The Geography of The Geography of AgricultureAgriculture

agriculture: deliberate growing of crops or raising of animals

Why study agriculture? Much of Earth’s dedicated to farming Only 2% in U.S. engaged in farming Half of people in LDCs depend on farming Huge impact on the environment Our entire way of urban-industrial life based upon

commercial farming

A. First Agricultural A. First Agricultural RevolutionRevolution1. Transition away from hunting & gathering2. Domestication of plants & animals3. Fertile Crescent (S.W. Asia) about 12,000 years

ago4. Wheat, barley, sheep & goats along Tigris &

Euphrates Rivers

Domestication of plants & animals probably emerged as an extension of food gathering activities of hunting & gathering societies.

RICECORN

POTATO WHEATMILLET

B. Intensive vs. Extensive1. intensive agricultureintensive agriculture: uses large inputs of

labor & capital on smaller areas of land

- high yield per unit area of land- fertilizers- water management- activity of half the world’s population…- rice alone feeds 2.8 billion Asians every day

2. extensive agricultureextensive agriculture: large areas of land & less labor input

- yield per unit area is low & populations are low

3. Systems of production:

- subsistence (for survival)- commercial (for sale)

C. Types of Subsistence C. Types of Subsistence AgricultureAgriculture1.1. Shifting cultivationShifting cultivation (swidden

agriculture): a type of subsistence farming found in tropical rain forest areas

also called slash-and-burn or milpa cutting, burning (fertilizes & clears pests), then

planting 5% of world (Amazon, Congo, Indonesia)

2.2. Nomadic PastoralismNomadic Pastoralism: : a form of extensive subsistence agriculture

animal herds are moved from one forage area to another in patterns of migration

mostly in arid grasslands milk, cheese, meat, wool, skins

Wodaabe of The Sahara Tibetan herdsmen Tunisian goat herder

transhumancetranshumance: : a form of pastoral nomadism where stock is moved to the lowlands in the winter & highlands in the summer

What type of agricultural activity is depicted in each of the slides?

Fruit!Fruit!

Labor intensive or capital intensive?Intensive or extensive land use?Commercial or subsistence?Sedentary or nomadic?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvgRhp14TY0

WheatWheat

Labor intensive or capital intensive?Intensive or extensive land use?

Commercial or subsistence?Sedentary or nomadic?

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/35514-howstuffworks-show-episode-7-midwestern-wheat-farmers-video.htm

FishingFishing

Labor intensive or capital intensive?Intensive or extensive land use?

Commercial or subsistence?Sedentary or nomadic?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O66W62mmrr0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBDNmeREMdk

Cattle Ranching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLETAdwgQn4