10.4 + 10.5

Agriculture Deliberate modification of the Earth through cultivation of plants &

domestication of animals to obtain sustenance or economic

gain

Tending crops & raising of livestock to produce food & fiber

AGRIBUSINESS

Direct consumption of

food by a local

population, usually small

scale & low technology

Subsistence

Agriculture

Purpose of selling products for

money which goes to the market (off the farm) often with the

use of technology

often producing only 1 crop for a

profit

Commercial

Agriculture

Agriculture & Rural Land Use – Key Topics

Subsistence vs. Commercial Subsistence Farming

Commercial Farming

Typically, what kind of countries?

Amount of farmers?

Where is the food produced consumed?

What is the purpose of food?

Who owns the land & farm size?

Use of machinery

5 ways to distinguish commercial from subsistence agriculture:

1. Purpose of farming

2. Percentage of farmers in the labor force

3. Use of machinery

4. Relationship of farming to other businesses

5. Farm size

Classifying Agricultural Regions

Percentage of Farmers in Labor Force• MDC’s less than one-tenth of workers engaged directly in farming

•Only 2% in United States and Canada

•Number declined dramatically during 20th century

•Push factor – lack of opportunity to earn $$$$$

• Pull factor – higher-paying jobs in urban areas

•LDC’s = developing 44% directly farm

•Note: number is decreasing as they become more industrialized

Why?

Developing states: perform labor by hand tools & animal power

Evolved from wood to metal use (iron)

Transportation Improvements

Goal: reach market farther & faster

Railroads (18th century) & highways/trucks (20th century)

Scientific Advances

Goal: increase productivity & higher crop yield

New fertilizers, herbicides, hybrid plants, animal breeds, etc.

Electronics – use GPS & satellite imagery:

Determine precise coordinates for spreading different types of & amounts of

fertilizers + location of cattle

Use of Machinery

Tractors, per cropland

Fig. 10-4: Tractors per 1000 hectares of cropland. Use of machinery is extensive in most

MDC agriculture, but it is much less common in LDCs.

Commercial farms - U.S. & Canada large & family owned

Influenced by corporations

Large size due to mechanization

Combines, pickers & other machinery perform efficiently at large scales

RESULT: Expensive business!

U.S. has fewer farms and farmers than 1900, but land devoted to agriculture increased (13%) due to irrigation & reclamation

U.S. farmland on decline due to expansion of urban areas urban expansion

Lose 1.2 million hectares per year

Farm Size

Classifying Agricultural Regions Subsistence Agriculture = Developing states

Food produced for farmer’s family & local community

Grow only enough food to survive

Lack of technology: equipment, fertilizers, etc.

Small amount of land & communal ownership

LDCs large %of labor

Commercial Agriculture –food produced for sale off the farm found largely in MDC’s

Agribusiness – integration of different steps in the food-processing industry bylarge corporations for commercial purposes Use advanced technology in: seed production, food processing, packaging, storing, distributing,

marketing, and retail U.S. labor = 1% farmers U.S. labor = 20% labor in food production & agribusiness

Farm no longer the center of agricultural activity What economic activities are involved?

Intensification of mechanization Huge farms with less workers

New machinery mechanical tractors, combines, etc.

Elaborate irrigation systems How will this affect aquifers? _________________________

Rise of industrial farming & mass production of agricultural products Due to mechanization and mass production,

most farms are now highly industrialized and automated

Results: more steps in the agricultural process

Commercial Agriculture

10.2 + 10.3

• Diet

– Total Consumption of Food

– Source of Nutrients

• Nutrition and Hunger

– Dietary Energy Needs

– Undernourishment

Different types of Cereals

Why Do People Consume Different Foods? Diet

Dietary energy consumption - amount of food that an individual consumes Kilocalorie (kcal) or calorie = unit of measurement of dietary energy

Top calorie consumption: meats & cereal grains (wheat, rice, & maize)

Food consumption varies around the world- In total amount & source of nutrients:

1. Level of economic development- __________________ states tend to consume more food &

from different sources

2. Physical conditions = climate- Climate influences growing seasons- __________________ states food is shipped long distances

3. Cultural preferences - Preferences & avoidances (taboo)

Dietary Energy by Source

What are key areas of consumption? What kind of climate would they have? -WHEAT ___________________________________________________________________-RICE ______________________________________________________________________-MAIZE ____________________________________________________________________-Other crops : Venezuela - sugarSub-Saharan Africa – cassava, sorghum, millet, plantains, sweet potatoes & yams

Why Do People Consume Different Foods?

Source of Nutrients

Variance (quantity & quality) in source of protein consumed between developed & developing states

Protein essential for growth & maintenance of human body

Developed Countries

Leading source of protein is meat products 1/3 of daily intake

Beef

Pork

Poultry

Where is the meat from? _____________________________

Developing Countries

Leading source of protein is cereal grains (corn, wheat, & rice) 1/10th of daily intake

Protein by Source

People get most of their protein from meat in developed countries and from cereals in

developing countries.

Protein from Meat

The percentage of protein from meat is much higher for people in developed

countries than for those in developing countries.

How many kcal are in a Big Mac? Compare with average caloric intake in Africa?

Why Do People Consume Different Foods? Nutrition and Hunger

Food security – physical, social, & economic access at all times to safe & nutritious food sufficient to meet dietary needs & food preferences

for an active & healthy life.

1/8 of world do not have food security

Goal: individual consume 1,800 kcal per day (adjusted for age, sex, & region)

Worldwide consumption 2,800 kcal per day MDCs consume 2x average

Undernourishment - dietary energy consumption that is

continuously below the minimum requirement for maintaining a healthy

life and carrying out light physical activity.

UN estimates 870 million people in world are undernourished.

99% located in developing countries especially in _____________________

Total number of undernourished people worldwide has not changed much in several decades.

Largest decrease in East Asia (China) & SE Asia (Myanmar & Vietnam)

Largest increases in South Asia & Sub-Saharan Africa

Distribution of Undernourishment

More than half

of the world’s

undernourished

people are in

South Asia and East Asia.

Leading undernourished regions?_____________________________________________

Less than 5 percent of the population is undernourished in developed

countries compared to 15 percent in developing countries.

NOURISHMENT South Asia has seen the largest increase in number of undernourished people.