Development of Agriculture

1. AGRICULTURE

1. Agriculture a.The deliberate cultivation of plants and raising of livestock for human consumption b.Climate dictates what can be grown where => wide variety of crops and farming methods c.Human’s most basic economic concern is producing or securing enough food for survival (UN has set the minimum daily caloric requirement at 2350)

d. Agriculture is the most significant activity of the primary economic sector 1)≈ 40% of the world’s land—excluding Greenland and Antarctica—is used for agriculture 2)Total farmland increased by 12.4 million acres annually between 1992 and 2002

e. Domestication: The taming of plant and animal species by humans in order to sustain themselves, and in order to make animals dependent upon humans for survival

f. Staple grains: The grain crops that a large percentage of the world population depends on for survival (wheat, corn, rice, barley, millet, etc.)

1) US: #1 corn producer, soybeans, wheat

2) South America: Corn

3) Europe: Wheat

4) Africa: Sorghum, millet

5) Asia: Rice, millet

Two major divisions in agriculture:  Subsistence vs. commercial  Intensive vs. extensive

a. Subsistence: Most or all crops are grown for family or local consumption

b. Commercial: Agricultural activity for the purpose of selling, not for local consumption

c. Intensive: Agricultural activity that involved high and efficient use of labor on small plots of land to maximize crop yield

d. Extensive: Agricultural activity that uses large land area but low human labor per land unit

Five major differences between subsistence and commercial agriculture …

Primary Purpose: Subsistence:Commercial: Family’s consumptionOff-farm sale

Subsistence:Commercial: HighLow % of Farmers in Work Force:

Mechanization: Subsistence:Commercial: Low use of machinery and technology High use of machinery, transportation systems, and technology

Farm Size: Subsistence:Commercial: SmallLarge (average US farm = 444 acres)

Relationship with other Economic Sectors: Subsistence:Commercial: Little overlap Integrated into the secondary and tertiary levels of the food production industry

AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONS

1. First Agricultural Revolution (10,000-6,000 BCE) a.Humans originally obtained food by hunting and gathering; agriculture evolved over hundreds of years

b. Domesticated plant: A plant deliberately planted, protected, cared for, and used by humans

1) Vegetative Planting Reproduction of plants from existing plants (cuttings) that is the earliest form of agriculture. Vegetative planting hearths (as mapped by Carl Sauer):

a) Central/South America: First area of independent invention of vegetative planting (Arrowroot, sweet potatoes, manioc)

b) Western Africa Second major hearth (Yams, palm oil)

c) Southeast Asia Third major hearth (Taro)

2) Seed Agriculture Reproduction of plants from annual planting of seeds (used by the vast majority of farmers)

Seed Agriculture hearths: a)Southern Mexico: Maize, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cotton b)NE Africa (Ethiopia): Coffee, sorghum (sweet grass grain), peanuts, okra c)Northern China: Millet (small grass grain) d)NE India: Rice, wheat e)SE Asia: Sugercane, tropical fruits f)Fertile Crescent (Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq): Barley, rye, oats, fruits, olives

3) Domesticated plants are genetically distinct from wild varieties because of selective breeding of superior plants by agriculturists => over time larger and more abundant fruits and grains

c. Domesticated animal: One that depends on people for food and shelter and is genetically different in appearance and behavior from wild species

1) Dogs were the first domesticated animals

2) Herd animals (cattle, pigs, horses, sheep, goats) were first domesticated in Africa and the Middle East

Importance: a) Production of milk and meat b) Helped with agricultural work by pulling plows c) Use of waste as fertilizer increased crop yields

3) SE Asia: Chickens

4) Mesoamerica: Llamas/alpacas, turkeys, guinea pigs

d. Trade routes helped diffuse agricultural products and methods throughout the world

e. Results: Transition from hunting/gathering to farming => More reliable food source => Large increase in food production and human population

2. Second Agricultural Revolution ( ) a.Hearths: Western Europe and US b.Part of the 18 th century Industrial Revolution

c. Increased productivity of farming through mechanization (replacement of human farm labor with technology and machines) => much more land could be farmed with the same amount of labor

1) Invention of: Meikle’s thresher (1784),

Whitney’s cotton gin (1793),

McCormack’s reaper (1831),

tractors (1850s),

… and chemical herbicides (weed killers) and pesticides (insect killers)

2) Increased access to markets due to faster transportation (railroads, steamships, canals) and increased market area due to refrigerated storage 3) Use of crop rotation and horses instead of oxen

d. European exploration and colonialism => diffusion of crops and animals around the world

e. Results: Increased agricultural productivity through mechanization => Decreased need for farm workers and creation of global population J-curve => Migration to cities to fulfill the need for workers in the new factories =>

Urbanization

3. Third Agricultural Revolution ( ) a.Hearth: US b.Also called the Green Revolution

c. Based on biotechnology (altering the genetic material of plants and animals)

d. Genetically modified (GM) foods Foods that are mostly products of seeds that have had their genes altered in a laboratory for specific purposes such as disease resistance, increased productivity, or nutritional value

e. Also introduced the use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock and increased the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides

f. Began in the 1960s with US scientists genetically engineering corn, wheat, and rice to increase yields in LDCs in order to alleviate food shortages for their large populations =>

Creation of hybrid and genetically modified (GM) crops (“miracle seeds”) to cut maturity time, increase yield and nutritional value, and create immunity to disease and insects

g. Benefits 1)Have alleviated some food shortages and famines in developing nations, especially those with high population density such as India and China 2)Allows double-cropping (the growing of two crops per year to double the harvest) and even triple-cropping in some areas of Asia to feed their huge populations

g. Benefits (cont’d) 3) With the continuing increase in transportation efficiency, huge amounts of staple grains can be grown in highly industrialized farming areas and shipped around the world to help alleviate global hunger (now due to distribution problems, not lack of food)

h. Problems 1)Wheat, rice, and corn are unsuitable as crops in many of the poorer regions of the world, especially Africa 2)GM crops are less resistant to insects and diseases than the natural varieties => increased pesticide and insecticide use that causes pollution and illnesses

f. Problems (cont’d) 3) GM seeds have caused the loss of genetic variety in plants since the same seeds are being planted worldwide 4) Huge amounts of water needed for GM irrigation => groundwater depletion, soil salinization, and water fresh water scarcity

f. Problems (cont’d) 5) Cost of “high-input, high-yield” agriculture has put many small farmers out of business => Growth of commercial agribusiness (industrial farming that mass produces agricultural products) 6) Activists are concerned about treatment of animals in agribusinesses

i. Results: Increased global food production; the creation of agribusiness and the modern supermarket