Agricultural MovementAgricultural MovementAgricultural MovementAgricultural Movement

Agricultural Development Agricultural Development

• First Agricultural Revolution • creation of farming (hunting gathering to farming)

• Invention of the plough

• Second Agricultural Revolution • More effective use of land – intensive vs. extensive cropping systems.

– Intensive: involves farming small amounts of land and labour intensive (Fruits and Vegetables).

– Extensive: involves large amounts of land with limited labour. Machines do most of the work (grain production).

• The introduction of steam powered tractors, diffusion of crop types, fertilizers, specialization (1600-1870s)

• Green Revolution • Development of High Yield Varieties (wheat) (1945 – 1970)

• Second Green Revolution • Biotechnology, GMOs, agribusiness, corporations, globalization. (1990- present date)

Food Production Food Production

The production of food depends on the following factors:

• Environmental • climate, soils, topography

• Technological• irrigation, fertilizer: pesticides (insects), herbicides (weeds)

and storage of food

• Economical/Political • pricing, trade, export/import, tariffs, subsidies, distribution,

taxes etc.

Factors Required: Environmental

Climate• Solar energy or heat requirement.

– This is measured by the length of the ‘Growing Season’ (the number of months over 5.50 C.)

• Moisture requirement. – This is measured in the amount of Precipitation.

– Evapotranspiration. This is the movement of water from the soil into the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants.

• Topography• Flat land is best for uniform crop growth.

Food Production Food Production

Factors Required: Environmental

Soil Fertility• Soil is a complex substance that includes minerals, living and decaying

organic materials, water and air.

• The amount of decaying organic material (Humus) is the most important determines the soil’s fertility.

• Organisms are highly beneficial for farming. Earthworms are needed for soil aeration and bees of course for pollination.

• Poor agricultural practices such as excessive cultivation of the land leads to unproductive soil.

Food Production Food Production

TechnologiesTechnologies

Ancient IrrigationThe Roman Aqueductshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN1v5FYkTLQ&NR=1

Modern Irrigationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j120rdlLDDU&feature=related

Fertilizers: any substance such as manure or a mixture of nitrates used to make soil more fertile.

Chemical Fertilizers: are products designed to help restore or add nutrients to the soil.

- Positive aspects are the increase in yield and it’s assistance in providing nutrients to soil that may not be available.

- Negative aspect are chemical accessing water table, accessing the plant and diminishing soil fertility.

Pesticides and Herbicides: any substance intended to prevent, destroy or control pests in the production process (mice/rats/weeds).

Issue: most insecticides and herbicides reach a destination other than their target species, including non-target species, air, water and soil.

• Aquaculture:Aquaculture: the harvesting of fish in control environments.

• Fish are usually grown in large tanks.

• Hydroponics:Hydroponics: the growing of crops without the use of soil.

• The medium used is water. • Mostly done in greenhouses.

• Agribusiness: companies like Kraft Foods own all aspects of making a product like cheese.

• From the diary farm, the farm that grows the food for the cows, the processing and packaging plants.

• Rainmaking: production of rain by artificial means now generally disregarded, though it is probable that rainmaking increases rainfall from clouds suitable for natural rainfall.

• Interest spurred by drought and the need for irrigation water.

Economical / Political

Economy – Controlling PricesEconomy – Controlling PricesTThe developed world controls the economy and trade and will

not allow the developing world to compete.

•Tariffs: Tax placed on imported goods to allow the domestic goods to compete (E.g.The Ivory Coast and Cocoa).

•Subsidize: Governments in developed countries give money to their farmers to keep the prices of certain products down.

• Outcome: more competitive in the world market.

• Less developed countries cannot compete (fair Trade)

•Aid: The developed countries will aid the developing countries in food supplies.

• The aid is often has restrictive conditions attached to it. » (cheaper minerals, military base in country).

• Absentee landlords: In many countries the rich own the land and they either leave the land alone or they rent it out to ‘peasant farmers’.

• Land Holdings: The U.S.S.R. had a system (Collective farming) where the government owned the land and the farmers worked there much like a factory.

• This system proved to be disastrous since the farmer had no incentive to improve the land.

• Infrastructure: The developing world lacks electricity, roads, trucks, railways, storage facilities and distribution networks (difficult to distribute).

• Communist Countries: set the price for food.• there is no incentive for the farmer to improve his/her output.

• Capitalist Countries: Price is dependent on Supply and Demand. • Rich countries can manipulate this and in turn control the price by storing the surplus food,

destroying the surplus or government paying farmers NOT to grow more.

• Why not give extra food as aid to starving people?

Few places in the world are ‘PERFECT’ for farming

• Only 9% of the earth is cultivated.

• One fear is the expansion of cities. • Cities tend to locate near cultivated land.

• Once city starts to grow, valuable farmland is lost. Burlington, Toronto, Niagara

• Most of the time there is some “deficiency” in one or more of the factors mentioned.

– Farmers must work at overcoming them.