Intro to Ag Geography

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Intro to Ag Geography

• What is the message of this talk?
• What was the most surprising thing you learned?
• http//www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_foley_the_other_
  inconvenient_truth.html

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Unit 9 Agriculture
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Todays Objectives

• Describe the origins of Agriculture, including
  1st, 2nd and 3rd Agricultural Revolutions.
• Explain the high tech outlook for Agriculture
  with agribusiness and GMOs.
• Differentiate between agriculture in LDCs and
  MDCs.
• Define describe agriculture regions.

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Agriculture

• Importance of AG
• Everyone dependent on food
• AG occupies more land area than any other econ
  activity
• AG employs 45 - almost half of worlds labor (in
  Africa and Asia over 50 are farmers)
• W/out AG you could not have any cities or urban
  areas

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AG Intro contd

• AG practices one of the most fundamental
  differences between MDCs and LDCs
• Big Questions.
• Where is AG distributed across the earth?
• How does farming vary around the globe?
• Why does farming vary across the globe?

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Origins of AG

• Agriculture purposeful modification of earths
  surface to plant crops or raise livestock for
  human sustenance
• AG began when humans domesticated plants and
  animals for use
• Origins of AG predate recorded human history

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Before AG

• Hunter/gatherer
• societies
• follow game
• and seasonal
• growth

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1st AG Revolution

• _at_ 10,000 yrs ago late 18th C
• Domestication conscious manipulation of
  plants/animals
• Invention of AG evolved slowly and over time
  through accident and experimentation
• 1st rev
• hunter/gatherer to semi-sedentary

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Carl Sauer

• Expert on 1st Rev
• Occurred in time of plenty, not famine
• Multiple hearths occurred independently in
  several places
• Seed cultivation in Fertile Crescent (Iraq) - _at_
  10,000 yrs ago
• Yams in hill country of SE Asia _at_ 10,000 yrs ago
• Root crops corn in Mesoamerica (Mayans) _at_ 5,000
  yrs ago
• Likely discovered by women by accident

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1st AG Revolution contd

• AG Diffusion spread by relocation - migration
  colonialism (Columbian Exchange)

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1st AG Revolution contd

• Today diffusion is hierarchical starts in
  research centers of MDCs moves to smaller farms
  or LDCs
• Diff can be bad/accidental (ex kudzu the vine
  that ate the South)

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AG Diffusion accidental - kudzu
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2nd AG Revolution

• Began in W. Eur in 1600s transformed W. Eur and
  N. America
• Intensified AG by promoting higher yields per
  acre and per farmer
• Used crop rotation, fertilizers, improved collars
  for draft animals

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• Farmers create surplus, people can live in cities
  and buy AG products at market
• Move from rural to urban

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2nd AG revolution contd

• Late 1700s Industrial Revolution
  mechanization
• Tractors, reapers, threshers replaced human labor
• Better transportation RR, steamboats,
  refrigerated cars, etc. allows farmers to ship
  food products further to urban markets

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2nd AG rev contd

• Industrial Revolution
• Changes in transportation
• increase
• market area for
• farmers produce

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3rd AG Rev

• The Green Revolution
• 1940s-1960s
• MDCs transfer tech to LDCs
• Main practices
• Artificial fertilizer
• Irrigation
• Insecticides and pesticides
• Mechanical machinery
• Crossbreeding/hybridization (naturally not in a
  lab)
• .ALL produce higher yields

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3rd Rev / Green Rev

• Multinational Corps encourage LDCs to focus on
  specialty crops monoculture for export instead
  of producing food for local consumption
• Successful in some LDCs but detrimental in others
  
• New tech devastated land
• Bad for environment
• Unsustainable farming
• Changes in social culture structures

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Today the Future..High Tech AG Agribusiness

• Computerized irrigation, remote sensing,
  long-term weather predictions, GMOs
• GMOs genetically modified foods genes altered
  in a lab for disease resistance, increased
  productivity, increased nutritional value
• BIG debateU.S. pro feed developing world
  Europe anti Franken food

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GMOs
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Today and Future.

• Agribusiness multinational giant corporations
  dominate much of worlds AG market
• demise of family farm
• AG is BIG, expensive business (control land,
  tech, machinery, shipping, packaging, etc.)
• Globalization of AG free trade, WTO

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Geog looks at WHERE crops are produced around the
globe.affected by.

• Environment (Environmental Determinism)rice
  needs lots of water, grapes need cool wet winters
  and hot dry summers, etc. Possibilismgreen
  houses, irrigation
• Culture rice in Asia, corn in MX, wheat in
  US/Eur, no pork in Middle East, etc.

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What crops are produced where

• Economic grow crop that makes greatest profit
  (von Thunen model)

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Geog looks at HOW crops grown

• Labor Intensive lots of people and few tools V.
  Capital Intensive little human labor, but
  tools, machinery
• Intensive AG- greater yields off smaller areas
  (future of farming as AG land is lost) V.
  Extensive AG needs lots of land, not efficient
  (wide spread ranching)

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HOW crops grown contd

• Intensive/extensive and capital intensive/labor
  intensive spectrums are independent of each
  other..examples?
• Subsistence AG (LDCs) V. Commercial AG (MDCs)
  see handout

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Agriculture Regions
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AG Regions in LDCs

• 1.Shifting Cultivation in rainforests
• Slash and Burn clear land by slashing vegetation
  and burning debris
• Swidden land thats been cleared for farming
• Land often owned by village not indiv.
• Cannot support dense populations
• Soil depletes rapidlyleads to deforestation

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AG in LDCs -

• Shifting cultivation deforestation

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AG Regions in LDCs

• 2.) Pastoral Nomadism nomadic herders
• Dry mntn regions of Africa and Asia where harsh
  climate prevent plants
• Herders cover wide area searching for food for
  herd
• Transhumance seasonal migration
• Use animals - food, clothing, milk, skins
• Type of animal varies depending on culture and
  physical region (i.e. camel, sheep, goat, horse,
  etc.)

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AG in LDCs -

• Pastoral Nomadism

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AG Regions in LDCs

• 3.) Intensive Subsistence
• High yield for small area of land
• Densely pop areas of Asia
• Often w/ wet rice in Asia
• W/ wheat and barley in India and China
• Double cropping 2 crops/harvests per year
• Crop Rotation preserves soil nutrients

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AG Regions in LDCs

• 4.) Plantation Farming
• Found in tropics/subtropics
• Large farm specializes in 1-2 cash crops (coffee,
  sugar, cotton)
• Often controlled/owned by MDC
• Labor comes from LDC
• Crops exported for sale, not sold locally

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AG Regions in MDCs

• 1.) Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming
• Western N. America, S. America, Australia
• Integrate crops and livestock crops (soybeans
  and corn) fed to animals
• Employ crop rotation

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AG Regions in MDCs

• 2.) Dairying
• Near large urban areas (NE United States, SE
  Canada, NW Eur)
• Close to city b/c product perishable (esp
  milkcheese butter can come from further away)
• Milk Shed - how far out can supply milk w/out
  spoiling
• These farms are expensive and labor intensive

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AG in MDCs Dairy Farms
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AG Regions in MDCs

• 3.) Grain Farming wheat, corn, barley, oats,
  millet
• grains grown for human consumption
• Sale to manufacturers for food production
  (cereal, bread, flour)
• US by far greatest exporter of grain (Great
  Plains bread basket)

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AG in MDCs grain farming
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AG Regions in MDCs

• 4.) Livestock Ranching
• Commercial grazing of livestock (cattle beef)
  over extensive areas
• Big in western US (i.e. ranchers) and Argentina
  semi-arid areas

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AG Regions in MDCs

• 5.) Mediterranean AG
• Mediterranean climates of W. Eur, CA, Chile
• Variety of fruits and vegetables for human
  consumption olives, grapes, avocadoes, nuts,
  etc.
• Olives and grapes most valuable cash
  crops..olive oil and wine

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AG in MDCs - Mediterranean
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AG Regions in MDCs

• 6.) Truck Farming commercial gardening and
  fruit farming
• American SE long growing season and humid
• Apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, cherries,
  etc.
• Truck was a word for barter and these items
  were originally produced for local marketstoday
  produced for large scale food processors

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Truck Farming

• Apples, squash, lettuce, cabbage,
• peppers, cucumbers, potatoes,
• peaches, tomatoes, green beans

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Bell Ringer

• Where did agriculture originate and when?
• Why is the 3rd agricultural revolution called the
  Green Revolution?
• What are some criticisms of the Green Revolution?

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Todays Objectives

• Explain how scientists use genetic engineering to
  create plants that can survive being sprayed by
  weedkiller or can create their own pest defenses.
  
• Evaluate what effects these genetically
  engineered plants may have on the environment.
• Speculate on whether the proteins produced by
  inserted genes might be dangerous, either because
  the proteins themselves are allergenic or because
  they might alter the plant's chemistry, making it
  toxic.
• Examine the need for genetically engineered
  foods, including the claim that these foods will
  help reduce starvation and improve nutrition in
  developing countries.

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Harvest of Fear

• What is the difference between traditional plant
  breeding and breeding done through genetic
  engineering?
• Where do you think genetic engineering is
  politically/culturally acceptable? For what
  reasons?

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Bell Ringer

• Consumers want meat that is .?
• How many different companies were involved in the
  mislabeled horsemeat?
• What do you think are the pros and cons of
  agribusiness?
• When is the next time you are going to eat a
  burger?!

