Agriculture and Rural Land Use

Development and Diffusion of Agriculture Defining Agriculture The growing of plants or raising of animals, in order to produce food or sustenance for sale at the marketplace Another definition: Deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain Prior to the domestication of plants, humans were primarily nomadic hunters and gatherers Today, farms provide humans with the ability to stay stationary and build cities Today less than 250,000 people in the world are hunters and gatherers Less than 0.005% of world’s pop Subsistence vs. Commercial Farming Subsistence When a farmer can only grow enough food to feed his/her own family Often in LDCs 97% of world’s farmers live in LDCs Commercial When farmers grow food to be sold in groceries and markets, not just to be eaten by the farmers themselves Often in MDCs Increasing worldwide

Origins of Agriculture Geographers believed that humans evolved from hunter and gatherers into stationary farmers Agricultural innovation occurred in and diffused from multiple hearths Argued that humans first learned to grow plants in Southeast Asia through vegetative planting Knowledge diffused North and East Other vegetative hearths are believed to have emerged through innovation in other places

Origins of Agriculture First Agricultural Revolution Saw human development of seed agriculture and the use of animals in the farming process about 12,000 years ago Growth of seed crops replaced hunter/gatherer lifestyle Humans able to stay in one place, grow population, and start to build communities Seed planting yields more crops than vegetative planting Increased the carrying capacity for earth Believed to have occur independently in several hearths

Seed Agricultural Hearths Diffusion Route Crop Innovation Western India To Southwest Asia Wheat and barley Southwest Asia To Europe, North Africa, and NW India Integrated seed agriculture with domestication of animals Northern China To South Asia and Southeast Asia Millet Ethiopia Remained isolated in Ethiopia Southern Mexico Throughout Western Hemisphere Squash and Corn Northern Peru Squash, cotton, beans

The Second Agricultural Revolution After the fall of Rome, farming grew into a feudal village structure During Middle Ages, most farmers worked their lands to feed themselves and their family in an open-lot system One in which there was one large plot of community farmland that all villagers farmed to produce a crop to eat As capitalism grew, feudalism diminished and villages enclosed their farmland Enclosures gave individual farmers their own plots of farmland Huge shift in agriculture

The Second Agricultural Revolution Geographers still debate where and when the Second Agricultural Revolution began All agree its most influential phase coincided with Industrial Revolution Growing industrial economy and the decline of feudal villages in the 1600s and 1700s caused massive urban migration This wave caused a great jump in demand for food to be shipped to cities for workers With new demand came new innovations in farming and transportation technology Better collars for oxen, use of horse on the farm New fertilizers, field drainage and irrigation systems, and storage systems Higher farm outputs also encouraged the population boom that accompanied the Industrial Revolution

Subsistence vs. Commercial Farming Five principal features distinguish commercial agriculture from subsistence agriculture Purpose of farming Subsistence= for consumption Commercial= for sale % of farmers in the labor force Subsistence = 50% + Commercial= 5% 2% in North America Use of machinery Subsistence= more farmers, use more manual labor/power and tools Commercial= small # of farmers, more machines, more new technology Farm size Subsistence= small farms Commercial= large farms, 449 acres Relationship to farming to other businesses Subsistence= none commercial= closely related to other businesses, called Agribusiness

Types of Subsistence Farming Shifting Cultivation Slash-and-Burn Intensive Pastoralism

Shifting Cultivation Definition Subsistence farmers rotate the fields they cultivate in order to let the soil replenish its nutrients Different than crop rotation because farmer does not change crop type Farming same crop repeatedly on the same plot of land leaches the soil of nutrients that are needed for health crops Where is it found? Often in tropical zones Especially rain forest in Africa, the Amazon River basin in South America, and throughout Southeast Asia Topsoil is thin, need to change plot of land frequently The primary cause of poor soil quality in these regions is the heavy tropical rains that wash away soil nutrients

Shifting Cultivation Slash-and-burn farming a common way that farmers prepare a new plot of land for farming Definition A form subsistence agriculture in which the land is cleared by cutting (or slashing) the existing plants on the land, then burning the rest to create a cleared plot of new farmland Called swidden Method is a form of extensive subsistence agriculture Uses a large amount of labor Slash-and-burn is not dependent on advanced technology Is dependent on human labor and extensive acreage for crops Little to no fertilizer used Often swidden farmers will mix different seeds on the same plot of farmland Called intertillage Slash-and-burn farming has caused environmental problems in some areas Rising population pressure Can only use land for 3 years or less

