5.1

• Two Physical Elements that Shape Agriculture

  • Physical Geography: soil types, land forms, elevation, etc
  • Climate: the long-term weather patterns in a region
• Agriculture is the process by which humans alter the landscape in order to raise crops and livestock for consumption and trade
• Plants and animals need water, therefore water access is essential to agriculture
• ● Cotton needs nutrient rich soil

  ● Sorghum can in grow in nutrient-poor soils such as those in the tropical rainforests
• ● Flat land in large, expansive valleys is great for agriculture

  ● Rugged land requires more labor in order to be useful
• Humans have also altered the physical environment to increase production

  ● Irrigation

  ● Terrace Farming

  ● Deforestation

  ● Draining of wetlands
• Most of the Earth’s surface is suitable for some form of agriculture.

  ● The few exception are those that are considered to be physically extreme (ie: highest elevations and latitudes and those with the highest and lowest precipitation index)
• Level of Development

  ● Access to modern technology influences ability to overcome climatic obstacles


  ○ The tomato market was once dominated by sunny Florida and California is not competing with Canadian indoor growing operations
• Food Preference

  ● Southwest Asia's climate is great for raising hogs

  ● However, in a predominantly Muslim and Jewish region, most

  people have a religious objection to pork and therefor farmers choose to raise other animals
• Substinance agriculture

  The primary goal of subsistence agriculture is to raise enough food or livestock to meet the immediate needs of the farmer and his family
• Substance agriculture


  ● Mostly in less developed regions

  ● Limited land and access to advanced technology
• Commercial Agriculture 


  The primary goal for commercial agriculture is to grow enough crops or livestock to sell for profit.
• Commercial Agriculture


  ● More common in developed countries but can be found in some semi-periphery countries like China, Mexico, and Brazil

  ● Profit allows access to more land and advanced technology
• Intensive Agriculture : Agricultural practices are those in which farmers or ranchers use large amounts of inputs, such as energy, fertilizers, labor, or machines, to maximize yields
• Extensive Agriculture : Agricultural practices that use fewer amounts of inputs and typically result in less yields
• Intensive Commercial Agriculture

  ● Heavy investments in labor and capital are used to achieve high yields and profits

  ● Capital is the money invested in land, equipment, and machines
• Extensive Commercial Agriculture

  ● Uses low inputs of resources but has the goal of selling the product for profit

  ● Ie: Ranching
• Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

  ● A form of agriculture that is labor and animal intensive

  ● Ie: Rice paddy farms in Southeast Asia- most farming is performed by low-paid human labor rather than machines
• Extensive Subsistence Agriculture

  ● Few inputs are used in this type of agricultural activity

  ● Often practiced in areas that have climatic extremes such as tropical, semi-arid, or arid regions
• Intensive Commercial

  Labor: INTENSIVE Capital: INTENSIVE
• Intensive Commercial 


  Crop: HIGH Livestock: HIGH
• Intensive Subsistence

  Labor: INTENSIVE Capital: NOT INTENSIVE
• Intensive Subsistence

  Crop: LOW Livestock: LOW
• Extensive Commercial


  Labor: NOT INTENSIVE Capital: INTENSIVE
• Extensive Commercial


  Crop: HIGH Livestock: LOW
• Extensive Subsistence


  Labor: INTENSIVE Capital: NOT INTENSIVE
• Extensive Subsistence

  Crop: LOW Livestock: LOW
• Dry lands


  Southwest, North Africa, Central, and East Asia
• Tropical


  Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast and South Asia
• Tropical/Subtropical 


  Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia
• Cold and Warm Mid/Latitude

  Midwest United States and Canada, Central Europe
• Cold-Mid Latitude


  North Central United States, South Central Canada, East Europe
• Warm Mid-Latitude


  Southeast United States, Southeast Australia
• Cold and Warm Mid-Latitude


  Northeast United States, Southeast Canada, Northwest Europe
• Warm Mid-Latitude


  Southern coast of Europe, Northern coast of Africa, Pacific coast of the United States
• Drylands

  Western North America, Southeast South America, Central Asia, Southern Africa
• Warm Mid-Latitude ( intensive Subsistence ) 


  South, Southeast, and East Asia, Near large populations
• Physical Geography: Soil types, land forms, elevation, etc.
• Climate: The long-term weather patterns in a region.
• Agriculture: The process by which humans after the landscape in order to raise crops and livestock for consumption and trade.