1. Agriculture Chapter 10 An Introduction to Human Geography
The Cultural Landscape, 8e
James M. Rubenstein
Chapter 10
Agriculture
PPT by Abe Goldman

2. Agricultural Origins and Regions
Origins of agriculture
Hunters and gatherers
Invention of agriculture
Location of agricultural hearths
Vegetative planting
Seed agriculture
Classifying agricultural regions
Subsistence vs. commercial agriculture
Mapping agricultural regions

3. 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.

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

5. Labor 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.

6. 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.

7. Farmland Loss in Maryland
Fig : Overlaps of soil quality, environmental and cultural features, and population growth may show areas of greatest threat of farmland loss in Maryland.

8. Agriculture in Less Developed Countries
Shifting cultivation
Characteristics of shifting cultivation
Future of shifting cultivation
Pastoral nomadism
Characteristics of pastoral nomadism
Future of pastoral nomadism
Intensive subsistence agriculture
Intensive subsistence with wet rice dominant
Intensive subsistence with wet rice not dominant

9. World Climate Regions
Fig. 10-5b: Simplified map of the main world climate regions (see also Fig. 2.2).

10. Shifting Cultivation Low Latitudes: high temps and rainfall
Slash and Burn
Live in small villages and grow food on surrounding land
Cleared area called: swidden, lading, milpa,prepared by hand: Animals/ plows rare
Upland rice (SE) maize and manioc (SA) and millet and sorghum (Africa). Yams, sugar

11. Shifting Fields appear chaotic/ Intermingled crops
Traditionally Land owned by village as a whole: Today may have private
Occupies ¼ of land area (higher % than all others/ environmentally sound?
Less than 5% of population/beginning step
Land declining; replaced by ranching, logging and cash crops: can support only a small population without environmental damage

12. Pastoral Nomadism Herding of domestic animals
Dry climates: Central/Southwest Asia and North Africa: may move when too dry grow crops
15 million occupy 20% of land area
Animals for milk, skins and hair
Consume mostly grain: Size of herd power and security:
Women stay and plant grain at fixed location/ or hire workers or sow grain and return later

13. Pastoral nomadism
Camel, sheep, goats: North Africa/ Southwest Asia, Horse: Central Asia
Strong sense of Territoriality
Transhumance: seasonal migration of animals between mountains and lowland pasture areas
Stage in evolution or offshoot of sedentary: domestication by sedentary
Declining form of agriculture: Government efforts to resettle nomads want land

14. Intensive subsistence
Feeds most people in LDCs
Farmers work intensively to subsist on a parcel of land
East, South and SE Asia abundant labor
Typical farm small: many own several fragmented plots: no wasted land
Most work by hand or animals: little grain grown to feed animals

15. Wet Rice dominant
Planting of rice on dry land in nursery and then moving seedlings to flooded fields: Grown in water ¾ of growing period
Occupies small % of land but is the region’s most important source of food
SE China, East India and SE Asia: grown on flat land but have used terraces
Double cropping in warm winters rare in India
All family members involved

16. Wet rice not dominant Climates create limits to rice
Interior India and NE China
Wheat first then Barley
Crop rotation
Communist government tried communes to organize production by inefficient:
Today villagers sign contracts entitling them to farm as private individuals; production increased

17. World Rice Production
Fig. 10-6: Asian farmers grow over 90% of the world’s rice. India and China alone account for over half of world rice production.

18. Agriculture in Developed Countries
Mixed crop and livestock systems
Dairy farming
Grain farming
Livestock ranching
Mediterranean agriculture
Commercial gardening and fruit farming
Plantation farming

19. Mixed Crop and Livestock
Common in US and Europe
Crops fed to animals/fertilizers from animals
Nearly all land to growing of crops but ¾ of income from sale of animal products
Workload all year round: reduces seasonal variation in income
Crop rotation/ include fallow

20. Mixed Crop and Livestock
Corn most frequent: high yields
Some of corn consumed as Oil or margarine
Most to feed livestock
Ohio to Dakotas, center Iowa
Soybeans second mostly used animal feed but oil used in food

21. World Corn (Maize) Production
Fig. 10-7: The U.S. and China are the leading producers of corn (maize) in the world. Much of the corn in both countries is used for animal feed.

22. Dairy farming
Important near large urban areas: NE (USA) SE (Can) NW Europe
Has become important in South and East Asia: India has become world’s largest milk producer
China and Pakistan have passed Russia
Russia, Australia, New Zealand
Dairy must be close to markets perishable: Important in first ring outside large cities: milkshed:

23. Dairy Farming Can ship more than 300 miles
May specialize in other products: Butter and cheese: Depends on Transportation: most of milk in Wisconsin is processed
New Zealand world’s largest per capita producer of dairy products
Sell to wholesalers

24. World Milk Production
Fig 10-8: Milk production reflects wealth, culture, and environment. It is usually high in MDCs, especially production per capita, and varies considerably in LDCs.

25. Dairy Production in the U.S.
Fig. 10-9: Milk production is widely dispersed because of its perishability, but cheese production is far more concentrated.

26. Problems for Dairy farmers
Labor intensive (twice a day)
Feeding cows in Winter
Number of farms declined by 2/3 but number of cows by 1/8

27. Grain Farming Grown for consumption by humans
Sell output to food processors
Most important wheat: higher price, more uses, stored easy
Grown for international trade: leading export crop
US and Canada ½ of world’s wheat exports

28. Grain Farming regions
US largest producer of grain
Only a few countries: Canada, Argentina, Australia, France and UK
Usually areas too dry for mixed

29. Grain farming
Winter: KS, CO, OK ripe by summer
Spring: DA, MT, Saskatchewan late summer
Mechanized, large farms

30. World Wheat Production
Fig : China is the world’s leading wheat producer, but the U.S. and Canada account for about half of world wheat exports.

31. Livestock Ranching
Semiarid to arid land
Vegetation too sparse or soil too poor
Popular culture: dominance short

32. Beginning of Cattle Ranching
Brought by Columbus: Abundant grazing lands
Expanded in 1860s: Demand for beef in East Coast
Brought to Chicago: cattle drives from Texas to railhead

33. The Chisholm Trail
Fig : The Chisholm Trail became famous as the main route for cattle drives from Texas to the railheads in Kansas.

34. Fixed Location Ranching
Declined in importance during 1880s conflict with sedentary agriculture: Range wars: Gov.sells land to farmers leaving ranchers with no legal claim
60% of land for Cattle grazing: leased from government
Ranching generates lower income although lower costs
Cattle frequently sent to local feed lots along major highways or railroad

35. Fixed Location
Ranching rare in Europe except in Spain and Portugal
South America big: Argentina, South Brazil and Uruguay
Middle East/New Zealand and South Africa/Australia: Sheep

36. Ranching Stages: herding over open ranges
Transformed to fixed farming by dividing open land into ranches
Ranching confined to drier lands compete with other crops
Become part of the meat-processing industry

37. Meat Production on Ranches
Fig : Cattle, sheep, and goats are the main meat animals raised on ranches.

38. Mediterranean Agriculture
Southern Europe, North Africa, West Asia, California, Chile, SW South Africa, SW Australia
Borders a sea, moist and moderate winters, land hilly, dry summers; sheep/goats also

39. Mediterranean Crops Horticulture form commercial base
Two most important cash crops: Olives, grapes
2/3 of the world’s wine in lands near Mediterranean
½ of land to cereals especially wheat for pasta
California: more to fruit/vegetable must compete for irrigation

40. Commercial Gardening and Fruit
Predominant in US Southeast: New England emerging
Long season, humid and accessible to large markets: Truck farming/specialty farming
Crops of developed countries: Apples, asparagus, cherries, lettuce, mushrooms and tomatoes
Most sold to processors for canning or freezing: Tend to specialize in a few crops
Migrant workers:

