Von Thunen’s Model of Agricultural

Land Use

PREPARED BY: ZUBAIR KHAN

(M.SC GEOGRAPGY)

(UNIVERSITY OF BALOCHISTAN,PAKISTAN )

OUTLINES OF THE PRESENTATION

1. BASIC TERMS

2. INTRODUCTION

3. MODEL OF THEORY

4. ASSUMPTION OF THE THEORY

5. EXPLANATION

6. MAIN CONCEPT OF THEORY (bid rent curve/economic rent/land rent)

7. MODIFICATION AND CRITICISM OF THE THEORY

8. CONCLUSION

BASIC TERMS•Agriculture : the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

•Land use : the use of land for particular propose (agriculture, settlements, forest )

•Intensive forming :Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is a kind of agriculture where a lot of capital and labor are used to increase the yield that can be obtained per area. The use of large amounts of pesticides for crops and of medication for animal stocks is common.

•Extensive forming :Extensive farming or extensive agriculture (as opposed to intensive farming) is an agricultural production system that uses small inputs of labor, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed.

•Isotropic : Same

•Bid rent: how much someone is willing to pay for a particular piece of land

INTRODUCTION

The agriculture land use model developed by JOHANNHEINRICH VON THEUNAN (1783-1850) IN EARLY 1800’S(19TH CENTURY).but it wasn't translated into English until 1966.

He was a German skilled farmer having knowledge about economics.His model is also know as ‘concentric rings theory of agricultureland use’ .

The model have 4 rings which developed around the central city.

◦Each ring shows a different type of agriculture land use.

◦Von Thunen’s model was created before industrialization,highways, railroads, factories, etc.

CON…

According to his model the relative cost of transport differentagriculture commodities to the center market determined theagriculture land use around a city .

The most productive activities will closest to the centermarket and the activities not productive enough will locatedaway from center city.

ASSUMPTION

The land must be an isotropic. With no river , mountain etc.

The isolated state is surrounded by an unoccupied wilderness.

The soil quality and climate are consistent throughout the state.

The transport coast is proposional to distance.

All the farmer have equal access of transport.

All the farmers are economically rational .

All farmers have equal information regarding market demands, coast of production and all attempt to maximize profits.

MODEL

EXPLANATION

1) There are four rings of agricultural activity surrounding the city. Dairying and intensive farming occur in the ring closest to the city. The related products (vegetables, fruit, milk and other dairy products) have the highest profits, but also the highest transportation costs because they are vulnerable and perishable.

2) Timber and firewood will be produced for fuel and building materials in the second zone. Before industrialization (and coal power), wood was a very important fuel for heating and cooking. Wood is very heavy and therefore difficult and costly to transport.

CON…

3) The third zone consists of extensive field crops such as grain forbread. Since grain lasts longer than dairy products and is much lighterthan wood transport costs are considered to be lower, allowing alocation further from the city.

4) Ranching is located in the final ring surrounding the central city.Animals can be raised far from the city because they are self-transporting and thus have low transport costs. Beyond the fourth ringlies the unoccupied wilderness, which is too great a distance from thecentral city for any type of agricultural product.

BUT IT ALWAYS DOESN,T LOOK SAME

BID RENT CURVE (economic rent)

As distance from

city center

increases, cost of

land goes down

CON..The model compares the relationships between production cost, the market price and the transport cost of an agricultural commodity and is expressed as follows: R = Y(p-c) - YfmR = Rent per unit of land.

Y = Yield per unit of land.

p = market price per unit of yield.

c = Average production costs per unit of yield.

m = Distance from market (in kilometers or miles).

f = Freight rate per unit of yield and unit of distance.

All agricultural land uses are maximizing their productivity (rent), which in this case is dependent upon their location from the market (Central City). The role of farmer is to maximize his profit which is simply the market price minus the transport and production costs. The most productive activities (gardening or milk production) or activities having high transport costs (firewood) locate nearby the market.

CRITICISM ON MODEL

differential transportation costs. Example: boats are the cheapest. mode of transportation.

variations in topography.

soil fertility.

changes in demand or price of the commodity.

The invention of refrigeration has largely diminished the importance of the perishability factor.

Not only physical but social, political and cultural factor also effect agriculture location.

CONCLUSION

Even though the Von Thunen model was created in a timebefore factories, highways, and even railroads, it is still animportant model in geography. The Von Thunen model is anexcellent illustration of the balance between land cost andtransportation costs. As one gets closer to a city, the price ofland increases. The farmers of the Isolated State balance thecost of transportation, land, and profit and produce the mostcost-effective product for market. Of course, in the realworld, things don't happen as they would in a model.