Agriculture (3)

Advantages of GM Farming and Crops

- Crops are all uniform in shape which may make storage and transport easier and/or appeal to customers. - The growing season is often shorter and can often be possible to have two or more crop seasons per year. - Crops maybe drought resistant so less water is used in their production. - It maybe possible GM crops in areas previously deemed unsuitable for farming.

What do food shortages encourage?

- Food aid - Measure to increase output eg GM crops or the green revolution

Advantages of the Green Revolution

- HYV did increase food production and made countries like India more self-sufficient - Food prices began to fall making them more affordable for the poor - More crops could be grown because of the shorter growing seasons - The yields were more reliable Different crops were grown adding variety to local diet - There were surpluses so crops could then be traded commercially - Many farmers became wealthier

Human inputs of farming

- Labour (workers) - Captial (money) - Machinery (tractors, combine harvesters, etc.) - Buildings (barns, silos) - Seed to grow crops - Social structures - Government influence - Market influence - Irrigation - Animal feed - Fertilisers and pesticides - Calves, Chicks, piglets, etc. (small animals bought to rear and later sell)

What's the difference between extensive and intensive farming?

Extensive Normally a larger farm Relatively few inputs per hectare Relatively few workers per hectare Relatively low yields per hectare Intensive Normally a smaller farm Relatively high inputs per hectare Relatively high number of workers per hectare Relatively high yields per hectare

Commercial Farming

Farming for the purpose of making a profit. eg cairy farming/market gardening/plantations/ranching/any named crop or animal.

How can you improve subsistence agriculture?

The cycle must be broken

Agriculture

The production of crops and or livestock.

Pastoral Farming

The rearing of animals

Solutions to Famine and Land Degradation

- Crop Rotation and Fallow Periods: By using different crops and allowing the land to rest it gives nutrients and minerals chance to return to soil making it more fertile and hopefully increase yields over longer periods. - Desalination: Taking water from the sea and removing the salt to make it good for drinking and agricultural uses. If more water is available it is then possible to water arid areas of land and hopefully increase crop production. - Irrigation: This means watering the land. By irrigating more arid areas we should be able to increase agricultural output. - Reforestation and afforestation: By foresting areas of land it can ensure that the nitrogen cycle (nutrients) is maintained, it can increase the stability and integrity of the soil and it can form a wind break from erosion and finally prevent flash floods. All these factors should improve the quality of the soil and hopefully crop yields. - Fertilisers and Pesticides: Although overuse of fertilisers and pesticides can damage the soil and pollute nearby water courses, if they are used properly they should improve the amount of nutrients present in the soil. - GM Crops: Some people believe GM crops could drastically reduce famine by increasing yields by allowing crops to grow more quickly, grow bigger, be more drought and disease resistant. - Improved Distribution of Crops: It is argued that there is currently enough food to feed everyone but it is not distributed evenly. Governments, charities and organisations like the WFP (World Food Programme) can try and distribute food more evenly so no one goes hungry. - Population Policies: By reducing population growth, especially in areas with low agricultural output, we should be able to reduce shortages of food and therefore famine.

What are problems caused by monoculture?

- Disease: If you only grow one crop, they can be wiped out if they are attacked by a disease or parasite. If you have a mixture of crops then other should survive if one is attacked. - Price Fluctuations: Because cash crops are traded globally, their prices can fluctuate with changes in supply and demand. Therefore if you are only growing one crop and the price collapses, then you lose the majority of your income. - Changing Demands: Again if you only grow one crop and the demand for that crop changes, then you potentially lose all of your income. For example if you grow only coffee and every suddenly stops drinking coffee because of the fear of caffeine then you could lose all of your income. - Natural disasters: Some crops are more vulnerable to natural disasters than others. For examples frost can destroy fruits, grains can be flooded by rain, bananas can be damaged by hurricanes. Therefore it is better to grow a variety of crops as to minimise the risk of damage.

