1. Agricultural Geography
Key Issue #4: Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

2. Challenges for Commercial Farmers

3. Overproduction in Commercial Farming
They are capable of producing more food than is demanded by consumers
Food supply has risen, but demand remains constant
The U.S. government’s three solutions:
Farmers should avoid producing crops that are abundant
The government pays farmers when prices are low
The government buys surplus production
The U.S. spent $25 billion in 2005 on subsidies

4. Sustainable Agriculture
This practice preserves and enhances environmental quality
Generates less revenue, but the cost is less

5. Three Principal Practices of Sustainable Agriculture
Sensitive Land Management – the soil is protected
Ridge tillage – planting crops on ridge tops; the crops are planted in the same ridges year after year

6. Three Principal Practices of Sustainable Agriculture
2. Limited Use of Chemicals – very few herbicides and pesticides are used

7. Three Principal Practices of Sustainable Agriculture
3. Integrated Crop and Livestock – both are done on the local farm level; animals consume crops grown on the farm and are not confined to small pens

8. Challenges for Subsistence Farmers

9. Choosing Crops
Because of rapid population growth in PINGs, the need for food has grown
Because of international trade, farmers who wish to advance must grow crops for trade rather than consumption

11. Subsistence Farming and Population Growth
Ester Boserup – says that subsistence farmers increase the supply of food through intensification of production
Land is left fallow for shorter periods
New farming methods
More weeding, manure, water, terraces, and irrigation

12. Subsistence Farming and International Trade
To expand, subsistence farmers need: higher yield seeds, pesticides, machinery
To buy supplies, PINGs must sell to PEDs
Dilemma for PINGs: more land devoted to export crops, less is devoted to consumption

13. The Dilemma cont… Export crops that are chosen = drugs
60% of the world’s opium – the Golden Triangle of SE Asia (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam)
The rest is grown in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru – produce the coca leaf

14. Alternative Solutions to Increase Food Supply

15. Expanding Agricultural Land
Historically, food production increased as the amount of farm land increased
Desertification
Too much water
Urbanization

16. Through Higher Productivity
The same amount of land produces more
The Green Revolution – improved agricultural techniques of the 1970’s and 1980’s

17. Two Main Practices of the Green Revolution
The introduction of new higher-yield seeds – in the 1950’s scientists developed the “miracle wheat seed”
1960’s – rice
More recently - corn
The expanded use of fertilizers – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
Farmers need machinery and irrigation to get the most out of the seeds and fertilizer
PINGs can’t afford all of this – governments in PEDs subsidize some of the improvements

18. Continuing the Green Revolution
Scientists have made higher yield hybrids that are adapted to environmental conditions in various regions

19. Identifying New Food Sources
The sea provides only a small percentage of the world food supply
Some species of fish have been harvested too quickly

20. Higher Protein Cereals
People in PEDs get protein from meat
People in PINGs rely on wheat, corn, and rice
Scientists are experimenting with hybrids of cereals that have a higher protein content

21. Improve Palatability of Rarely Consumed Foods
Soybeans – mostly used for animal food
Tofu and sprouts are examples of soybean products
Krill – could be an important resource from the ocean..…yum!

22. Increasing Exports from Other Countries
Export more food from countries that produce surpluses
Three top export grains: wheat, maize, and rice
60 million Indians were fed by U.S. grains in 1966 and 1967 when monsoons failed
The U.S. is the largest grain exporter; though it has declined over the last 25 years

24. Africa’s Food Supply Crisis
The situation: Africa is losing the race to keep food production above population growth
Production of the three main grains tripled
Population growth increased six-fold
40 million Africans face famine
The Crisis is especially severe in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan)

25. Causes of Mortality of Children Under 5 Years; Ethiopia, 2000

26. How Africa Got to This Point
Traditionally, Africa has supported limited agriculture
With population growth, herd size increased to a level that the land could not support
Animals died of hunger
Farmers exhausted the land
Soil Erosion
Droughts in the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s

27. Government Response Governments aggravate the problem
They keep agricultural prices low for urban residents
This leaves little profit or motivation for more productivity on the farms