41. Plantation Farming
In Tropics and subtropics: Situated in LDCs owned by Europeans or North Americans
Processed at the plantation
Specialize in one or two crops
Latin America: coffee, sugar and bananas
Asia: rubber and palm oil

42. Plantation
Sparsely settled location: import workers and provide for them
Spread work throughout the year
After Civil War declined in the US

43. Economic Issues of Agriculture
Economic issues of commercial farmers
Access to markets
Overproduction
Sustainable agriculture
Economic issues of subsistence farmers
Population growth
International trade
Increasing food supply

44. Issues: Farmers
Both difficulty generating income
Commercial can produce surplus
Subsistence barely enough to survive

45. Purpose is to sell produce off farm
Distance from far to market influences the choice of crops
Von Thunen:
Farmer compares two costs: Cost of land vs cost of transportation
Specific crops were grown in different rings around the cities

46. Von Thünen Model
Fig : Von Thünen’s model shows how distance from a city or market affects the choice of agricultural activity in (a) a uniform landscape and (b) one with a river.

47. Von Thunen
Garden and milk products first ring: Expensive to deliver and perishable
Timber next because of weight
Various crops and pasture
Animal grazing: Requires lots of space
Assume land uniform quality
Not concern with social or gov policies

48. Overproduction in commercial farming
New seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and technology
Food supply increased: demand remains constant: Low population growth in MDCs

49. Government policies
Avoid production of crops already in excess/ Plant fallow crops to restore nutrients
Subsidizes crops when prices low
Buys surplus production and sell or donates to foreign government
Higher in Europe than the US

50. Sustainable Agriculture
Typically generate lower revenues but have lower costs
Preserves and enhances environmental quality
Organic: popular but still relies on use of tractors
Sensitive land management: Ridge tilling: soil conservation: less cost: less machinery: labor intensive
Limited herbicides again labor intensive
Integrate crops and livestock

51. Issues for Subsistence
Must feed more people increasing pop
Must grow for direct export due to international trade
Boserup: Increase food by
Land left fallow for shorter periods
New farming methods: need additional labor comes from population growth, more terraces and irrigation ditiches

52. Subsistence and International trade
Need new agricultural supplies: higher yield seeds, fertilizer, pesticides:
Lack of money
Sell crops to MDCs: Less crops for domestic consumption
Division of labor: Men to factories/ women grown crops

53. Drug crops: Coca leaf: Peru and Bolivia, Marijuana in Mexico, Opium in Afghanistan, Myanmar and Laos

54. Increase food supply Expand land used: marginal areas: desertification
Increase productivity of land: Green Revolution: high yield seeds: must use more fertilizer and machinery
Identify new food sources: oceans, develop higher protein cereals, improving palatability of rarely consumed foods
Increase exports from other countries

55. Desertification Hazard
Fig : The most severe desertification hazards are in northern Africa, central Australia, and the southwestern parts of Africa, Asia, North America, and South America.

56. Desertification Generally semi-arid areas Excessive crop planting
Animal grazing
Tree cutting

57. Excessive water Irrigated water poor drainage
10% of land waterlogged and excess salinity

58. Grain Importers and Exporters
Fig : Most countries are net importers of grain. The U.S. is the largest net exporter.

59. Exporter Top three export grains are wheat, corn and rice
Prior to World War II: West Europe import:
1950: Asia, 1960: Africa and East Europe, 1970: Latin America,
1980: North America major exporter

60. Exporter Largest beneficiary was India
US exports half of the global corn and ¼ of the wheat
Thailand now leading rice with Vietnam, India and China
France and Canada also major wheat

61. Importers Japan leading South Korea and Mexico of corn
Egypt and Italy of wheat
Bangladesh, Iran and Philippines of rice
India no longer wheat
China no longer rice

62. Importers Sub-Saharan Africa: 70% too little to eat
Production lower than in the 1960s
Population increases

63. The Sahel
Fig : The Sahel, which is south of the Sahara, frequently faces drought and food shortages, as does the Horn of Africa.