4 Agriculture

Question 1

Agriculture definition

Answer 1

Narrow definition: is the deliberate tending of crops & livestock to produce food, feed, & fiber.

Wider definition:
- plus directly connected branches of economy (secondary and tertiary sectors) (agribusiness, agro tourism, marketing)

• plus indirect connected branches (multiplier effect) –> fertilizers, tractor, machines, R&D)

Question 2

Physical factors

Answer 2

soil
rainfall
temperature

Question 3

1 Agricultural revolution: neolithic revolution

Answer 3

Domestication of plants and animals

subsistence agriculture

Question 4

2 Agricultural revolution: industrial revolution

Answer 4

dramatic improvement in output: application of fertilizer, field drainage system, transport technologies, rotational cropping

Feudal landholding system brock down: new agrarian system, private property relation
Commercial urban market

Question 5

3 Agricultura revolution:

Answer 5

Machine: tractors, reapers pickers
Chemical farming: herbicides, pesticides, Synthetic fertilizer

First food manufacturing
increase of farm size
less farms and share employed
industrialization agriculture

Question 6

Biotechnology revolution

Answer 6

genetic engineering
Pharma crops (plants that produces pharmaceuticals)
increase industrialized agriculture production

Question 7

industrialization of agriculture

Answer 7

firms have moved from being the centerpiece to being a part of an integrated multilevel industrial process (product, storage, processing, distribution, marketing, retailing)

Question 8

Geography of agriculture in Europe

Answer 8

in Europe there is a lot of agricultural land (not the same in other countries)

in Europe countries produce different products, and that depend of their
Climatic zone
Temperature
Sun
Rainfall 
Geology 
Population density  

Mediterranen country: mediterranean agriculture, fruit,

Scandinavian: Wood, forest

Question 9

main agricultural products in Europe

Answer 9

• clattle, pigs, sheep & coats
• diary products
• cereals
• fresh vegetable
• eggs & poultry

Question 10

Country with more share of value in EU

Answer 10

• france
• italy
• spain
• germany
• neederland
• uk

Question 11

Thünen Theory of land use

Answer 11

is a location theory which explain where should be product which agricultural product, how organizes the land in order to maximize the income.

3 factor pay a role: Distance (transportation costs), agricultural prices, and land use.

assumptions: the city is located centrally in an isolate state, with no mountain, no rivers, same climate condition everywhere, same soil, fertility…

The theory says that the production of more heavy, and costly expensive to trasportate goods has to be located near the city centre.

1 kg meat is less transport costs sensitive that 1 kg apple because more expensive

Question 12

Thünen Theory: Discussion:

Answer 12

• There is more than one center
• different transport ways, such as boat (cheap)
• variation in topography, soil, fertility, climate

Question 13

important for agriculture

Answer 13

Physical factor

economic factor