Chapter 11 Notes
Changing Greens
Organic Agriculture is the production of crops without using any artificial chemicals. The sales of organic agriculture have exponentially increased in the US from $200 million in 1980 to $24.8 billion in 2009. Experts predict it will make up 10% of food sales in the US within a decade.
What Is Agriculture?
The US, Canada, Japan, Europe, and Australia are the biggest exporters of organic foods. Organic agriculture has helped small farmers avoid larger corporations. Also, organic foods are better for the environment.
Agriculture is deliberate tending of crops and livestock to produce food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Primary Economic Activities are farming, fishing, ranching, mining, and forestry. Secondary Economic Activities are manufacturing into things like toys and chemicals.
Tertiary Economic Activity is activity that connects consumers with workers, such as a banker. Quaternary and Quinary Economic Activities are, respectively, activities that involve the exchange of info or money, and activities that involve higher education and research.
Before agriculture, hunting and gathering was the main way to get food. This involved shooting deer with a bow, or taking nuts from a tree. People used tools they made from trees, plants, and other inanimate objects around them. For example, they would use a tree branch as a clubs.
Plant Domestication began over 14000 years ago in Southeast Asia, along with root crops. Root Crops are crops that are reproduced by cultivating the roots or cuttings from the plants. Another type of crop is seed crops, which are plants that are reproduced by cultivating seeds. The First Agricultural Revolution began with the cultivation of seed crops.
Some think animal domestication came before plant domestication, but others think it could be as new as 8000 years. As people became more inactive, they turned to animal domestication. When animals are put into pens, they become more tame at birth because they are shielded from predators.
Subsistence Agriculture is when people grow enough food for themselves and don't sell it. This type of agriculture has been most prominent throughout history. Some subsistence farmers use a method called shifting cultivation, which is moving from place to place for better land.
How Has Industrialization Affected Agriculture?
The Second Agricultural Revolution helped start the Industrial Revolution, because it allowed fewer people to make food for many people so other people could work in factories. This revolution involved innovations to technology and techniques, along with new crops.
Von Thunen's model of agriculture shows how different areas produce different things based on there distance to the demand of the item. Closest to the center, or the demand, is market gardening and dairying. Outside of that is forest. Then, it is heavier field crops. Finally, ranching and livestock are furthest from the center.
The Third Agricultural Revolution, aka the Green Revolution, started in the 1930s. It was started when scientists figured out how to genetically modify plants to grow bigger. Scientists around the world genetically modified plants to fit their areas and significantly improved many economies.
GMOs are genetically modified organisms. They got big during the Green Revolution. Today, they are found in 75% of foods in the US. The US is also the biggest user of them. Some areas question the safety of GMOs, and refrain from using them.
Rural life has been directly impacted by commercial agriculture. Labor conditions, land agreements, etc. have changed with political and agricultural changes. In some parts of Asia, women now have much more time to do housework due to industrialized farming.
How Is Agriculture Geographically Organized?
Commercial Agriculture began in the 18th century in Europe. Europeans bought things from countries they had colonized for a very low price, and sold them around the world for a much higher price. The result of this process was monoculture, which is dependence on a singular agricultural commodity.
Climate plays a big role in agriculture, and the Koppen Climate Classification System classifies climates based on precipitation and temperature. It gives another insight on climatic regions, which are areas with similar climatic characteristics. It is an extremely complex map that takes a long time to fully understand. There is a clear correlation between climate and food output.
Colonialism sparked a decrease in subsistence agriculture because it promoted commercial agriculture so the crops could be sold around the world. Plantation Agriculture is when cash crops are grown on large estates. Plantations are colonial legacies that persist in poorer, tropical countries. Plantations are often owned by large corporations, and are very commercialized.
Crops aren't the only things that can be commercialized. Livestock can also be commercialized, and commercial livestock are often genetically modified. Livestock Ranching is the raising of domesticated animals for the production of meat and byproducts, like wool.
Mediterranean Agriculture refers to a very unique climatic zone in the Mediterranean. In this rare condition, grapes, citrus fruits, olives, figs, certain vegetables, dates, and more are grown. Many of these products are then turned into wine.
Drug Agriculture is not well represented on particular maps. Periphery countries grow large amounts of coca, marijuana, and poppy, and the growth of these plants is increasing. Throughout Mexico, there are many different drug cartels that have influence over different areas. As drug laws have been more strongly enforced, much of the drug production has moved to Northern Mexico. The laws aren't as strict and it is easy to export to the US.
Cash Crops are crops meant specifically to make a profit. One example of this is cotton. Luxury Crops are crops that are usually bought by core countries. The largest example of this is coffee, a bean who's sales are rapidly increasing. Cash and luxury crops are sold by Agribusinesses*, which are businesses that provide a vast array of goods and services to support the agricultural industry.