Agricultural Systems

AP Human Geography

Primarily for direct consumption by a local population

food to feed your family, usually

small scale and low tech

SubsistenceAgriculture

Primarily for purpose of selling

products for money, often monocultures

for economies of scale

Commercial Agriculture

Agriculture & Rural Land Use – Key Topics

Subsistence – predominantly low-income regions

Commercial – predominantly high-income regions

Agribusiness

• The interconnected industry of food production involving farmers, processors, distributors and retailers.

Pastoral Farming

• Farming related to livestock. The livestock usually graze on naturally-grown grass and other vegetation. Some pastoral farmers grow crops, but instead of selling the harvest, they feed it to livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep etc.)

Transhumance

• Moving herds on a seasonal basis to new pastures or water sources

• Plantation Farming– Large farm that specializes in one or two crops

» Less so today than in the past - cotton, sugarcane, and tobacco

– Commercial agriculture found in the tropics and subtropics

– Generally situated in LEDCs but often owned and operated by European or North American transnational corporations

– Crops produced for sale primarily in MEDC’s– A cash crop is a high-valued crop such as coffee, tea,

cotton and sugar that is sold in the international market.

Plantation Farming

Organic Agriculture

• relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests, excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives, and genetically modified organisms

Intensive Agriculture

• is an agricultural production system characterized by the high inputs of capital, labour, or heavy usage of technologies such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers relative to land area.

Extensive Agriculture

• is an agricultural production system that uses small inputs of labor, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed. It most commonly refers to sheep and cattle farming in areas with low agricultural productivity

Agriculture in Less Developed Countries

– Characteristics of shifting cultivation• Use fire to clear

vegetation from land in order to create fields for crops (Slash and Burn)– Cleared land =

swidden• Plant crops for a few years

then leave fallow– Land fertile for 3 or

less years– Native vegetation

returns– Soil recovery slow

takes years

Shifting Cultivation Then and Now Elbow Partner Discussions

• Why was shifting cultivation sustainable in the past? – There were less people

and more land available to do it

• Why will shifting cultivation diminish in the 21st century?– Technological

Advancements – Expanding/Growing

Population – Commercial Agriculture – Competing land-use

activities– Government/

environmental policy

World Milk Production

Milk production reflects wealth, culture, and environment. It is usually high in MEDCs, especially production per capita, and varies considerably in LEDCs.

Commercial Dairy Farming

• The management of cattle for producing and marketing milk, butter, cheese or other milk by-products

– Why Dairy Farms tend to be located near Urban Areas» Milk must be close to market due to perishability of milk

products» Proximity to market less important now due to

transportation options

– Regional Differences In Dairy Products» Farmers far from urban centers usually sell to dairy product

processors (cheese, butter, etc)

– Problems For Dairy Farmers» Declining revenues and rising costs» Labor intensive, cows milked twice daily» Winter feed expenses

Dairy Farming and Urban Areas

Fair Oaks Farms Dairy Farm

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJRy82i8e5Q

Commercial Grain Farming

• Agriculture involving the large-scale, highly mechanized cultivation of grain

World Wheat Production

China is the world’s leading wheat producer, but the U.S. and Canada account for about half of world wheat exports.

Livestock Ranching

The Chisholm Trail became famous as the main route for cattle drives from Texas to the railheads in Kansas.

Meat Production on Ranches

Fig. 10-12: Cattle, sheep, and goats are the main meat animals raised on ranches.

Ranching outside of the US

Livestock Ranching

• A form of agriculture devoted to raising large numbers of cattle or sheep for sale to meat processors.

• Commercial Gardening And Fruit Farming– Truck farming

» “Truck” – meaning fruits and vegetables grown for distant markets where crop has to be shipped long distances.

» Predominant in Southeast United States» Fruits and vegetables-apples, asparagus, cherries,

lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.» Much of the crop is sold to large processing

companies for use in canning and freezing» require immigrant labor.

Commercial Gardening And Fruit Farming