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Von Thünen Model in Agriculture

• Origin of Agricultural Practices:

  • Influenced by:

  • Culture: Local traditions and practices shape agriculture.

  • Climate: Weather conditions dictate what types of crops can be grown.

  • Physical Characteristics: Elevation, water availability, and soil type impact agricultural feasibility.

• Bid Rent Theory & Von Thünen Model:

  • Explained by the relationship between distance from the city and land cost:

  • More distance from the city results in less expensive land.

  • Transportation Costs:

  • Considered the most critical cost factor; proximity to markets determines agricultural types practiced.

• Types of Diffusion in Agriculture:

  • Two types responsible for the spread of agricultural practices:

  • Contagious Diffusion: Spread through proximity and interaction.

  • Relocation Diffusion: Spread through movement of people.

• Mediterranean Agriculture Regions:

  • Characteristics:

  • Similar climates (typically Mediterranean), hilly terrain, coastal areas, and adequate moisture.

• Agriculture in Dry Regions:

  • Dominated by Pastoral Nomadism:

  • Practices involve grazing livestock.

Hearths of Plant and Animal Domestication

• Development of Agricultural Hearths:

  • Agriculture hearths developed independently in various regions; significant hearths include:

  1. Latin America:

     • Timeframe: 3,000 - 9,000 years ago.

     • Crops: Beans, cotton (Mexico), potato (Peru).

     • Animals: Alpacas, llamas domesticated between 3,000 and 7,000 years ago.

  2. Sub-Saharan Africa:

     • Timeframe: Sorghum domesticated around 8,000 years ago, yams earlier.

     • Other Crops: Millet and rice may have been domesticated independently.

     • Other Notables: Coffee, cowpea, African rice.

  3. Southwest Asia:

     • Timeframe: Earliest crops domesticated about 10,000 years ago.

     • Crops: Barley, wheat, lentils, and olives.

     • Animals: Cattle, goats, pigs, sheep domesticated around 8,000 - 9,000 years ago.

  4. Central Asia:

     • Timeframe: Chickens diffused from South Asia about 4,000 years ago.

     • Other Domestication: Horses, walnuts, and broad beans found from 9,000 years ago.

  5. East Asia:

     • Timeframe: Rice domesticated over 10,000 years ago.

     • Crops: Millet cultivated early along the Yellow River in China.

Types of Agriculture Practices

• Extensive Agriculture:

  • Requires large areas of land, exemplified by grain farming.

• Intensive Agriculture:

  • Smaller areas of land with much labor involved.

• Vegetative Planting vs. Seed Agriculture:

  • Vegetative Planting:

  • Cloning plants from parts of existing ones.

  • Faster process but often more costly.

  • Seed Agriculture:

  • Involves planting seeds of crops.

  • Generally cheaper and takes longer to harvest.

• Market Gardening:

  • Practiced near urban areas to supply fresh produce.

• Dominant Land Use Types:

  • Shifting Cultivation:

  • Subsistence agriculture characterized by shifting activity between fields.

  • Farmers rotate fields to allow for nutrient recovery (fallowing).

  • Pastoral Nomadism:

  • Based on herding animals, practiced in harsh, dry environments.

  • Common livestock include sheep, goats, and camels.

  • Nomads follow established migratory routes.

Economic Impact of Agriculture

• Plantations:

  • Negative Impacts:

  • High labor demands, detrimental to biodiversity, contributes to deforestation.

  • Positive Impacts:

  • Highly profitable crops like bananas, coffee, and palm oil.

• Types of Agriculture Comparison:

  • Subsistence Agriculture:

  • Small farms with many farmers, often not sufficient for profit.

  • Exists primarily in less developed countries (LDCs).

  • Commercial Agriculture:

  • Large farms with few farmers, utilizes extensive machinery.

  • Predominantly found in more developed countries (MDCs).

Agricultural Economics and Innovations

• Shifting Cultivation Techniques:

  • Slash and Burn: A method used in shifting cultivation.

• Crop Rotation & Double Cropping:

  • Purpose: To maximize yield.

  • Double Cropping:

    • Plant one crop, harvest it, then replant a different crop on the same land for a second harvest.

  • Crop Rotation:

    • Rotate different crops on the same field over seasons to maintain soil fertility.

• Trends in MDC Farming:

  • Decrease in the number of farms with an increase in average farm size due to commercial pressures.

• Economies of Scale:

  • Larger production leads to lower costs per unit, favoring large agribusinesses.

• Second Agricultural Revolution Benefits:

  • Decreased labor intensity as more workers shift to factories.

  • Increased agricultural yields leading to improved food security and healthier diets.

  • Green Revolution:

  • Innovations like higher yield seeds, fertilizers expanding production potential.

• Negative Impacts of Chemicals in Agriculture:

  • Issues with pollution and runoff, human health concerns.

• Sustainable Agriculture Practices Include:

  • Minimal chemical usage, integration of crops and livestock, and land management practices.

• Transhumance:

  • Seasonal migration of livestock according to changing food availability (e.g., grazing at different altitudes).

Land Use Systems

• Township and Range System vs. Long Lot System:

  • Township and Range System:

  • Organized in a grid pattern across landscapes.

  • Long Lot System:

  • Land strips offer access to key resources like rivers or roads, promoting equity.