Where did agriculture originate? Ch.10 Agriculture Where did agriculture originate?

Peterson Farm Bros

Geography of Agriculture Why study agriculture?

Why study agriculture? Covers over 40% of Earth’s land surface Food production takes up almost half of the planet's land surface and threatens to consume the fertile land that still remains, scientists warn. The global impact of farming on the environment is revealed in new maps, which show that 40 percent of the Earth's land is now given over to agriculture. University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists compiled the maps using satellite images and crop and livestock production data from countries around the world. The team presented their picture of global land use this week at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. "The satellite data tells us where cultivation is occurring with good spatial accuracy, while the census data is able to tell us what is being grown there," said Navin Ramankutty, a land-use researcher with Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE). The maps suggest that an area roughly the size of South America is used for crop production, while even more land—7.9 to 8.9 billion acres (3.2 to 3.6 billion hectares)—is being used to raise livestock And with the world's population growing rapidly, the pressure is on farmers to find new land to cultivate, the study team says. "How can we continue to produce food from the land while preventing negative environmental consequences, such as deforestation, water pollution, and soil erosion?" Ramankutty said. Past Picture The researchers also used past land-use data to create maps showing how agriculture has spread over the centuries. In 1700, for example, just 7 percent of the world's land was used for farming.

Why study agriculture? More than ½ of all families in LDC’s earn living through agriculture

What is agriculture? Agriculture does not equal food production Distinction between agriculture and hunting and gathering - whether or not humans raise the plants and animals or of they grow wild Forestry and fishing can be forms of agr. if trees are planted (plantation forestry) and fish raised in enclosures (aquaculture)

Agriculture What % of the people in this world are farmers? Principle primary-sector economic activity Definition: Deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain

Origins of Agriculture Cannot be documented w/ certainty, before recorded history Hunters & Gatherers: Lived in small groups (>50) Gender roles (men-hunt; women-gather) Frequent travel, seasons, movement of game 250,000 ppl today (.005%); isolation

Hunters and Gatherers - Contemporary Australia Arctic - Inuit South America (Paraguay)- Ache’ Hunters way of life is preserved by many governments, tend to be isolated, provide insight into prehistoric cultures, and where they exist (Arctic, interior of Africa, Australia, South America) isolated declining way of life preserved by many governments provide insight into prehistoric cultures Africa - Kalahari Bushmen

Invention of Agriculture Probably an accident (dropped food) Experimentation Noneconomic reasons (animals) 2 Types of cultivation – vegetative followed by seed agriculture which is more common today

Location of first Vegetative Planting Probably originated in SE Asia Fishing led to more sedentary lifestyle Roots such as taro & yam, tree plants such as banana & palm Other independent hearths may have been W Africa, NW SA – diffused from there

Vegetative Planting Hearths Fig. 10-1: There were several main hearths, or centers of origin, for vegetative crops (roots and tubers, etc.), from which the crops diffused to other areas.

Location of First Seed Agriculture Also originated in more than one hearth W India, N China, Ethiopia Diffused quickly, domestication of wheat & barley – became particularly important thousands of yrs later in European & American civilizations Integration of seed agr. & domestication of herd animals (cattle, sheep, goats) Other animal products came later (milk, skins) Complex pattern of diffusion throughout world of various plants & animals (pg.335)

Seed Agriculture Hearths Fig. 10-2: Seed agriculture also originated in several hearths and diffused from those elsewhere.

First Agricultural Revolution - Where?

Differences Between Subsistence & Commercial Agriculture 1) Purpose of Farming LDCs – subsistance farming, for purpose of own consumption Some surplus may be sold, but not purpose and may not be any surplus some yrs MDCs – Commercial farming, for purpose of sale off the farm to food-processing companies - General Mills, Kraft etc.

2) % of Farmers in the Labour Force MDCs; less than 5% directly involved (Canada & US only 2%) LDCs; 55% # of farmers declined drastically in MDCs during 20th century Push & Pull factors

Labour Force in Agriculture Fig. 10-3: A large proportion of workers in most LDCs are in agriculture, while only a small percentage of workers in MDCs are engaged in agriculture.

3) Use of Machinery vs. use of people/animals Small # of farmers in MDC’s can feed many people Farm machinery 1st produced in 18th century (2nd agricultural revolution) Transportation improvements move things farther & faster (railroads, highways) Scientific advances (research) Electronics & GPS

Tractors, per Population Fig. 10-4: Tractors per 1,000 people. Use of machinery is extensive in most MDC agriculture, but it is much less common in LDCs.

4) Farm Size Commercial- large (US/Canada), although family owned & operated (98%) Dominated by a handful of large farms (top 4%, 50%+ total output) ½ of US farms generate >$10,000/yr Huge impact of mechanization Fewer farms/farmers, more land devoted to agriculture (13% more than 1900 – peak in 1960) Urban sprawl

5) Relationship of farming to other business Commercial farming: Agribusiness More than 20% of US labour works in field related to agribusiness Machinery manufacturing, fertilizer production, retailing etc.) Many aspects of agribusiness are controlled by large corporations

Mapping Agricultural Regions Derwent Whittersey – map 11 main agricultural regions + area where non-existant (5 LDCs, 6 MDCs) Climate main influence *Figure 10-5 in textbook Crash Course