Commercial & Subsistence Agriculture [AP Human Geography Unit 5 Topic 6]

Introduction

• Discussion on various agricultural practices: extensive and intensive subsistence agriculture, commercial agriculture.

• Key concepts: bid rent theory, mono cropping, and monoculture.

Types of Agriculture

Subsistence Agriculture

• Goal: Provide food for personal consumption or local community.

• Characteristics:

  • Limited use of machines.

  • Smaller farm sizes.

  • Greater reliance on human labor.

• Not focused on profit.

Commercial Agriculture

• Goal: Produce food for profit.

• Characteristics:

  • Larger farm sizes.

  • Extensive use of advanced machinery.

  • Less reliance on human labor.

• Common in economically developed countries (core countries).

Economically Developed vs. Less Developed Countries

• Core countries to have more commercial agriculture.

• Periphery countries often show more agricultural labor force and limited access to advanced machinery.

Agricultural Practices

Extensive Subsistence Agriculture

• Utilizes less capital, fewer machines, and more human labor.

• Requires more land.

• Example: Pastoralism.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

• Requires less land but more human labor.

• May need additional capital investments.

• Examples:

  • Wet rice farming.

  • Terraced farming (common in South Asia).

Extensive Commercial Agriculture

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• Uses less capital and fewer machines but requires significant land.

• Example: Cattle ranching - aims to profit from cattle production.

Intensive Commercial Agriculture

• Requires less land but significantly more capital and labor.

• Example: Dairy farming - involves high labor for milk production and heavy investments in machinery.

Location of Agricultural Practices

• Intensive agriculture typically located near market/city due to high demand for products.

• Extensive agriculture situated farther from urban areas to optimize land use and costs.

Bid Rent Theory

• Examines how land prices vary in relation to cities.

• Price of land increases as one approaches urban areas.

• Scarcity factor: Higher population density in cities reduces available land, increasing land costs.

• Farther from the city, land becomes cheaper, suitable for extensive agriculture needing more space.

Mono Cropping and Monoculture

Mono Cropping

• Definition: Growing the same crop consistently each year.

• Risks: Potential soil depletion from lack of crop rotation.

• Advantage: Increased efficiency and potential for higher profits through specialization.

Monoculture

• Definition: Growing one type of crop at a time but switching crops after harvest.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to engage with the content and explore further materials for AP Human Geography studies.