Hawk Hook 1/25

Have answers ready for Question 7. Get ready for the Human Geography in Action.

Sit with 1 or AT MOST 2 partners Log onto the internet using FireFox (on the

student menu) Search: Human Geography in Action Make the 1st Choice: “Wiley:…4th Edition” Follow the link to the Student Companion site

under “Students” on the right side of the screen Follow the link to the Computerized Chapter

Activities on the left Press “8.1. Agriculture…” Once there Wait for everyone!

For the Ones Marked YOU MUST record a fact about that type of agriculture from the reading in the exercise.

This will be a major assignment grade (AKA a grade booster for

Economic Geography: Introduction

3 Categories of jobsPrimary: Agricultural positionsSecondary: Manufacturing

IndustriesTertiary: Services (3 types)

Types of Jobs Available

• Directly extract materials from the Earth• Includes agriculture, mining, fishing, and

forestry• Securing Food # 1 priority for people• > 60% of pop in LDC’s

• What would the physiological and agricultural densities of these countries look like?

• What does this indicate about how people spend their time?

• < 5% of pop in MDC’s• What would the physiological and agricultural

densities of these countries look like? • What does this indicate about how people spend

their time?

Primary Sector

Manufacturers that process, transform, and assemble raw materials into productsDecline in Secondary sector jobs in

MDC’s Result of Increased technology (not as

many people necessary to do a job) Result of Globalization of the Economy Transnational Corporations: Produce in

countries with lower wages and unionization

Secondary Sector

Tertiary Sector• Providing goods and services to

people in exchange for money• Increase in MDC’s

• Result of increased demand due to rising standard of living

• 3 Types Unskilled: Retail clerks and low ranking

managers, restaurant employees Quaternary: intellectual/professional

services : government, education, libraries, scientific research, information technology, high ranking managers

Quinary Sector - top officials within quaternary sector : Examples would be President/Congressman for government or university professors for education, CEOs of companies

Agriculture and Rural Land Use

Its Development, Diffusion, and Cultural and Environmental Effects

Hawk Hook 1/30

Summarize the 3 main sectors of the economy. Include the following:What types of jobs are held within

each sector Whether they are more prevalent

in the Core or Periphery

Why is this significant?

Agriculture fundamental foundation of civilization

The most common person in the world is an Asian Farmer who produces just enough food to survive with little to no surplus

Contrasts American way of life: Business of Farming (Agricultural products consumed by more than just the farmer)

Contrast in agricultural practices is one of the fundamental differences between MDC’s and LDC’s…

ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE

Before agricultureSmall societies that

moved frequently based on movement of game and seasonal growth of plants

250,000 people still live this way todaySouth America,

Arctic, Africa, Australia Isolated on the

periphery of world settlements

Hunting and Gathering

Agriculture: A Great Accident

Began as an accidentAccidentally dropped food scrapsNoticed new plants grew

Continued through Experimentation

AGRICULTURAL HEARTHS

1st Vegetative Planting

Geographer Carl Sauer found that Vegetative Planting:Earliest form of plant

cultivationMeans: reproducing plants

by dividing an already existing plant and transplanting the piece

1st Vegetative Planting

First Hearth: South East Asia

What climate do they have?o Conducive to wide variety of plants

What do you believe their main source of food was? How did this practice help encourage agricultural development?

First to domesticate dogs, pigs, and chickens

Other Hearths:Northwestern South AmericaWest Africa

2nd Seed AgricultureCarl Sauer found that

Means: Reproduction through annual planting of seeds

3 hearths in Eastern Hemisphere: Western India, Northern China, and Ethiopia From India to SW Asia:

Integration of plants and Animals ~ fundamental to modern agricultureo SW Asia: wheat and barley

agriculture begins)o Domestication of cattle, sheep

and goats (draft animals)

Seed Agriculture

2 Hearths in Western Hemisphere:

Southern Mexico: squash and maize (corn)

Peru: beans and potatoes Animals: llama, alpaca, turkey

Commercial and Subsistence Agriculture

LDC’s versus MDC’sSubsistence

Agriculture in LDCsCommercial

Agriculture in MDCs5 features

distinguishing these 2Purpose of Farming% of farmers in the

labor forceUse of MachineryFarm sizeRelationship of

farming to other businesses

Purpose of Farming

LDC: Subsistence Produce food for

your own consumption

MDC: Commercial Raise animals or

grow crops for sale off the farm

Not much direct sale to consumers

Critical Thinking

How do you believe the Industrial Revolution impacted farming?

LDCs Subsistence ½ of workers farm Agricultural

density?

MDCs Commercial 1/10th of workers

farm Agricultural

density?

