Fundamentals of Human Geography Chapter 10 Agriculture and Food

Chapter Agriculture and Food Agriculture refers to the cultivation of crops and the raising for both sustenance and economic gain . History of Agriculture For much of human history , people led a nomadic existence ( moving constantly ) and got their food and daily goods from hunting and gathering . Then around to years ago , people started to become sedentary ( settle down in one place ) and got their food and goods by domesticating plants and animals . This marked the beginning of the First Agricultural Revolution , as people in different regions of the world independently invented the idea of animal and plant domestication . Evidence of earliest domestication activities has been found in the Fertile Crescent region , which intersects nearly all of the countries ( Iraq , Iran ,

Turkey , Syria , Lebanon , Israel , Palestine , Jordan , and Egypt ) in the Middle East . Map of the Fertile Crescent region . Source , via Commons ) The Second Agricultural Revolution took place mainly in Britain around 1700 , where it saw an unprecedented increase in land productivity thanks to new crop rotation techniques that improved soil fertility . This increase in productivity and output led to rapid population growth , which provided the workforce needed for the industrial revolution .

By the , economists and scientists were warning about global hunger and widespread famines in countries with rapid population growth such as India . This prompted the Green Revolution , which included the invention of yielding varieties of wheat and rice by American biologist Norman , the adoption of fertilizers and pesticides , and new investments in irrigation and machinery to boost agricultural output worldwide . Should We Be Worried About ?

Source Vox ) Events such as the Ethiopia Famine of which killed million people brought poverty and starvation to the world attention once again in the . This led to the Second Green Revolution , which entails the use of genetic engineering to produce genetically modified ( crops that have a higher yield , nutrition , and resistance ( against drought , diseases , and pests ) For example , genes may be taken from one plant ( daffodil ) and transferred to another plant of interest ( rice ) so the genetically engineered plant ( Golden Rice ) can produce compounds ( or vitamins ( vitamin A ) that are not normally found in that plant . Given the recency of foods , there are concerns about their health and environmental impacts .

Beginning of time Hunting and gathering First Agricultural Revolution 1700 1800 Second Agricultural Revolution 1950 1960 CE Green Revolution 980 Present Second Green Revolution ( Different Agricultural Practices Farming practices can be classified into two broad categories Subsistence Growing food to sustain the farmers and their families , with little to no surplus for sale in the market . These farms tend to be small in size ( acres ) and less mechanized . a Commercial Growing food primarily for sale to markets and food processing companies , rather than consumption . These farms tend to be huge ( 193 acres ) heavily mechanized , and rely on advanced technology ( drones ) in their operation . Extensive agricultural practices Extensive agricultural practices are usually subsistence in nature , and take place in areas with marginal productivity due to poor soils or low rainfall . They require relatively little manpower or capital but require lots ( or extensive amounts ) of land . Shifting cultivation Also known as agriculture . It has been practiced since the start of the First Agricultural Revolution . It is mostly found in tropical areas , where dense vegetation needs to be cut down ( slashed ) and burned to create space and fertilizer ( in the form of ashes ) needed for cultivation . The fields created in this manner can only be sustainably used for three to five years before their nutrients are depleted . Farmers must give the used fields five to twenty years to replenish themselves while repeating the process and farming in new areas . Pastoralism This involves the breeding and herding of animals . It is mainly found in very cold or dry climates ( deserts , where other agricultural practices are not possible . Three types of pastoralism are sedentary pastoralism ( farmers live in villages and herd animals in

nearby pastures ) nomadic pastoralism ( live in tents and constantly travel with their animals over long distances to no particular destination ) and transhumance ( herders with permanent homes who undertake seasonal migrations with their livestock to find pastures or water ) Study the map below to learn the distribution of the extensive and intensive agricultural practices that we are discussing in this section ruin main aunt can I . EAN . mu . WORLD AGRICULTURE Dairying Shilling I mu . rum . and ' Manuel and Fanning I Ins ' near , an ' Ca Fanning Ann crop and ' Drum 10 Home John I sun . In . All . May an hon nu . urn . Intensive agricultural practices Most commercial agricultural practices are examples of intensive agriculture . Compared to extensive agriculture , intensive agriculture requires more capital ( to buy machinery and fertilizers ) and labor , but it also yields more crops per unit of farmland .

Have a look at tractors and their supposed . Who will most likely have access to and from these advanced farming technologies ?

Source News ) Mixed crop and livestock farming Different crops are cultivated in a crop rotation ( plant broccoli in late summer , wheat in late fall , and sweet corn in the spring ) on the same field to use space efficiently and add diversity to the farm . Some livestock and poultry may also be raised on the same farm . Commercial grain farming These farms can be found in areas that are too dry for mixed crop and livestock farming . They are typically very large ( up to acres ) and are found in areas where land is cheap . The most important crop in grain farming is wheat , which is used to produce . Dairy farming The and production of milk for sale at domestic markets and abroad . These farms or dairy plants are often heavily mechanized and located near urban areas ( where the milk is sold ) to minimize spoilage .

