AGRICULTUREThe Future of Food

The BeginningO Neolithic Revolution

O Changes to life include:O Reliable food supplies, Increase in total

human population, Job Specialization, Patriarchy

O Vegetative Planting-cloning existing plants (stems and roots)O Southeast Asia

O Seed Agriculture-planting with seeds (typical now)O Ethiopia, Western India

Columbian ExchangeO Remember what happened?

O Trade diffused crops but topography and climate determined success of transplants

O Food in the Western Hemisphere was completely different from Eastern Hemisphere until the ExchangeO Potatoes from Andes of South America to

IrelandO Rice still more common in Asia, Beans,

Squash, Corn in the Americas

Second Agricultural Revolution

O Pre-Industrialization in England and Western EuropeO Use of fertilizers, improved collars for

plow animals, crop rotation, bred better livestock, Seed Drill

O Enclosure-blocking off, fencing in land

Different Agriculture O Commercial Agriculture: production of

food surplus, most crops destined for sale to people outside farmer’s family. Practiced mostly in MDC’s-farmers rarely sell directly to consumer but sell to food processing companies-called AGRIBUSINESS

O Subsistence Agriculture: production of only enough food to feed the farmer’s family, with little or no surplus to sell. Practiced mostly in LDC’s.

Compare Subsistence to Commercial

OPercentage of Farmers in the Labor Force

OUse of MachineryOFarm Size

Subsistence FarmingO Intensive Subsistence: Yields a large

output per acre but still only subsistence.O Almost half the world’s population

engaged in this type of farming. O Most prevalent in East and South Asia

in wet or lowlands producing rice, wheat (China), maize, millet, peas and beans.

O Labor intensive type of Agriculture-lot of people, little capital, work by hand

Subsistence FarmingO Shifting Cultivation (Slash and Burn):

Destroys environment, farmers continually moving to slash/burn new land . Burned land is fertile at first but then rapidly depletes.O Practiced in rain forest zones of Central

and South America, West Africa by people of small villages who are guided by a village chief or council

O Farming all done by hand

Subsistence FarmingO Pastoral Nomadism: Follows a herd,

not sedentary.O Herds are domesticated sheep, goats,

cows, reindeer, cows, camels, and horses

O Nomadism is dictated by herds need for pasture (food)

O Found in Central Eurasia, desert areas of Arabian Peninsula

O Animals provide primary subsistence

Subsistence Agriculture-More!

O Extensive Subsistence Agriculture: large areas of land, minimal labor per land unitO Pastoral Nomadism and Slash and

BurnO Intensive Subsistence Agriculture:

cultivation of small land plots, lots of labor, yields per unit and population densities high

Commercial Agriculture-Finally!

O Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming: most common form of agriculture in the US-farmers grow crops and raise livestock and feed crops to animals (beef, milk, eggs)O Practice Crop Rotation (cycles-cereal grains,

to corn, to soybeans)O Dairy Farming: close to urban areas (have

to be close-called the milkshed) sell to wholesalers not directly to consumersO Labor intensive farming-feeding and milking

cows

Commercial Agriculture-More!

O Grain Farming: 3 most important regions in USA- “World’s Breadbasket”O Winter wheat areas of Kansas, Colorado,

OklahomaO Spring wheat areas of N.& S.Dakota,

MontanaO Palouse region Washington StateO Other grain countries-Canada, Australia,

Argentina, France, UKO Grown on large farms, machines employed

Commercial Agriculture

O Livestock Ranching: commercial grazing of livestock over a large area (practiced where crop growing is difficult) South American pampas (prairie)

O Mediterranean Agriculture: not just Mediterranean (California, Chile) olives, grapes, fruits, vegetables.

O Commercial gardening/fruit farming: southeast US-long growing seasons, called “truck” farming-apples, cherries, lettuce, tomatoes

Commercial Agriculture-last one!

O Plantation Farming: large farm that specializes in 1 or 2 crops O Found in Latin America, Africa, AsiaO Cotton, sugarcane, coffee, rubber,

tobaccoO Mostly import wokersO Corporate units

Von Thunen’s Model

Von Thunen’s Model