% of Farmers in the Labor

Force

Use of Machinery

LDCs Subsistence Human and animal

labor

MDCs Commercial High Tech machines

allow fewer people to do the work

Scientifically modified crops

How these advances help with quality and quantity?

Relationship of Farming to other

BusinessesMDCs: CommercialCreates

agribusiness (food production industry that controls EVERY stage of production from farm to shelf) Processing,

packaging, storing, distributing, retailing food products

Uses modern technologies to track prices, yields, and expenditures (videos)

Farm SizeMDCs Commercial Mechanization allowed for large farms US Example:

98% Family Owned and operated 1.4% of US Farms account for 48% of

agricultural sales Fewer farmers today but more farmland

than previously Why?

Prime Agricultural Land disappearing (reading)

Why?

Hawk Hook 2/4In complete sentences explain the

different agricultural techniques employed by MDCs and LDCs in terms of purpose of agriculture, mechanization, and the size of their farms.

Derwent Whittlesey’s

map of Agricultural

Regions

Climate and Agriculture

Overview

Identifies 11 agricultural regions

Regions sorted mostly by climateWhy would this make sense?Why must you be leery of

placing too much emphasis on climate? What else may influence agricultural practices?

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

LDCSShifting

Cultivation

Climatic Relationship

Tropical, Humid, Low-Latitude Climates

Amazon of South America, Central and West Africa, and parts of SE Asia

CharacteristicsUse Slash-and-Burn Agriculture:

clear land by slashing vegetation than burning itLand called swidden or milpa

Grow on cleared land for a few years, stripping it of resources, then letting it lay fallow for years to recover

Characteristics

Grow variety of crops. Why?

More land used for this purpose than any other type of agriculture but only 5% of population engages in this type

“Inefficient” Can only support small population without environmental destruction

Characteristics of People

Live in small villagesFarmland controlled by villageEach family allocated part of

communal land (now some own land)

If field doesn’t produce enough food, few people move and create their own settlement

Future of Shifting

CultivationTropical

Rainforests disappearing

Shifting Cultivation replaced by logging, cattle ranching, and cash crops

Shifting Cultivation and

the EnvironmentWhat could be some advantages and disadvantages to ending shifting cultivation?Advantage: other forms of

agriculture yield more per land area, enabling more people to be fed

Disadvantages: Other forms damage soil permanently in tropics What are some problems with

destroying the rainforest: o global warming, destruction of

folk culture surrounding agricultural practices

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

LDCS

PASTORAL NOMADISM

Climatic Relationship

Mostly found in Arid and Semiarid land

Why?Much of North Africa, Middle

East, and Central AsiaEx. Bedouins of Middle East and

Masai of East Africa

CharacteristicsSubsistence

agriculture based on herding animalsMigrate depending on

availability of water and food for herd and people

Transhumance: seasonal _____________ between mountains and lowland pastures

Territoriality: migrate only within own piece of land unless declaring war

Characteristics Still eat primarily grain Size of herd: symbol of

power and security in a harsh environment

Type of animal dependent on environment

Together with Shifting Cultivation occupies the largest percentage of the world’s land area

Future of Pastoral

NomadismFighting control

by national governmentsForced into

confined areas due to desire of their lands (petroleum, mining, etc)

Nomadic lands smaller and smaller towards lands with little to no resources or irrigation capabilities

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

LDCSIntensive Subsistence Agriculture

CharacteristicsAgriculture that

intensely makes use of almost every parcel of arable land to feed the large population of E, S, and SE AsiaWhere

environmentally possible practice Double Cropping: rice in the rainy, warm, summers; Wheat or Barley in cool, dry winter

Characteristics

VERY High agricultural densitiesCultural practices enable them to

sustain on a very small piece of land

2 Types Dependent on Environment Wet Rice Dominant Wet Rice Not Dominant

Wet Rice DominantGrowing rice in a dry

nursery before transplanting into a flooded field: sawah

Use of plow and animal power: distinguishes this from shifting cultivation

Harvested by handClustered in coastal

areas of India and SE Asia due to low land and abundant water

Wet Rice Not Dominant

Wheat most important crop

In places with low summer precipitation and harsh winters (interior India, NE China)

Produces additional harvests through crop rotation: rotating to a different crop each year to ensure good soil quality every year

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

LDCS Plantations

CharacteristicsLarge farm specializing in

one or two cropsCommercial Agriculture

in the LDCs sold to MDCs (usually Latin America, Asia, Africa)

Owned by Europeans or North Americans

Worked by imported labor that lives on site

Tropics and Subtropics

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

MDCSMixed Crop and Livestock

Farming

Characteristics

Integrates Livestock and cropsCrops raised to feed

animals mostly not people

Animals fertilize crops

Provides Year Long Income: crops in harvest times, animal products year round

Uses system of Crop Rotation

CharacteristicsFound in:

US ~ From the Appalachian Mts to middle of country Most important region ~

Corn Belt: Ohio to Iowa (oil, ethanol, food products, and food for animals) [video-farm subsidies ]

How are farm subsidies affecting the US?

Europe ~ from France to Russia

Demand for poultry production increasingDue to global and national

population increases as well as the understanding of the health benefits of these products

Operations have become largerDue to mechanization,

agribusinesses, and use of chemicals producing larger, healthier meats

Clustering of productionFound mostly in economically

depressed areas, near markets, and taking advantage of lower wage rates and attracting immigrant laborers

Poultry in US

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

MDCSDairy Farming

CharacteristicsFound in: NE US,

SE Canada, NW Europe, S and E Asia in the ring around urban areas called the milkshedWhy are Dairy Farms

close to urban areas?

India largest producer of milk…Culturally why might this be?

Regional Differences

Dairy Farms farther from big urban areas produce milk byproducts (cheese, butter, etc) Why?EX: NE Dairy Farms: Milk for NE

cities, Wisconsin the Cheese State because farther from the big cities

Same worldwide

ChallengesLabor intensive: must milk 2

times a dayExpensive: must produce or

purchase food for cattle in winter

Less Diary Farmers today but those left are more productive

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

MDCSGrain Farming

Characteristics

Grain (wheat, corn, oats, barley , rice, etc. seeds) sold for human consumption

Wheat most important: easy to store and ship without spoilage

North American Wheat

Prairies of US and Canada world’s “Breadbasket” Winter Wheat: Kansas,

Colorado, Oklahoma Planted in Autumn, Harvested

early SummerSpring Wheat: Dakotas,

Montana, Saskatchewan, (Harsh winters) Planted in Spring, Harvested

late SummerOwn farms in both areas to

increase production and share equipment (combine does work)

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

MDCSLivestock Ranching

CharacteristicsCommercial grazing

of Livestock over an extensive piece of land

Found in arid or semiarid areas with poor soil

Western US, SE South America (Argentina, Brazil), Middle East, and Australia

Pampas of Argentina produce less than US but export more why?

Evolution of Ranching

1st herded animals over open ranges(seminomadic)

2nd Turned into fixed farming: Gov: break land into fixed ranches

3rd Many decided to grow crops (more profitable)

4th Ranches confined to dry areas

5th Not profitable on its own, so Meat-Processing Industry bought ranches

US Cattle Ranching Ex

Taught by Spanish and Portuguese settlers

Lost much land when US gov. sold it to sedentary farmers in mid-late 1800’sDisputes btwn farmers and

ranchers “Range Wars”Shift to fixed–location

Ranching: 60% of Ranching land today

leased to ranchers from gov.New Cattle breads cannot

handle long journeys

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

MDCSMediterranean Agriculture

Climatic Relationship

Lands surrounding Mediterranean, California, parts of Chile, and South Africa, and Australia

Similar Climates: Sea winds: moderate, moist winters and hot, dry, summers

Hilly and mountainous to the seaUnder what form of

migration would herders in this area use?

Characteristics

Horticulture: commercially growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers (trees)What crops grown along

the Mediterranean? California?

CaliforniaLA on Prime Agricultural

LandWhy?Farming on arid,

irrigated land eating up SW US’s water supply

AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE

MDCSCommercial Gardening and

Fruit Farming

Climatic Relationship

Found in: SE USLong growing season,

humid climate, accessible to large NE markets

During Winter most come from Latin America, especially Chile, Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica

Called Truck Farming: (truck Middle

English word for bartering)

CharacteristicsWIDE variety of fruits and

vegetables to developed nations

Contrast to other commercial agriculture, some sold directly to consumers (Farmer’s Market)

Mechanized at every stage of production

Use of Migrant Labor (often undocumented)

Specialty Farming: NE US, affluent crops (asparagus, strawberries, mushrooms, etc) Alternative to failing dairy

farms

Hawk Hook2/13Agricultural Region

A. China is the largest producer of wheat. But what country produces the most wheat for world wide sale? What do we call this region? (2 points)

B. Explain the discrepancy between these two in terms the type of agriculture these two are engaging in and population levels. (4 points)