Learn how livestock ranching , dairy farming and our diet are contributing to climate change . Source Vox ) Livestock ranching The grazing of many livestock ( pigs , cows , sheep ) over large areas ( open land and confined ) mainly for their meats and dairy products . They are mostly found in arid areas or areas with soils that are unsuitable for cultivating crops . Commercial gardening and fruit farming These farms tend to be smaller ( no larger than 100 acres ) Some of the crops grown on these farms include traditional fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes , lettuce , and onion , as well as nontraditional crops that are increasingly popular , such as asparagus and kale . Mediterranean agriculture This agricultural practice is found in world regions that have a Mediterranean climate , which is characterized by hot and dry summers , and moist and mild winters . These regions are found around the Mediterranean Sea , California , Central Chile , Southern South Africa , and Southern Australia . The main crops produced on these farms include citrus , olives , figs , dates , and grapes . Plantation farming These large ( plantations ) are mostly found in developing countries in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world . They usually specialize in the production of one crop ( coffee , banana , palm oil ) for export purposes . Most of

them are owned and operated by corporations that are headquartered in developed countries . Take a look at the series of maps below to understand where different intensive agricultural practices can be found in the world today . Data source Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ) Powered by Commercial grain farming example Annual Average Wheat Production (

Powered by Commercial grain farming example Annual Average Maize Production ( Powered by Dairy farming example Annual Average Cheese Production ( Powered by Dairy farming example Annual Average Butter Production ( Powered by Livestock ranching example Annual Average Pork Production ( Powered by Livestock ranching example Annual Average Cattle Meat Production ( Powered by Commercial gardening and fruit farming example Annual Average Strawberry Production ( Powered by Commercial gardening and fruit farming example Annual Average Tomato Production ( Powered by Mediterranean agriculture example Annual Average Olive Production ( Powered by

Mediterranean agriculture example Annual Average Orange Production ( Powered by Plantation farming example Annual Average Coffee Production ( Plantation farming example Powered by Annual Average Palm Oil Production ( Geography of Food Production According to the US Department of Agriculture , family farms produced a majority of the country agricultural goods ( 88 ) as of 2019 . Some of the goods produced by these family farms include poultry , grains , and dairy . Meanwhile , farms that are owned and operated by corporations ( also known as ) produced 12 of the country agricultural goods , including products such as beef , vegetables , and fruits . This trend is similar worldwide , where a majority ( 70 ) of the world agricultural lands are managed by family farms according to the United Nations . On commercial farms operated by families or corporations , the choice of farm goods to produce is directly related to their distances from the market or intended customers . This relationship is described in the Von Model , which posits that farms producing highly perishable goods ( milk , cheese , fruits ) will be closest to the market to minimize spoilage and transportation costs , while farms producing less perishable items ( grains , livestock ) will be located The Van Model The dot in the center is the market . The white area closest to it ( produces perishable goods from dairying and commercial gardening ) green ) is the forest for fuel ) yellow )

grows grains ) red ) raises livestock and the outer ( dark green ) region is the wilderness . advantage of the lower land rent away ( Source Erin Silversmith Public domain via from the Commons ) farther from the market to take Food Security And Access Food production has increased in the past decades as a result of the Green Revolution and Second Green Revolution , but food is unevenly distributed in the world , leaving some people without sufficient access to it .

quantities of Tomatoes in World ( Total ) 1994 2020 ZOOM . SOM 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 World World Ama Tomatoes Tomatoes 111 1211 ! quantities of Maize in World ( Total ) 1994 2020 , 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 20182020 World World harvested Maize Maize ' quantities of Wheat in World ( Total ) 1994 2020 BOOM ' 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 World World Ama Wheat Wheat 111 1211 !

quantities of Meat , chicken in World ( Total ) 1994 2030 , 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 3006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 quantities of Meat , cattle in World ( Total ) ITO , I 1998 2000 3002 2004 2006 2010 3013 2014 2016 2018 2020 Meat , cattle quantities of Bananas in World ( Total ) 1994 2020 , 1990 1993 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Bananas Bananas Statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations show that world production for most agricultural commodities has increased over the past decades . Source Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations )

As of 2019 , the world average caloric supply is . In terms of world region , North America leads the world in caloric supply at in 2019 , and Africa trails at . In terms of country , the US leads the world in caloric supply at in 2019 ( a 34 increase from 1961 ) while Zimbabwe trails at ( a 19 decrease from 1961 ) Per capita supply by world region between 1961 and 2019 . Source Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations )

Per capita supply by country between 1961 and 2019 . Source Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( estimated that between 702 and 828 million people in the world faced chronic hunger ( not able to get enough food to maintain a normal , active , and healthy life for one year or longer ) in 2021 . But it is important to recognize that due to the uneven access to food , even in countries with the highest daily caloric intake ( the US ) of its population ( about 13 million households ) experienced food insecurity at some point in the year 2020 , meaning that they lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life . Take a look at other key hunger and food insecurity statistics from the The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report in the interactive slideshow below

A tale of empty plates ( Source Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ) By Wing Cheung , College Keeping the world interesting one map at a time Fundamentals of Human Geography by Wing Cheung is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International ( BY )