Disadvantages of the Green Revolution

- Large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides were needed that could then pollute water sources - The HYV were more susceptible to disease and drought - More water had to be diverted to growing the crops - Many poorer farmers could not afford to buy the more expensive HYV seed - Mechanisation has taken place leading to unemployment - Many natural varieties lost - Countries and farmers became dependent of foreign companies for the supply of seed.

Problems caused by drought and famine

- Livestock deaths: When there is a shortage of water and food, animals are the first to go without, so animals will start to die. This makes the famine even worse because there is less meat, eggs, milk, etc. - Crop failure: Drought can cause crops to fail, but also when there is famine people often become too weak to work on the land so less crops are grown and the famine worsens. - Illness: When there is s shortage of food and water, people become weak from undernourishment (lack of food) and are more vulnerable to getting sick. - Death: Severe drought and famine will eventually lead to death. It is usually the very old, young or already sick that die first. - Conflict: If the resources of food and water are declining, fighting over these resources is likely to increase, especially between different tribes and countries. - Loss of Education: When drought happens people have to travel further to find food and water. They also become sicker. Both of these factors can impact students and teachers. Who it affects it means that people are either unable to go to school or have no one to teach them once they are at school. - Loss of income: If people are unable to work they are unable to work and earn money. Also many countries that suffer from famine have large primary sectors. Famine normally means that the primary sector (farming) has collapsed and people have nothing to sell to make money.

Economic and political causes of food shortages

- Low capital investment - Poor transport: This reduces productivity - farmer in remote areas find it difficult to receive supplied and information about possible improvements to farming practices and processes. Also, they cannot sell surpluses easily and are therefore less likely to raise any capital and more likely to remain poor - Wars: The conflict forces people to leave their homes and become refugees, this will affect their ability to make long term investment in increased food production - Increased use of biofuel: Land used for food production was changed to produced crops for biofuel production instead. This led to increase in world food prices and decreases in the food supply

Disadvantages of GM Farming and Crops

- Native/natural species may die as a result because they can't compete with the stronger GM crops. - The taste is often not as good because they have been grown quicker and often grown for appearance rather than taste. - It can lead to the development of super weeds to compete with the stronger GM crops - No one knows the long term affects on humans

Social Causes of Famine

- Overpopulation: The growing population of the world means that demand for food is increasing. Unfortunately the supply of food is not always matching this demand. This is a problem that Malthus predicted. - Overgrazing: By trying to graze too many cattle on land, all the vegetation can be eaten. This reduces the integrity of the soil and can cause topsoil erosion and soil degradation. - Overcultivation: Trying to grow much on land can cause its degradation by using all the nutrients and not giving them time to recover. If the land becomes degraded then the yields decline. - Deforestation: By deforesting large areas of woodland, then again the integrity of the soil can be damaged as well as its source of nutrients. This can cause soil degradation and erosion, both leading to reduced yields. Pollution: Farming and industrial pollution can both degrade the land and reduce yields of crops. - Conflict: When fighting takes place, it is often men that fight removing them from farming duties and therefore reducing yield. Also conflict can also make the land to dangerous to farm (mines) or degrade the soil because of chemical or biological warfare. - Corruption: Sometimes government officials or armies can use crops for themselves or their own needs leading the general population to go hungry.

Outputs of farming

- Profits - Meat products (lamb, beef, chicken, pork) - Wool (normally from sheep) - Milk (normally from cows) - Waste e.g. animal excrement - Methane (mainly from cows) - Crops (corn, wheat, carrots, potatoes, etc.)

Processes of farming

- Rearing: This is the caring for and support of animals to maturity. - Shearing: The removing of wool from animals, normally sheep. - Ploughing: Turning over the land and preparing it for planting seeds. - Fertilising: Adding chemicals to the soil to try and make it more fertile. - Weeding: Removing alien plants (plants other than the crops your are growing) from crop fields. - Irrigating: Watering the land. - Cultivating: To care for and grow crops. - Application of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and irrigation - Harvesting: The collection of crops at the end of the growing season. - Slaughtering: The killing of animals once they have reached maturity and are ready to sell. - Planting/Sowing: Putting seeds into the ground. - Storage and transporting to market