C. Identify the two types of this crop and where and why each is most popular (6 points)

D. Discuss why agribusinesses often own farms in both regions. (2 points)

Von Thünen Model

Agriculture, Market, and Distance

Overview Proposed by German Geographer & Economist Johann

Heinrich Von Thunen in the late 1800s.Basic Idea Farmers decide what crops to grow and/or what animals to

raise based on their location relative to the main market Two Considerations

1. Cost of Land: Crops and Livestock that need extensive amounts of land will be found farther from the market because the land is cheaper, maximizes profit

2. Cost of Transportation: So crops or livestock that cost a lot to transport or could spoil before making to the market will be located closer to the markets, maximize profit

Failures of this model1. All sites and situations are not created equal: resources, soil quality,

topography may not be good for all types of agriculture2. Doesn’t take into consideration cultural beliefs like taboos or simply a

desire to grow or raise a certain crop3. Government intervention such as zoning: governments say certain land

can be used for certain purposes 4. Modern Technology: (possibilism) refrigerated trucks, can have dairy

farms farther because of refrigeration, green houses, interstate highways have lowed transportation costs

Economic Challenges of Commercial

Farmers

Overproduction in Commercial Farming

Problem of Supply and

DemandWhat is the law of supply and demand?

Commercial farmers supply is higher than the demand for their productsReason 1: Many agricultural

products are not substitute goods. What is a substitute good? (do not switch demand from

wheat to corn bc it is cheaper)

Reason 2: Low Population Growth: no new markets to sell excess food to

Result: price of agricultural goods fall

Government Subsidies

1. Encouraged not to plant surplus crops Plant Rest Crops instead

Government Subsidies Cont’

2. Price Floors Set Minimum Price for crop…If

farmer is paid less than that amount at the market, government pays the rest

Government Subsidies Cont’

3. Government buys surplus goods Sells or donates food to foreign

governments Give Food Stamps to stimulate

purchase of excess items

Advantage: encourages farmers to keep farming despite low pricesResult: maintain

rural way of lifeDisadvantages

Encourages over production (no incentive to meet market needs)

High grocery prices (video)

Advantages and Disadvantages

to subsidies

Hawk Hook 2/12

What are some advantages and disadvantages of farm subsidies?

In your own words describe the Von Thunen model. List 2 failures of the model.

Economic Challenges of Commercial

FarmersSustainable Agriculture

in the MDCs

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming that preserves and enhances environmental qualityLower revenue but also lower

costsExample Organic Farming

3 distinguishing practices of sustainable agriculture Sensitive Land ManagementLimited Use of ChemicalsBetter Integration of crops

and livestock

Sensitive Land Management

System of Growing: minimal soil disturbance allowing for less need of heavy, expensive equipmentIncreases organic matter, moisture, and

drainageMore labor intensive but more profitable

Limited Use of Chemicals

Farming techniques involve using chemicals only on crop grown areas (if at all), limiting problems with soil and water qualityMore expensive and time

consuming to be selective

Integrated Crop and Livestock

Today, many mixed crop and livestock farms choose to only grow crops or raise animals, then trade between farms for what they need

Integrated returns back to farming with both

Challenges to “ICL”

Balancing Number of livestock with landscape qualitiesToo many can

create vegetation loss on crop land

Proper amount can reduce soil erosion on sloped areas

Challenges to “ICL”Confining animals

versus free rangeMoral and ethical

debateConfining causes

water pollutants and need for costly waste management facilities (however may yield more meat)

Free Range: manure improves soil quality but reduces neighborhood quality of life (i.e. hold your nose)

Challenges to “ICL”

Managing Extreme Weather ConditionsIn periods of excess

or reduced rainfall large herds can be a liability or a blessing

How?How might this play

out in a Mediterranean climate like California to benefit residents?

Growth of Organic Farming

Steady increase since 1970 in the US

3 Factors:Increased

DemandCareful land

useMore profitable

for small farms

1. Increased DemandReasons for

Increased Demand:Media has driven

concerns over nutrition and healthiness of foods grown with chemicals and/or genetically modified as well as the humane treatment of animals

Households are smaller in size and have more disposable income for these higher end products

2. Careful land useReasons for

careful land useMany farmers

and consumers switch to sustainable organic farming because they feel responsible for the long term well-being of the land

3. More Profitable

Reasons for More Profitability:Small-farmers cannot

compete with the low prices offered by large US agribusinesses

Shift to the specialty food niche like organic farming because this intensive agriculture yields higher prices people are willing to spend for the quality

Challenges for Subsistence

Farmers

Population Growth

Critical Thinking

Where is the vast majority of population growth occurring in the world?

What did Malthus say about food and population growth?

What does this mean for farming in these areas?