Shifting Cultivation Crops Southeast Asia Upland rice South America Maize Manioc (cassava) Africa Millet Sorghum Also grown in some regions: Yams, sugarcane, plantain, and vegetables Traditionally land owned by village not individuals Changing in South America Occupies 1/4th of world’s land area Less than 5% engage in Requires a LOT of land

Shifting Cultivation Shifting cultivation is being replaced by more money-making farming practices, like cattle- ranching, logging, and production of cash crops to sell in the global marketplace Instead of the rotating, regenerative methods of shifting cultivation, more destructive forms are being used Such as permanent clearing of the rain forests by commercial farming companies Argument whether shifting cultivation is good for LDCs Supporters argue it is the most environmentally friendly for tropical regions Critics argue LDCs need to shift to more sophisticated techniques that yield more crops per acre

Pastoralism (Nomadism) Definition Form of subsistence agriculture involving the breeding and herding of animals to produce food, shelter, and clothing for survival pastoral refers to sheepherding Usually practiced in climates with very limited, if any, arable land, such as grasslands, deserts, and steppes Mongolia, North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and Central/southern Africa 15 million people, occupy 20% of earth’s land area Can be sedentary or nomadic Nomadic pastoralists often practice transhumance Movement of animal herds to cooler highland areas in the summer and lowland areas in the winter Like other subsistence agriculture, Pastoralism is declining worldwide Partly a victim to modern technology Nomads used to play important role in communications

Pastoralism Characteristics of Pastoral Nomads Choice of animals Depend on animal, not crops for survival Consume mostly grain Do not slaughter animals Size of herd = power/prestige Often women/children plant limited crops at fixed location Choice of animals Camels Well suited to arid climates Can carry heavy loads Sheep Relatively slow moving Affected by climatic changes Require more water, picky eaters Goats Need more water than camels Tough, agile Can virtually survive on any vegetation Movements of Pastoral Nomads Do not wander randomly Strong sense of territoriality Goal is to control enough land for animals to forage and get water Selections of routes based on history and weather

Intensive Subsistence Farming Definition When a farmer cultivates a small amount of land very efficiently to produce food for the farmer’s family to eat Usually found in fertile areas that are highly populated China, India, and Southeast Asia Make the most of their small plot of land to feed their families, often showing ingenuity in their techniques = LOTS OF MANUAL LABOR Terrace-farming in Southeast Asia Rice is the dominant intensive subsistence agriculture crop in areas such as South China, India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia where summer rainfall is abundant Areas to cold for rice, grains are grown Such as wheat, corn, and millet Often intensive farmers practice double-cropping Planting and harvesting a crop on a field more than once a year Example: Growing corn in one season and wheat in another

Intensive Subsistence with Wet Rice Dominant Definition Refers to the practice of planting rice on dry land in a nursery and then moving seedlings to a flooded field to promote growth Occupies small % of Asia’s agricultural land Region’s most important source of food Time-consuming and done by hand Done best in flat fields River deltas/valleys Also terraces Some places “double-crop” Grow rice in summer when rainy Grow grains in winter Steps to growing rice: Farmer prepares field for planting Uses plow with water buffalo Plowed land then flooded with water Too much or too little= disaster Seedlings then transplanted from dry-land to paddy (or sawah) Plants harvested by hand

Intensive with Wet Rice Not Dominant Climate prevents rice from being grown throughout Asia Wheat most important crop after rice Other grains include Barley Millet Oats Corn Soybeans sorghum Land still used intensively and worked primarily by human power Some assistance with animals

Mediterranean Agriculture Definition Primarily associated with the region near the Mediterranean Sea and places with climates that have hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters CA, Chile, southern South Africa, and South Australia Mediterranean farming involves wheat, barley, vine and tree corps, and grazing for sheep and goats Olives, grapes, and figs are staple tree crops on Mediterranean farms Mediterranean agriculture can be either extensive or intensive, depending on the crop Wheat= extensive Olives= intensive Mediterranean farming is both subsistence and commercial depending on where it is practiced