Environmental causes of food shortages

- Soil exhaustion; It leads to low crop yield. It is a result of overcropping and monoculture. Insufficient fertiliser and mature are added to replace the lost materials. Heavy rainfall also results in the leaching of minerals - Drought - Floods: Serious flooding can lead to the complete loss of a years harvest - Pests: Various pests can destroy the crops in the fields - Disease: A variety of disease can destroy crops on the fields or during storage - Temperature: Temperatures that are too hot or too cold can both kill crops and animals. Most crops need steady and reliable temperatures. (CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE) - Rainfall: If there is a shortage of rainfall then most crops will die or need extra irrigation. If water to irrigate is not available then crops will begin to die and yields reduce. - Natural Disasters: Natural disasters like hurricanes, tsunamis and volcanoes can destroy large areas of agricultural land. They can also kill or injure farmers. Both factors reduce yields.

Physical inputs of Farming

- Soil: If soil is fertile then arable farming is likely to take place, if it is less fertile and can only support grass then pastoral farming is likely to take place. - Precipitation: Water that helps water the crops. - Sun: Energy to help plants and animals to grow. - Alluvium: This is mineral and nutrient rich sediment (load) that is transported by rivers and deposited on floodplains in times of flood. - Flood water: Floods not only bring alluvium but also water to keep the ground moist. - Relief: If land is flat then it is easier for arable farming to take place. If land is hilly then pastoral farming is more likely to take place. - Drainage: It is important that fields are well drained so they are not permanently flooded. Apart from rice most crops and animals can't survive being permanently submerged. - Climate: Determines the type of crops and species of live stock

How can surpluses occur?

- Subsidies: Financial help may allow a farmer to increase his inputs (land, machinery, irrigation, etc.) which will allow them to produce more crops. - Favourable natural inputs: Farms or countries may have ideal conditions to grow certain crops. The relief of the land, the fertility of the land and weather may all be perfect. Some years may also be better than others because of hot summers or absence of frost which makes certain years better than other creating surpluses. - Main sector of the economy: For countries where farming is the main sector of the economy then greater support and help will be put into the farming sector giving it a better chance to produce surpluses for sale. - Crop varieties: The use of new varieties like - - GM crops may increase yields and lead to surpluses. - Farming techniques/practices: New farming techniques like greater use of fertilisers, irrigation or crop rotation may increase yields.

What are the problems with shifting cultivation?

- The killing or disturbance of flora and fauna. - The breaking of the nitrogen cycle, causing soil to lose its fertility very quickly - Breaking the stability of the soil and causing top soil erosion. Tree roots are very good at holding soil in place. If you remove these roots then water and wind erosion is more likely to happen. - More flash floods caused by the reduced interception, faster saturation of ground and increased surface run-off. - Silting of rivers caused by top soil being washed into rivers. The silt can then be washed into the seas blocking shipping channels or damaging reefs.

How can subsistence farmers increase their yields to make more money?

- Use HYV or GM crops: These should increase the average yield, but the crops can be expensive to buy. Also intensive farming may degrade the quality of the soil overtime. - Buy more land: Not always possible but if a farmer has money (maybe a micro loan) then he could try and buy extra land. - Land reform: Changing traditional practices of dividing land into smaller and smaller profits can ensure that plots of land remain big enough to make farming sustainably. - Use fertlisers and pesticides: Use fertilisers so it is possible to grow more intensively and use pesticides to stop plants being killed by infestations. - Two crops: In some countries it is possible to grow two sets of crops each year (these might be the same crops or different crops). Even if climatic conditions are favourable by changing some of the inputs like irrigation and drainage then it may become possible. - Modern machinery: Using machinery might not always be possible of small plots of land, but it maybe possible if neighbouring farmers are cooperating. Machinery should make farming more efficient and may increase yields by ploughing better and harvesting quicker. - Irrigation: By watering crops more frequently it maybe possible to grow crops over a longer season, grow for two seasons or farm land that was previously too arid. - Cooperatives: By joining together with nearby farmers, farmers can share technology and possibly even land to try and increase production. - Terracing: By terracing on hillsides farmers - maybe able to increase the size of their land. Terracing can also reduce the use of water.

