farming

Primary sector

Where does your food come from?

If you ate today, thank a farmer!

WHAT IS FARMING?

What is FARMING?

Is the production of foodand other resources

through thegrowing of

plants

and the raisingof domesticated

animals.

FARMING AS A SYSTEM

Farmingas a

system

Inputs

Process

Outputs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtU4uDos42I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew1pfqgbjJ8

INPUTS: PHYSICAL FACTORS

Natural things that are either found on a farm or

are added to a farm.

PHISICAL FACTORSRELIEF

Sunny and shady

sides of mountains.

Sunny south-facing

sides are more

appropiate for crops. Shady north-facing sides

PHISICAL FACTORSRELIEF

Exposure to the wind: strong winds can damage crops.

PHISICAL FACTORSRELIEF

Incline of slopes:

flat surfaces facilitate agricultural work and very steep slopes make itmore difficult.

Gradients of terrain above 10ºC make it impossible to cultivate the land.

Where it´s necessary, hard work can transform mountainsides intocultivated terraces.

RELIEFIf land is flat then it is easier for arable farmingto take place.

If land is hilly then pastoral farming is more likely to take place.

PHISICAL FACTORSRELIEF

Altitude:

for every 100 m of altitude, temperatures fall by 0.6ºC.

For this reason, after a certain altitude, cultivation is no longer possible.

PHISICAL FACTORSTEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL

Plants need to grow:

minimum temperatures: 10ºC - 45ºC

Rainfall (900-1200 mm annually)

PHISICAL FACTORSADVERSE PHENOMENA

PHISICAL FACTORS

SOIL

Thickness

Deep soil is more appropiate

for the cultivation of most

crops because roots have more

space to expand.

PHISICAL FACTORS

SOIL

Nutrients

The more appropiate nutrients the soil has, the better it is for

agriculture.

PHYSICAL FACTORSIf soil is fertile then

arable farming is likely

to take place.

If it is less fertile and

can only support grass

then pastoral farming is

likely to take place.

PHISICAL FACTORS

VEGETATION

Vegetation provides the soil with humus, so the more vegetation an

area has, the more fertile the soil will be.

STRUCTURE OF AGRICULTURAL SPACELAND

Shape: Regular or

geometrical plots of landShape: Irregular plots of land

LANDCULTIVATED SPACE: PLOT BOUNDARIES

BOCAGE

• Small fields are separated

by hedges, trees, stone or

wooden fences.

LANDCULTIVATED SPACE: PLOT BOUNDARIES

OPENFIELD

• Fields are open

• Fields can only be

differentiated by the type of

crops ore the way they are

used.

INPUTS: HUMAN FACTORS

Things that are built or made by humans and added

to a farm.

FARM BUILDINGSBARNS

To keep the grain and

the straw.

FARM BUILDINGSSILOS

To keep the grain.

TRANSPORT

LABOUR

SUBSIDIES and POLICIESAGRICULTURAL POLICY

Measures and actions taken by:

National government

International institutions

These measures affect crop agriculture and livestock farming.

CAPITAL

PROCESSES

REARING

SHEARING

PLOUGHING

FERTILISING

WEEDING

IRRIGATING

CULTIVATING

HARVESTING

SLAUGHTERING

PLANTING

GRAZING/FEEDING

CUTTING GRASS FOR SILAGE/HAY

MILKING

LAMBING

CALVING

AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

Agriculturalsystems

Arable farming

Pastoral farming

Mixedfarming

ARABLE FARMINGArable farmers grow crops.

PASTORAL FARMINGPastoral farmers keep animals.

MIXED FARMINGA mixed farm does arable and pastoral farming.

TYPES OF LIVESTOCK

COWS OXEN BULLS

CATTLE

TYPES OF LIVESTOCK

SHEEP GOATS MULES HORSES

RABBITS PIGS

TYPES OF LIVESTOCK

HENS CHICKENS TURKEYS DUCKS

POULTRY

Agriculturalsystems

Extensivefarming

Intensivefarming

EXTENSIVE FARMINGE

XT

EN

SIV

E

FA

RM

ING

Low input of capital

Low input of material

Low input of labour

Large amounts of land

It produces a low yield of product from a large areaof land

EXTENSIVE FARMING

Extensiveagriculture

Extensivelivestock farming

INTENSIVE FARMINGIN

TE

NS

IVE

FA

RM

ING

High input of capital

High input of fertilisers

High input of labour

High input of labour-saving technologies such as pesticides or machinery

Object: to get as high a yield of product as possiblefrom a small area of land

INTENSIVE FARMINGA lot of food is obtained at a relatively low price.