Boserup Thesis

Ester Boserup, female Danish economist, response to MalthusPopulation may be

growing but food production CAN meet these needs

2 methods of agricultural intensification

Boserup Thesis Cont’

1. Changing methods of Fallowing (5 stages of farmland intensification)Forest Fallow: work field for 2

years, fallow for 20; forest grows back

Bush Fallow: work field for 8 years, fallow for 10; small trees and bushes grow back

Short Fallow: work for 2 years, fallow for 2 years; grasses grow back

Annual Cropping: worked every year, fallow for a few months by planting legumes and roots

Multicropping: fields used several times a year, no fallowing

Critical Thinking

What agricultural region is indicative of stage 1 “Forest Fallow”?

What areas of the world use this type?Why?

What agricultural region is indicative of stage 5 “multicropping”?

What areas of the world use this type?Why?

Boserup Thesis Cont’

2. Adopting new farming methods Increase technology Tend crops better (weeding,

fertilizing, etc) Create more fields Irrigate more land

Where do they get the labor for all this additional work?

Challenges for

subsistence farmers

Trade

Review:What do you know about the

consumption of agricultural products from LDCs?

International Trade

LDCs need agricultural machinery to improve production

But Must switch from subsistence farming to export crops to gain capital to purchase equipment

Sell fruits, veggies to MDCs when out of season

Irony of this Method

Less crops grown for local consumption

Must use profits from sale of export crops to purchase food for people only farming for export

What is the result of this problem?

Although an international problem itself, what do you many LDC farmers turn to in order to generate a large profit?

So…How do we increase the Food

Supply then?...No easy answer

Four Strategies for increasing Food Supply and the problems with

each

Overview4 Basic Strategies, none perfect

Expand Agricultural landIncrease the productivity of existing

Agricultural landFind new sources of FoodIncrease exports

1. EXPANDING AGRICULTURAL

LAND

RealityPopulation

growing faster than agricultural expansion

Possible but problems inhibiting this growthHowever,

agricultural land is expanding in Africa

Possible in NA but actually decreasing

Problem: Desertification

Desertification: semiarid land degradationExcessive

Population exhausting soil nutrients Over cultivation,

animal grazing, and tree cutting

Problem: Excessive Water

Inadequate drainage of irrigated landOvertime roots waterlogged

(especially harmful if includes salt water)

Problem: Urbanization

Farms on periphery of urban areas turn into suburbs, reducing agricultural land

2. INCREASING PRODUCTION OF

EXISTING AGRICULTURAL

LAND

Green Revolution

Green Revolution: 1970’s and 80’s ~ Introduction and diffusion of high-yield seeds and the expanded use of fertilizersHigh-Yield Seeds: Dr. Norman

Borlaug produces: “miracle wheat and rice”: hardier, more fertilizer respondent plants

Result: 1) agricultural productivity increased faster than population growth, 2) shifted production from subsistence to commercial farming, 3) Positive impact in all regions of Asia and in Mexico

Problem: Production

CostsFertilizer indispensible for these seeds

Nitrogen most important ingredientCheapest way to get this is

processing natural gas or petroleum

Other important elements for fertilizers are not evenly distributed in the world

Tractors, irrigation pumps, etc necessary for production

What problems does this create? (article)

3. IDENTIFYING NEW FOOD SOURCES:

3 NEW FOOD SOURCES

1. OceansOceans make

up3/4 of earth surface

Endless source of food?Problem:

overfishing ~ depleted ½ of fish supplies (cannot reproduce as fast)

Tried to solve by providing fishing rights to countries. What was this treaty called?

2. Higher-Protein Cereals

Trying to create hybrid seed grains with higher protein content to increase nutrition in LDCs where meat consumption is low

Another option is to fortify the cereals with protein filled amino acids during production. Why might fortification not be applicable in the LDCs?…hint think their usual agricultural practices.

3. Improved Palatability of

Rarely Consumed

FoodsEncourage consumption of foods usually avoided due to social reasonsWhat are these called?

Examples: soy products,

4. INCREASING EXPORTS

SurplusesIncrease food supply by

exporting the surplus crops of one country to another in needUS: Leading Exporter of corn and

wheat since the Agricultural, Trade, and Assistance Act of 1954

Thailand #1 producer of rice

Case Study: AfricaAsia: population growth

declining, green revolution keeps food production above these numbersResult Asia remains self-

sufficientSub-Saharan Africa:

Population increasing 6 fold, food only 3 timesEspecially Somalia, Ethiopia,

and SudanOver exhausted, non fertile

soil, droughtPrice Ceilings make profits

impossible, no incentive to farm

How is the “Second Green Revolution Helping? Article: