AGRICULTURAL%20TERRITORIES

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AGRICULTURAL TERRITORIES
http//www.sheknows.com/living/articles/803410/eco
friendly-food-on-sundance-channel
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• The image above is a rice paddy.
• Besides wheat, rice is the most commonly grown
  crop throughout the world.
• Rice feeds a large portion of the worlds
  population.
• Rice is a relatively inexpensive crop and it
  could provide a large portion of ones daily
  calories.
• Traditionally rice is grown in flooded fields.
  This deters weeds and pests from destroying
  crops.

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Agricultural Areas Under threat

• Everyday floods, earthquakes, storms, and other
  disasters destroy crops and farm land.
• These natural hazards can also pose a threat to
  humans as well.
• Many of the worlds largest farming communities
  are located in very fragile areas.
• Fragile
• delicate easily broken or damaged or destroyed
• Farmers in these areas are at constant risk of
  loosing their crops.

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Agricultural Environments at Risk

• Environment
• the area in which something exists or lives.
• At-risk environment
• It is an environment that is threatened by
  natural disasters or human actions or both.
• Natural disasters include floods, storms,
  earthquakes, volcanoes, fire, drought, etc.
• Human actions include war, pesticides, growing
  cities, fire, over farming, etc.

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Consequences for at Risk Areas

• 1. At-risk areas become degraded with every
  passing year.
• Degrade
• reduce the level of land, as by erosion
• reduce its worth
• Erosion
• condition in which the earth's surface is worn
  away by the action of water and wind

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• 2. Land could also dry out.
• This means that this area is open to soil erosion
  by wind and water.
• 3. At risk areas will also become polluted, with
  the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers.
• This means that the land will not produce as much
  crops and force people to look elsewhere for
  their food.

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At risk agricultural land Location

• Some agricultural environments are more fragile
  than others.
• You already learned that any region in the world
  is vulnerable to natural hazards (tornadoes etc.)
  and human hazards (war, pesticides etc.).
• Both types of hazards cause the degradation of
  farmland.
• This explains why degraded soil exists all over
  the world.

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Stable

• resistant to change of position or condition
• firm and dependable subject to little
  fluctuation
• not taking part readily in change
• maintaining equilibrium (balanced)
• static showing little if any change "a static
  population"

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• Canada and Russia both have relatively stable
  soil. This is due to the short growing season.
• Europe and Asia have mostly very degraded soil.
  This is due to years of over farming and large
  populations.
• Finally there are some parts of the world that
  nothing could grown ex Greenland and the Sahara.
• These areas force more people to continue to use
  degraded soil areas.

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The Greatest Risks for Farming

• 1) Growing populations
• With an increase in population there is an
  increase in the demand for food.
• Developed countries (ex US and Canada) demand
  specialized crops to fill their diverse diet.
• To meet these needs farmers have monoculture
  farms (1 crop). This increases the risk of
  disease.

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• 2) Growing Cities
• As cities expand they begin to use farmland for
  housing developments and industry.
• Transportation systems roads, highways, etc,
  need to be built as well.
• Power lines and other energy transportation
  systems need to be passed.
• All of this means that the more land used for
  cities less land that could be used for farming.

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• 3) Farming techniques
• Farming in fragile areas requires very specific
  practices as to ensure the survival of crops.
• Farmers must include systems to protect their
  soil against erosion (dries up) and ensure proper
  water distribution.
• Very intensive practices are needed in some areas
  since the growing seasons may be shorter.

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Feeding the World

• Unfortunately millions of people live below the
  poverty line and do not have an adequate food
  supply.
• There are major international meetings held every
  year to discuss agricultural development.
• Representatives discuss the four major issues
  facing agricultural areas.
• The following are greater issues for at risk
  areas

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• 1) Sustainable agricultural practices
• This includes maintaining small farms and
  recognizing that some areas we live in or farm on
  are fragile.
• Maintain
• keep in a certain condition, position, or
  activity
• conserve keep in safety and protect from harm,
  decay, loss, or destruction

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• Ex teaching proper water management
• Water management is practices involving both
  drainage (removing water) and irrigation
  (compensating for lack of water).

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• 2) Food security for populations
• Taking action to prevent food shortages and
  famines that can result from natural disasters
  (flooding) or human actions (wars).
• 3) Territorial autonomy (not controlled by
  outside forces)
• Outside aid cannot hurt an areas economy.

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• 4) Quality of trade communities
• Groups involved in food trade must meet the needs
  of the area they are trading to.
• They must think about the interests of the people
  in other areas.
• In other words, communities that are wealthier
  must not take advantage of trading partners from
  developing nations (poor nations).

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The Sahel

• The Sahel region is located in Africa, south of
  the Sahara dessert.
• The Sahel is a semi-arid area, this means very
  low and irregular precipitation (25-60 cm per
  year).
• This area stretches across ten countries and is
  home to almost 60 million people.
• It is also one of the poorest regions in the
  world.

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Sahel Region
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• Over the past 30 years the Sahara desert has been
  increasing in size.
• This means that the Sahel is getting smaller.
• However, the Sahel has large stores of
  groundwater and an extensive river system.
• This helps since rain is becoming increasingly
  rare.
• The climate is suitable for growing cereal crops
  (millet and sorghum) and cotton.

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• There are regular droughts in the Sahel.
• The three major rivers Senegal, Niger, and Volta
  provide water and a constant supply of fish.
• The people of the Sahel are rural, there are very
  few major industries in this region.
• Residents rely on crop and livestock farming for
  a living.
• High degradation, population growth, disease, and
  poverty are threatening the way of life for many
  in this region.

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A Shoreline

• Sahel comes from the Arab word sahil which
  means edge or coast.
• It is believed that this Sahel region received
  its name after the Sahara came into being.
• Some argue that middle eastern merchants and
  traders gave this area its name.
• They saw the Sahel as a paradise after crossing
  the Sahara.

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Why is the Sahel a fragile environment?

• There are two main reasons why the Sahel is an
  at risk area.
• 1) Rain is rare and unpredictable
• The Sahel is known as a transition zone. The area
  is between two different climates.
• The northern part of the Sahel is mainly desert.
• The southern part is semi-arid which receives
  very little rain.

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• Many of the plant species found in the Sahel have
  adapted to the very little rainfall.
• However, despite this, there are periods of
  drought and most of the time the rainfall is
  unpredictable.
• Furthermore, there are times during the year when
  it is so hot that the rain evaporates before it
  hits the ground.
• This region relies heavily on the surrounding
  rivers.

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• 2) Farmland is difficult to manage
• Most farms are located in the south.
• Most farmers have subsistence crops. This means
  they grow only what they need to survive.
• Many grow cereal crops since they are very
  nutritious, cheap, and could grow in the harsh
  climate.
• There are some areas that have larger cash crops
  (can be sold for profit)

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• As the population of the region increases so does
  the need for food.
• This means that farmers must clear more farmland.
• Once the vegetation disappears strong winds begin
  to extend the borders of the Sahara.
• Vegetation (small trees and shrubs) keep the
  Sahel from becoming part of the desert.

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Water in the Sahel

• Water is essential for life. Nothing will grow
  without an adequate water supply.
• Since the Sahel receives very little rain use of
  the rivers are a necessity.
• However, the rivers are very poorly developed and
  managed.
• This is due to a lack of funding and government
  assistance.
• There are three rivers running through the Sahel
  The Senegal, Niger, and Volta rivers.

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• Water is unfairly distributed in this region.
• Some nations have an abundance such as Mali,
  Niger, and Senegal. Others are in desperate need.
• In 2000 it was estimated that only 47 of the
  total population of the Sahel had access to
  water.
• Moreover, in some nations governments have
  contracted water distribution to private
  companies.
• This means that many do not receive water since
  they cannot afford it.

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• Some areas are loosing their water sources.
• This is due to a change in global weather caused
  by global warming.
• One example is Lake Chad.

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Meeting land and water needs

• Soil degradation is the biggest problem in the
  Sahel.
• There are some solutions to preventing soil
  degradation and meeting food needs.
• Planting trees/shrubs with deep roots to reach
  underground water.
• Plant drought resistant plants like cowpea
• Digging and managing community wells.
• Using water saving irrigation methods
• Protect crops from animals by planting thorny
  bushes (natural fence).

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• Areas like the Sahel must first develop programs
  to fight poverty before they can use any of these
  solutions.
• Sahel countries have formed the Permanent
  Inter-State Committee for Drought Control.
• In their platform they include water management
  and hunger reduction.
• International Organizations have created drought
  awareness and hunger campaigns to help these
  regions.

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Food Crisis and Famines

• Food crisis occur regularly in the Sahel.
• The causes are varied insufficient rain,
  locusts, or war.
• The result is that many farmers leave their land
  to open small businesses.
• The result is that there is not enough food to
  support the population.
• When food crisis occurs international donations
  are not the best solution.

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• Donations may hurt the local economy.
• The best solutions are community-based
• Distributing food supplies
• Selling food at reduced prices
• Creating local grain/food banks
• Supplying farmers with seeds.
• During famines (extreme lack of food)
  international aid is needed to prevent death and
  widespread starvation.