Livestock

Animals that are domesticated and reared on a farm.

How does the amount of these factors: capital, land, labour, machinery and tools, seeds, market influence, fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, irrigation in dry areas change between commercial farming and subsistence farming?

Capital: C - Lots S - Little Land: C - Large S - Small Labour: C - paid labour S - family labour Machinery and tools: C - Much use for all processes S - Hand tools Seeds: C - improved varieties and hybrids S - Left over seeds from last year's crop Market influence: C - Production is geared to current market demand and prices S - No market influence Fertilisers: C - Generally used S - Used less Pesticides and herbicides: C - Generally used S - Used much less Irrigation in dry areas: C - Complex systems S - Either none or low tech

Cash Crops

Crops that are normally grown in large plantations for the purpose of selling (making a profit). Cash crops are often grow in LEDCs and refer to things like bananas, tea, rubber, coffee beans, cocoa beans and palm oil, but they can also refer to corn, wheat, barley, etc. grown in MEDCs. Cash crops are sometimes referred to as commodities.

Shifting cultivation

Farming that involves clearing an area of land (deforestation) in order to farm. Shifting cultivation is usually small-scale subsistence farming. Once the land is cleared farming will take place. However, without its normal source of nutrients (rotting plant and animal matter) the soil soon becomes infertile and the farmers are forced to move onto a new location. Shifting cultivation is very common amongst indigenous groups in rainforests.

Subsistence Farming

Farming that involves only rearing enough animals and/or growing enough crops to support immediate friends and family.

Shifting Cultivation

Farming that moves from one location to another every couple of years.

Mixed Farming

Farming that rears animals and cultivates (grows) crops.

Sedentary Farming

Farming that takes places in a permanent location. The farm and the farmer stays in the same place every year.

GM Farming and Crops

Genetically modified crops are crops that have their genes altered to improve quality and/or quantity

Nomadic

Nomadic simply means moving from place to place. Subsistence farmers who practice shifting cultivation (slash and burn farming) are nomadic because they move locations every few years.

Mechanisation

Replacing humans with machine. Commercial farms will use more equipment like tractors and combine harvesters.

Subsidies

Subsidies are financial help given to industries to make their production cheaper. The EU gives many of its farmers subsidies in order to protect tradition, to be self sufficient and to protect from foreign competition.

Aquaculture

The farming of aquatic (water based) plants and animals e.g. mussels, fish and seaweed.

Arable Farming

The growing of crops.

Green Revolution

The introduction of modern western style farming techniques in LEDCs during the late 1960's and 1970's.

Slash and burn farming

The process of cutting down areas of forest and then burning the stubble/roots in order to farm. Because land will become infertile very quickly, slash and burn farmers will move land every few years.

Explain why a lack of capital is an issue that prevents many subsistence farmer form increasing their output?

There are few machines, seeds thy are left over form the previous year is sued for the next year, which prevents the use of improved varieties. The only fertiliser used might be animal manure. Where irrigation is used, very low technology systems are in place. For these reasons there a low/decreased out puts which leads to little surplus, no capital invest because of the little surplus so no fertiliser or improved seeds and thus, decreasing soil fertility and yields which will cause low/decreased outputs.

Monoculture

This is the growing of only one type of crop.

Surpluses

This is when you have an excess of crops. A surplus for a subsistence farmer will mean that they can sell it at market and make a profit. A surplus for a commercial farmer may mean that they have too much to sell and may dump it as aid on an LEDC or simply throw it away.

Diversification

This means increase the range of products. In farming this might be moving to mixed farming or adding new crops. However, it might also mean opening a bed and breakfast (small guesthouse), opening a coffee shop or farm shop or allowing educational visits.

Famine

When the demand for food exceeds the supply of food leading to undernourishment. Prolonged undernourishment can damage people's health and eventually lead to starvation.

Labour Intensive

When work done is mainly done by humans and animals.

Extensive Farming

Where there are relatively few inputs (and possibly outputs) per hectare of land.

Intensive Farming

Where there are relatively high inputs and outputs per hecatre of land.