Commercial Agriculture
Farming aimed at selling crops and livestock for profit.
Ex: wheat, soybeans, cattle
WHERE: United States, Canada, Brazil, China
Luxury Crops
A crop that is grown primarily for its high market value and is not considered essential for basic human survival is often associated with wealth and status
a crop that is grown to serve some purpose other than sustaining human life.
Examples: coffee, tea, cocoa, and certain exotic fruits.
Plantation Agriculture
a type of large-scale commercial farming of one particular crop grown for markets often distant from the plantation
Large-scale farms growing single crops, often in tropical regions
Ex: coffee, sugarcane, rubber, cocoa
WHERE: Colombia, Malaysia, Philippines, Ghana
Columbian Exchange
The global exchange of crops, animals, diseases, and ideas between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia (between the Americas, Europe, and Africa) began after Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492.
WHERE: Eastern & western Hemispheres
Europe -> America: Wheat, cattle, horses, pigs, smallpox
America->Europe: potatoes, corn, tomatoes, beans, turkey, etc.
Hearths of Corn, Cacao, & Coffee
Southwest Asia (Fertile Crescent)
Crops: Barley, wheat, lentils, olives
Animals: Sheep, goats, cattle, pigs
Region: Modern-day Iraq, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey
East Asia
Crops: Rice, soybeans, millet, walnuts
Animals: Pigs, chickens
Region: China, Korea, Japan
South Asia (Indus River Valley)
Crops: Barley, wheat, peas, cotton
Animals: Cattle, elephants
Region: Pakistan, northwest India
Sub-Saharan Africa
Crops: Yams, sorghum, cowpeas, coffee, African rice
Animals: Guinea fowl
Region: West Africa (Niger River basin), Ethiopia
Mesoamerica
Crops: Maize (corn), squash, beans, potatoes, peppers, cassava
Animals: Turkey, llama, alpaca
Region: Mexico, Central America, and the Andean region of South America
Fairtrade
a movement that tries to provide farmers and workers in peripheral and semi-peripheral countries with a fair price for their products by providing more equitable trading conditions
A system ensuring farmers receive fair prices for their products.
WHERE: United States, China, India
Environmental Impacts
Pollution
air and water pollution
soil depletion, soil degradation, soil erosion
greenhouse gas emissions
Deforestation
Animals, natural habitats
Desertification
Global Supply Chains
a network of people, information, processes, and resources that work together to produce, handle, and distribute goods around the world
WHERE: Global
This interconnected system allows for the distribution of agricultural goods from farms to markets worldwide, ensuring that food is available where it's needed most
Led to a lot of mixing in cultures