1. Chapter 9
Agriculture

2. Where Did Agriculture Originate?
Key Issue #1
Where Did Agriculture Originate?

3. Origins of Agriculture
Agriculture = deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through the cultivation of plants and/or rearing of animals
Cultivate = “to care for”
Crop = any plant cultivated by people
Hunter-gatherers
Perhaps 250,000 remaining today
Invention of agriculture
When it began = unclear
Diffused from many hearths

4. Crop Hearths
Figure 10-2

5. Animal Hearths
Figure 10-3

6. Commercial Agriculture vs. Subsistence Agriculture
Characteristics
Commercial
Subsistence
Purpose
For profit
For Survival
# of Farmers
Small number #% of populace
Large number 42% of populace
Technology
Wide use of all forms of tech
Low Tech or No Tech
Farm Size
178 hectares (2.5 acres for each hectare)
1 hectare is an average or lower

8. Agricultural Workers
Figure 10-5

9. Area of Farmland Per Tractor
Figure 10-6

10. Agriculture and Climate
Figure 10-4

11. The Worst Mistake in History of the Human Race
By Jared Diamond
The article can be accessed on my teachers website.
After reading answer the following question for tomorrow in a paragraph,
“What does Jared Diamond argue is the worst mistake in human history?”
You must have three pieces of evidence from the article to support your answer.
You must restate the prompt in the topic sentence so it is clear what you are writing about.

12. Where Are Agricultural Regions in Less Developed Countries?
Key Issue #2
Where Are Agricultural Regions
in Less Developed Countries?

13. Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs?
Shifting cultivation
Most prevalent in low-latitude, A-type climates
Two features:
Land is cleared by slashing and burning debris
Slash-and-burn agriculture
Land is tended for only a few years at a time
Types of crops grown vary regionally
Traditionally, land is not owned individually
soil erosion a problem
most often occurs in tropical rainforest regions-SE Asia, Central Africa, Brazil

14. The slash-and-burn process creates ashes that provide nutrients to the soil.
The cleared area is known by many names, such as swidden, ladang, milpa, chena, and kaingin.
This process supports crops 3 yrs or less.
Crops include maize (corn), manioc (cassava/tapioca), millet, sorghum, yams, sugarcane, plantain, sweet potatoes, rice, papaya, pineapple, mango, cotton, beans, etc.

15. Subsistence farmers Kayapo Mali extensive subsistence, shifting ag
Intensive subsistence
sorghum, pearl millet, and maize

17. Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs?
Pastoral nomadism (herding domesticated animals)
Found primarily in arid and semiarid B-type climates
Animals are seldom eaten
The size of the herd indicates power and prestige
Type of animal depends on the region
For example, camels are favored in North Africa and Southwest Asia. Sheep and goats are next.
Transhumance practiced by some pastoral nomads

19. Where are Agricultural Regions in LDCs?
Intensive subsistence
Found in areas with high population and agricultural densities
Especially in East, South, and Southeast Asia
To maximize production, little to no land is wasted
Intensive with wet rice dominant
The flooded field is called a sawah or a paddy (which actually means “wet rice”).
Intensive with wet rice not dominant
Crops like wheat or barley, millet, oats, soybeans, or cash crops like cotton or flax.

21. Rice Production
Figure 10-12

22. Corn (Maize) Production
Figure 10-15

23. Where Are Agricultural Regions in More Developed Countries?
Key Issue #3
Where Are Agricultural Regions
in More Developed Countries?

24. Agricultural Regions (MDCs)
Mixed crop and livestock farming
Livestock fed with crops grown on same farm, ¾ of the income is from sale of animal products
Involves crop rotation which helps maintain fertility of land, common products are corn & soybeans

25. AG REGIONS Dairy farming Primarily in NE US, SE Canada, NW Europe
60% of the world’s milk comes from these areas
Must be close to their market area because it is highly perishable

26. Milk Production https://www.tillamook.com/our-story/history.html
Figure 10-17

27. Agricultural Regions (MDCs)
Grain farming
The largest commercial producer of grain is the United States (KS, CO, OK, MT, WA, Dakotas)
Livestock ranching
Practiced in marginal environments (US, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Australia)
Mediterranean agriculture
Based on horticulture-fruits, veggies, flowers
Commercial gardening and fruit farming
Truck farms (“truck” literally means barter or exchange)-fruits and veggies sold to consumers or processors

28. Wheat Production
Figure 10-19

29. Agricultural Regions (MDCs)
Plantation farming
growing crops in subsistence areas for sale in more developed countries
**often occurs in less developed countries
usually involves the production of one crop
common in many tropical areas, like Latin America, Africa, & Asia. Equator Crops
Examples: bananas, sugarcane, coffee, tea, cocoa, cotton, rubber, palm oil, etc.

30. Tea

31. Sugarcane 3 2 1

32. Cacao is the tree, pods and beans. Cocoa (chocolate) is the product.

33. PALM OIL

34. Banana’s

36. Coconut

37. Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?
Key Issue #4
Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

38. Challenges for commercial farmers
Access to markets is important
The von Thünen model (1826)
The choice of crop to grow is related to the proximity to the market
Figure 10-24

39. Challenges for commercial cont..
Overproduction
Agricultural efficiencies have resulted in overproduction
Demand has remained relatively constant
As a consequence, incomes for farmers are low
Sustainable agriculture
Sensitive land management
Integrated crop and livestock

40. Challenges for subsistence farmers
Population growth
Boserup thesis-pop growth compels subsistence farmers to consider new farming approaches that produce enough food to take care of additional people.
Increase food supply by leaving land fallow for shorter time periods and adopting new methods
International trade
To be successful, LDCs need to grow crops people in MDCs want (coffee, tea, cocoa)
Drug crops
South America-cocaine, marijuana
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Laos-opium/heroin

41. Drug Trade
Figure 10-27

42. Strategies to increase food supply
Expanding agricultural land
Desertification-the Sahel
Increasing productivity
The green revolution (1970s-80s)
Introduction of higher-yield seeds and use of fertilizers
Identifying new food sources
Cultivating oceans, developing higher-protein cereals, and improving palatability of foods
Increasing trade

43. Agricultural Land and Population
Figure 10-28

44. Grain Imports and Exports
Figure 10-32

45. Future of Agriculture:
Explore and explain two advantages and disadvantages of
companies like Monsanto for the agricultural industry?
2) Explore and explain two advantages and disadvantages of
the use of Genetically Modified Organisms?
Cite your sources, due Wednesday, 2/13/18