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Todays Objectives

• Connect agriculture in MDCs to world climate
  zones.
• Explore the issues for Commercial Farming,
  including transportation, overproduction, and
  price supports.
• Analyze, apply and evaluate von Thunens model
  for agriculture locations.

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• Finish Harvest of Fear

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• Ag in MDCs and Koppen Model

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Issues for Commercial Farmers

• 1.) Access to markets distance from market
  influences crop choice
• Von Thunens Model 19th C Germany
• Noticed lands w/ same physical geog were being
  used for diff AG products
• Farmers consider 2 costs land and transporting
  goods to market
• Land cost most expensive near market decreases
  w/ distance

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Von Thunen contd

• Products w/ intensive land use, high
  transportation costs, and in high demand located
  near market (i.e. highly perishable items, bulky
  heavy items.dairy, fruits, veggies). These
  generate higher prices and farmers can afford
  more expensive land nearest market

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Von Thunen contd

• Products in less demand, w/ more extensive land
  use or cheaper to transport are found further
  from market where land is cheaper (ranching,
  mixed farming, orchards)
• Formula can farmer make profit?
• P V (E T)
• Profit commodity value (production cost
  transportation cost)

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Von Thunen contd

• The model concentric rings coming out of market
• 1. nearest, perishable items diff to transport
  (berries, milk, tomatoes)
• 2. forestry wood heavy and diff to transport
• 3. mixed farming pigs, poultry
• 4. wheat, barley, grains, livestock

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Von Thunen Model
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Contemporary Variables of the Model?

• Modern transportation more efficient
• Transportation costs no longer proportional to
  distance
• Wood (2 forestry) no longer needed for fuel
• Technology has decreased permissibility
  (refrigerated cars, canning, etc.)
• Model still relevant today?????

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Issues for Commercial Farmers - OVERPRODUCION

• Tech allows farmers to produce more than demanded
  (too much product, not enough profit)
• Ex US govnt pays 4B in cotton subsidies,
  farmers make 3B off crop
• Subsidies govnt pays to produce less spends _at_
  10B annually
• Govnt also buys surplus and donates to foreign
  countries

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Bell Ringer
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Todays Objectives
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• Shifting Cultivation in the Amazon Response Group
  activity

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Bell Ringer

• Blood on the Scarcrow John Cougar Mellencamp

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Todays Objectives
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• Ag in LDCs and Koppen Model

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Issues for Subsistence Farmers

• 1.) rapidly increasing pop must feed more
  people on same land (GMOs?)
• 2.) Trying to grow food for export for
  development and not just for consumption
• Strategies.
• Expand land areas and increase productivity of
  land already in use
• Identify new food sources
• When there is surplus, export, to bring in

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Future of Farming..

• Intensive AG is replacing Extensive AGgenerate
  more food on smaller plots of land
• Ex Feedlots concentrate raising livestock in
  smaller space and use hormones and other
  fattening grains to prepare cattle for slaughter
  at a more rapid pace and in a smaller space

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Future of Farming.

• Biotechnology techniques to modify living
  organism and improve plant and animal species and
  production (GMOs)
• Agribusiness includes food production, canning,
  refining, packing, etc.
• Little farmer goes out of business
• Transnational Corp profit goes to company
• Can get any fruit/fresh produce all over the
  globe at any time of year

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AG and the Environment

• Negative impacts on Env
• Pesticides (DDT) harm wildlife,
• pollute lakes, rivers, etc.
• Erosion loss of fertile topsoil
• fertile topsoil accumulates slowly
• takes hundreds of yrs to rebuild
• Salinization soil in dry area is
• irrigated, water evaporates quickly
• and leaves salty residue
• Urban Sprawl takes over good
• AG land

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AG and the Environment

• Deforestation slash and burn in rainforests
  (debt for nature swap see article)
• Desertification degradation of landturns into
  desert b/c of extensive planting or grazing
• Conclusion.greater tech often correlates w/
  destruction of env.

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RESOURCES

• Natural Resources
• Renewable resources w/ a theoretically
  unlimited supplyenv continues to replace them
  (i.e. soil, timber). Note we can use renewable
  resources faster than they can reproduce
  themselves

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• Nonrenewable cannot be replaced by nature a
  finite supply that will be exhausted (minerals,
  coal, oil, copper)

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Fishing

• Accounts for 20 of human and animal protein
  consumption (higher in some countries)
• 3 Sources
• Inland catch ponds, lakes 7
• Fish Farms controlled/contained environment
  32
• Marine catch oceans continental shelf 100
  miles out 61

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Fishing Problems.

• Over fishing catch is surpassing reproduction
  rates endangered supplies.
• Tragedy of the Commons oceans open seas,
  communal property, all take too much
• Pollution of coastal waters

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Fishing

• Aquaculture fish farming breed fish in ponds,
  lakes, canals, or fenced off in coastal bays
• Accounts for 30 of total fish harvest in recent
  yrs
• Fastest growing sector of world economy

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