topic 6 primary sector

THE PRIMARY SECTOR

UNIT 6

VOCABULARY

• Polyculture• Monoculture• Livestock farming• Forestry

• Silviculture• Intensive agriculture• Extensive agriculture• Aquaculture

THE PRIMARY SECTOR

It includes the activities that obtain resources from nature:

Agriculture

stock breeding

Hunting

Forestry

fishing

mining. Page67. Ex1a, 1c,

2

The Primary sector today

• In most of the countries this number is gradually decreasing.

Over a third of the world’s active population works in the primary sector.

• 4% of total world production in 2008.• The more developed a country is, less importance the

agriculture in GDP has.

The economic importance of the primary sector has decreased:

GDP (Gross domestic product) reflects the economic importance of each sector in one country.

The Primary sector today

Developed countries:

1-6% active population

Contributes less than 4% of GDP.

High productivity:• technological

advances• mechanization

Developing countries:

50% active population

Contributes more than 10%

of GDP.

low productivity:• traditional farming

methods

Non developed countries:

80% active population

more than 50% GDP.

low productivity:• traditional farming

methods

Page67. 1d

FACTORS THAT AFFECT AGRICULTURE

HUMAN FACTORS

Population TechniquesFinal

destination of production

subsistence

commercial

Globalization Agricultural policies

Environmental policies

PHYSICAL FACTORS

Climate Landscape:

Relief (gradient and altitude)

Soil

AGRICULTURE: cultivation of land in order to obtain different kind of plants: grasses (cereals); vegetables, bushes (vines); or trees (olive, fruit trees). They

provide food for people, fodder for cattle and raw materials for industry.

Page 69. 1a

Human factorsFARMING TECHNIQUES

Developed countries

Mechanization and fertilizers

Increasing production

High productivity

Developing countriesTraditional techniques

Low production

FINAL DESTINATION OF PRODUCTION

subsistence agriculture

family consumption

commercial agriculture

market

B

B

B

A

A

A

PHYSICAL FACTORS

CLIMATE

Temperatures: between 9º - 35º

Enough rain

LANDSCAPE

Relief: altitude (decreased os temperatura)

Gradients of terrain above 10º make not possible to

grow.

SOIL

TYPES OF FARMING

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE SUBSITENCE AGRICULTURE

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

TYPES OF AGRICULTURE

•It is a large-scale production of crops for sale, intended for widespread distribution to wholesaler or retail outlet.

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

•It is farming that provides for the farm family's needs with little surplus for marketing.

SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

At the end of 18th century in UK

AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

Change from subsistence system to a COMMERCIAL

agriculture

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

Usually one product (monoculture). Easy use of

machinery. High productivity. Productivity increases

GMO

FertilizersHigh-yield seedsGreenhouses,artificial soils, new irrigation systemsBiotechnology (genetically modified crops)

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE:

EFFECTS

High productivity

Effiency

benefits

prices

marketing

distribution

Page 71. 2 aRead page

71

AGRICULTURE IN LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Traditional agriculturePlantation agriculture

TWO TYPES

TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURESmall plots Extensive polyculture Primitive farming

techniques, manual labour Low productivity Strong dependence on physical factors

Polyculture consists on using multiple crops in a specific land.

PLANTATION AGRICULTUREPlantations are large farms or estates usually located in less developed

tropical countries or areas.

It is a commercial agriculture. They are controlled by multinational companies.

Monoculture higher productivity for export.

CROPS: cotton, tobacco, coffee, tea, sugarcane…

Its origin is in the former colonies (by Spain and Portugal, 16th to 19th

centuries)

CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTATION AGRICULTUREGlobalization has increased the number of plantations in LEDC

They are controlled by foreign companies

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE: requires:large extensions of land

large capital investment

good transport network

abundant cheap labour

modern machinery and techniques

Monoculture

High productivityTo export

AGRICULTURE

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

BENEFITS for Multinational companies:Lower production costs

Low wages

Lower purchase prices

Advantages to LEDC:Jobs creation

Stimulates local economy

New infrastructures:Transport

marketing

New farming techniques are introducedefficiency

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

PROBLEMS IN LEDCsProfits go to

foreign companies

Local workers

Low standar of living

Must leave their land

because they can not

compete

Some countries must to

import food

Environmental impacts (intense

exploitation)

Dependence on world’s

pricesIf prices go

down, wages drop

Unemployement

poverty

Page 73. 1Page 79

ex.1

Look at the mapPage 73. 2-3 to do in class

LIVESTOCK FARMING

It consists of raising animals for food or for economic purposes:

meat, milk, eggs, honey, leather, etc. Some animals are also used as a source of labour

or for breeding.

The most common areCattle sheep pigs

Some farmsconcentrate exclusively on it

Some farmsCombine crops and stock-breeding

Crops are used to feed cattle, and their manure is used to fertilize land.

New technologies and science had achieved two important improvements:

Productivity

Selective breedingSystems for cooling

and freezing (distribution)

LIVESTOCK FARMING

Two types of livestock farming

Related to technology

EXTENSIVE LIVESTOCK FARMING INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK FARMING

LIVESTOCK FARMING

EXTENSIVE LIVESTOCK FARMING

it is practised in both:

• developed and developing countries.

Characteristics:• Large farms where animals graze in natural

pastures• Scarce investment and low productivity

Typical livestock are:

• cattle or sheep

Destination of production• Developed countries: market or commercial

livestock (sale)• Developing: family´s consumption (subsistence)

It is found in:• Areas with big pastures• Central and western US, The Pampa of Argentina,

Australia or Republic of South Africa.

INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK FARMING

This is also called industrial livestock farming

Typical of developed countries.CHARACTERISTICS:Specialization in one animal

species

High productivity

Large investments

Stabled (feeding controlled) or semi-stabled (pastures)

Intended for sale at marktets

Typical livestock; poultry, pigs and cattle.

It is practised: EU, Eastern US, Canada, New Zeland…

ADVANTAGESIncrease food production

DISADVANTAGESEnvironmental damages: manure: methane gas

INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK FARMING

Page 75. ex 1a, 1b,

THE FOREST INDUSTRYForestryIt is the science or work of cultivating,

maintaining, and developing forests. It´s the management of

forests and their resources

provide products such as

Wood

rubber Cork

Their uses are

Construction

Paper and furniture industry

Wood production is conditioned by

the climate.

Most wood comes from rainforest and tropical forests, and northern

temperate forests.

FORESTS

CONIFEROUS FOREST, FINLAND

LEAFY FOREST, CANADA

AMAZON RAINFOREST, BRAZIL

SILVICULTURE• A silvicultural system is the process of tending, harvesting and regenerating a forest in order to prevent trees from disappearing.

• Forest exploitation is scientifically controlled.

Page 75. ex 1f

REFORESTATION• It is the process of planting

new trees in areas where they have been removed by cutting or destroyed by fire, disease, etc.

• PLANTATION FORESTS

AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES

They are the result of agricultural activities which transform natural landscape and environment.

• some are in relation with climate conditions

• others with human activities.

Some different factors make them possible:

AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE MODIFIERS ELEMENTS

Plots

Size

Shape

Crops production system

Extensive

Intensive

Crops diversity

Water needs:

Dry

Irrigated

Crops

Monoculture

Polycuture

PLOTS

Number of plots:

• one or more plots form an exploitation (1 owner)

Size:

• Openfield (big fields, no fences)

• Bocage (small fields, fenced plots)

Shape:

• Regular• Irregular

an area of land that has been measured and is considered as a unit

c

c

CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEM

INTENSIVE:

Modern techniques

High yield in developed countries.

EXTENSIVE:

Traditional techniques:

fallow

Lower yield

• A land is not planted with crops, in order to improve the quality of the soil

FALLOW:

CROPS IN RELATION WITH WATER

DRY:

Just rainwater

IRRIGATED:

Artificial methods of

irrigation: drip irrigation,

canals, channels,

sprinklers...• Winter wheat• corn• beans• Sunflowers• grapes• tomatoes• pumpkins• beans

DRY CROPS

CROP PRODUCTION

Monoculture

It is found when there is just one crop cultivated.

Polyculture

It is found when there are more than one crop cultivated.

COM

MO

N A

GRIC

ULT

URAL

PO

LICY

(C

AP)

European law focus on the needs of primary sector.

OBJECTIVE led Europe to compete in a global market

MEASUREMENTS:

Improve competitiviness

Ensure healthy food production

Improve halthy and walfare of animals

Respect the environment

Achieve sustaineble and dynamic rural economy

RURAL HABITATS

• Small number of buildings

• Agricultural or dormitory function

• Low density• Close community• Small number of

services• In countryside

In general, we can distinguish two types of habitat:

Scattered: houses are among the fields.

Concentrated: houses are grouped together.

RURAL HABITATS

SCATTERED

Dispersed

CONCENTRATED

Nucleated

Page 77. ex 1, 2aPage 77. ex 1, 2a

CONCENTRATED COMMUNITIES (nucleated)

• Are more common• Easy access to common services:• Transport, schools, health centre…

• Favourable locations*: places with easier access to water, good soil, plains, sunny slopes…

• Good transportation infrastructures

* Rememeber Topic: Settlements

• Near the coast• Traditional methods.• Self-consumption or sale at

local markets.• Important source of food in

LECDs

• It is carried out near the coast in small or medium size boats.

• The boats use refrigerated compartments or ice to preserve the catch.

• It takes place at sea, on large “factory-ships”.

• Modern techniques are used.• Facilities to clean, cut,

package and freeze the cath.• They usually stay at sea for

weeks.

FISHING

Fishing is the activity of catching aquatic animals. It is part of the primary sector of the economy.

COMMERCIAL FISHING: about 75% of the total world catch is for human consumption.

25% is used as raw material for other industries.

Fishing types are classified by where they take place:

Coastal fishing Inshore fishing Offshore fishing

Page 87 ex 1

• It is an important problem. It can cause:– Species disappearance– Damage the environment

• Due to harsh, agressive and invasive techniques

• Fishing grounds are areas where fish naturally concentrate.• The best ones are along continental shelves.

Where are fish caught?

• Access to fishing grounds is controlled by international maritime law.

• Coastal states have exclusive legal rights to marine resources up to 370 km from their coasts. This is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

• Governments must make agreements to fish in another country’s EEZ.

FISHING GROUNDS

Page 78. ex 1 a, c, 2a

Aquaculture*

• AQUAFARMING• Aquaculture is the farming of

aquatic organisms in both coastal and inland areas involving interventions in the rearing process to enhance production.

• It is probably the fastest growing food-producing sector and now accounts for 50 percent of the world's fish that is used for food.

*

Zhejiang, Exper. Centre for Aquaculture production Intensive production in warm water. (24-27 °C)

Aquaculture centre, quin Pu District. Pearl-mussels (Hyriopsis cumingii)

Page 80. ex a, b, f