Agricultural Revolutions Food in the World

First, what do you eat in a week? From the book “Hungry Planet” First, what do you eat in a week?

Germany Food expenditure for one week: $500

India Food expenditure for 1 week: $39.27

Japan Food expenditure for one week: $317.25

Ecuador Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Chad Food expenditure for one week: $1.23

Mexico Food expenditure for one week: $189.09

Italy Food expenditure for one week: $260.11

Egypt Food expenditure for one week: $68.53

Bhutan Food expenditure for one week: $5.03

USA Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

Types of agriculture

Nomadic Herding (Pastoralism) The rearing of animals on natural pastures. This practice is followed by the people of the semi arid and arid regions. They keep moving with their animals in search of natural pastures and lead a nomadic life.

Pastoralism: Where and What The herded livestock include cattle, yaks, sheep, goats, reindeer, horses, camels, donkeys

Subsistence Agriculture Farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families. The output is mostly for local requirements with little or no surplus for trade. Most often found in countries closer to the equator

Commercial Agriculture The opposite of subsistence agriculture In commercial agriculture the producer is farming with intent to sell some or even all their production.

What’s the Difference Intensive Farming Extensive Farming This refers to the intensification and mechanization of the agriculture Lots of capital, labour, fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, etc. Increased yield of the crop per hectare. Usually smaller farms, closer to cities More traditional methods of farming are used Less use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides Large amount of land Small amounts of labour Lower output The crop yield depends primarily on the soil, climate and water

Slash and Burn Agriculture Farmers clear land for planting by slashing and burning to create more nutrients in the soil Done in areas with abundant rainfall and high temperatures Produces crops of rice, corn, sugar cane. This is usually subsistence farming. South America, Central and west Africa, South East Asia.

Plantation Agriculture A large farm that needs a lot of workers, crops are grown for profit; often run by rich foreign companies Found in Latin America, Africa, Asia The most important crops are cotton, rubber, sugarcane, coffee, tobacco. They import workers and provide them with housing food and social services.

History of Agriculture

Before Agriculture People were hunter-gatherers ¼ million still survive this way Bushmen of the Kalahari (Botswana and Namibia

The Advent of Agriculture Agriculture allowed people to stay in one place This lead to the first settlements and civilizations

First Agricultural Revolution AKA the Neolithic Revolution The transformation of societies from hunting /gathering to farming. Occurred worldwide between 10,000 BC -2000 BC The earliest known farming was in the Middle East Goes along with the first cities Animal and plant domestication

Fertile Crescent Agriculture arose independently in several areas around the world, the first was in the Fertile Crescent around 10,000 BC Also known as the Cradle of Civilization, a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East

Domestication of Animals Dogs came first (before agriculture); traditionally were bred for hunting, guarding or working with livestock.

Second Agricultural Revolution 1815 - 1880 Helped to improve food production to feed more than just the farmer and a village Railroads cut time for transporting goods so that food doesn't rot before it reaches the consumer Coincided with the Industrial Revolution Massive expansion of cities

Farming became mechanized and commercial with the development of new inventions and technology (tractor, seed drill)

Third Agricultural Revolution AKA the Green Revolution 1930s-1960s Advanced technology is used for farming and to increase farming yields Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides Development of genetically engineered crops (GE) or GMOs

The “Father of the Green Revolution” Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) An American biologist and humanitarian who was behind the huge increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution He is credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=699T-8aF7Yg 6:58 He developed high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties (not through modifying the genes, but through cross-breeding and other methods)

Green Revolution in India Yes, while crop yields increased dramatically, there were a lot of problems The new crops needed 10 times the water, and expensive fertilizers Dams had to be built Famine was common Small farmers could not easily get loans to buy the expensive fertilizers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq8b-iCgvLM 2:19, The Impact of the Green Revolution on India