Intensiveagriculture

Intensivelivestock farming

Agriculturalsystems

Subsistencefarming

Commercialfarming

SUBSISTENCE FARMING

SU

BS

IST

EN

CE

FA

RM

ING

Produce enough crops and keep just enough animals tofeed their families

Any surplus will be stored or sold in a local market, but theprimary object is to produce enough food to survive

Most subsistence farming takes places in LEDCs.

In rainforests: shifting cultivation

In deserts: nomadic herding

SUBSISTENCE FARMING

Shiftingcultivation

Nomadic herding

NOMADIC HERDINGMany farmers live a nomadic life herding their animals

between areas where they hope to find water or better

grazing land.

Page 147

Doc. D and E

Tasks 4 and 5

SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURESlash-and-burn agriculture

To

prepare the

land, the

vegetation is

cut down and

burnt, and the

ashes are used

as fertiliser.

SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURESlash-and-burn agriculture is used to grow millet

sorghum tapioca

SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTUREIntensive agriculture of Monsoon Asia

Rice is grown

on small plots.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Rice production in Indonesia, 1990-2010

Area harvested (million hectares)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Rice production in Indonesia, 1990-2010

Yield (tonnes/hectare)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Rice production in Indonesia, 1990-2010)

Total production (million tonnes)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Rice production in Indonesia, 1990-2010

Total fertiliser consumption (milliontonnes)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Tractors used in agriculture (nearestthousand)

COMMERCIAL FARMINGCommercial farmers produce crops and/or animals to sell in

order to make a profit.

Most of commercial farming takes place in MEDCs.

It also takes place in some LEDCs where cash crops are grown

mainly for export.

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

Commercialagriculture

Highinvestment

Advancedtechniques

Drip irrigation, greenhouses, fertilisers…

Highproductivity

High yield

Crops are produced for commercialpurposes

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE: PlantationsPlantations are owned by big multinational companies.

Cocoa

Bananas Pineapples

Tea Coffee

CASE STUDYAN EXAMPLE OF COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

AN ARABLE FARM IN LINCOLNSHIRE, UK

an arable farm in lincolnshire

THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE

COMMON AGRICULTURAL

POLICY

THE EUROPEAN UNIONThis is an organisation of 28 countries and over 500 million

people that trade with each other as a common market.

In 2017 the U.K. is going to leave the European Union (E.U)

after a referendum in their country in 2016 (Brexit).

the european unionThe E.U. is a group of European countries that have joined

together to create an area for free trade of goods and

services as well as movement of people.

- This means that the exports of goods and services among

the E.U. members don´t have to pay a customs duty when

crossing the borders.

- This means, as well, that the citizens of the E.U. can

travel to other member states withour passport. Moreover,

they can cross the borders without being stopped at

Customs

the european unionThe common trading, economic and social policies intend to be

beneficial to all member countries.

the european unionEach member country must contribute some money to a central

fund to belong to the EU.

This money is available to farmers as grants and subsidies

(see Glossary).

These were used to produce the food required by the whole of

the EU.

the european union and the common agricultural policyThe EU has developed the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP):

- Strategies for the control and develpment of farming that

have been adopted by all members of the EU.

- These strategies are for commercial farming:

- Farmers whose main aim is to grow crops or keep livestock to sell for

a profit.

the european union and the common agricultural policyUnder the CAP, farmers can produce what they want but only

get grants and subsidies if they meet the EU production

targets.

the european union and the common agricultural policyIn the past decade EU funding for agriculture has changed.

Grants and subsidies are still available but they have been

partly replaced by direct payments.

- These are EU payments which are given directly to farmers

who meet certain requirements of the EU for growing crops,

keeping livestock or looking after the countryside:

- farm size

- environmental protection

- animal welfare

- keeping the land in good condition

the european union and the common agricultural policy- Farmers can grow what they like depending on market

conditions.

- Other payments are given for conservation measures such

as keeping hedges for wildlife and keeping footpaths

open.

the european union and the common agricultural policy- Consequences of CAP:

- It has affected the inputs, processes and outputs on the farm.

- It has influenced the farmer´s choices.

- It has changed the appearance of the rural environment in the UK.

COMMENTARIES OF PICTURES

Market gardens of Valencia and

Murcia