Changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and the frequency of extreme weather events can alter crop yields and affect food distribution.
Learning Objectives
- Explain how climate change affects agricultural systems.
- Identify adaptive strategies used by farmers to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Impacts of Climate Change:
- Crop Yields: Increased temperatures may lead to decreased yields of staple crops.
- Water Availability: Changes in precipitation affect water resources; regions may face drought or flooding.
- Pest and Disease Pressure: Warmer climates can expand the range of pests and diseases.
- Soil Health: Climate change can lead to soil degradation and reduced fertility.
Adaptive Strategies:
- Crop Diversification: Growing a variety of crops can reduce risk and increase resilience.
- Improved Irrigation Techniques: Efficient water management practices help cope with water scarcity.
- Agroforestry: Integrating trees into agricultural systems can enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon.
5.11 Global Food Systems
Essential Knowledge
Global food systems encompass the processes and networks involved in the production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food worldwide. They reflect complex interactions between agricultural practices, economic forces, and consumer preferences.
Learning Objectives
- Identify components of global food systems.
- Explain the role of globalization in shaping food systems.
Components of Global Food Systems:
- Production: The methods used by farmers to grow crops and raise livestock.
- Processing: Transformation of raw agricultural products into consumable goods.
- Distribution: Logistics involved in getting food from farms to consumers, including transportation and retail.
- Consumption: Dietary preferences and food choices influenced by cultural, economic, and social factors.
- Waste Management: Strategies for reducing food waste across the supply chain.
5.12 Sustainable Agriculture
Essential Knowledge
Sustainable agriculture seeks to meet society's food and textile needs while ensuring the environmental health, economic profitability, and social equity of farming systems. It emphasizes practices that maintain the ecological balance and reduce reliance on non-renewable resources.
Learning Objectives
- Define sustainable agriculture and its principles.
- Identify practices that promote sustainability in agriculture.
Principles of Sustainable Agriculture:
- Ecological Health: Protecting biodiversity and conserving natural resources.
- Economic Viability: Ensuring farm profitability while providing fair wages and safe working conditions.
- Social Equity: Supporting local communities and fostering relationships among farmers, consumers, and stakeholders.
Sustainable Practices:
- Organic Farming: Avoids synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, focusing on natural alternatives.
- Permaculture: Design approach that mimics natural ecosystems to create agricultural systems that are sustainable and self-sufficient.
- Crop Rotation and Cover Cropping: Practices that improve soil health and reduce erosion.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Combining biological, cultural, and chemical tools for pest control while minimizing environmental impact.