Agriculture Flashcards
What % of the Earth’s surface can grow food
3%
Cons of potential food scarcity due to low % that can grow food
Causes food shortages, low biodiversity, land conflict, how to supply livestock
Pros of potential food scarcity due to low % that can grow food
Innovation creates jobs, poorer countries may have an advantage
How does climate determine population growth (affect agriculture)
5 degrees+ for most arable crops, dictates population density and disease
How does soil determine population growth (affect agriculture)
Topsoil determines fertility (structure, texture, acidity, OM, nutrients), areas with rich alluvial volcanic soils are hazard prone, can temporarily overcome with chemical fertilisers
How does water determine population growth (affect agriculture)
Important in irrigation and human hydration
What % of Egyptians live how close to the Nile
95% within 12 miles - importance of water in agriculture
How does geology determine population growth (affect agriculture)
Fossil fuels can industrialise
Soil horizon order
OAEBCR
O horizon
Litter decomposed to OM and nutrients
R horizon
Mineral source
A horizon
Brings together mineral material and organic matter, fertility determined by R weathering and O decomposition
Population distribution
Pattern of where people live
What determines global population distribution
Climate, geology, topography, ecosystems
What is the global population distribution
Coastal (less in Europe in India), mainly Northern, around rivers (e.g. Nile), some islands (e.g. Japan) are very densely populated
Population density
Population/area in people/km2
Where is most densely populated
Highest 20-60 degrees North, especially South and East Asia
Why has food production increased in the last 50 years
Area of land that can produce food, more ways to produce food from less land. This is due to the green revolution and increased global trade
Where produces lots of food and why
East Asia and North America due to climate and investment
Where produces little food and why
Central America and Africa due to lack of investment, inhospitable land, and poor climate
Maize production patterns globally
East Europe and Africa produce very little compared to people and India, China and USA produce most. However, we can’t judge distribution
How many calories produced per person per day 1960s to 2010
2300 to 2800 despite 2.5x larger population
What happened to LIC imports in the 1970s
Imports of cereals tripled
Sub-Saharan Africa nourishment
Consume least food and growth stagnating, hunger prevalence over 35% in most, 50% in DRC
India nourishment
Most underweight children due to DTM demographic dividend and cultural role of work
How does climate change threaten maize production
Yields expected to decrease: Brazil exception as deforestation, HICs can mitigate, Africa worst affected, food production skewed West
Effect of agriculture on politics
2020-21 India farmer protests: camped in Delhi until 3 new laws about removing government intervention so minimum price repealed (government upheld that it would attract investment so benefit)
What type of system is an agricultural system
Open
Importance of physical factors in an agricultural system
Decreases over time
Four farming categories
Commercial: most sold, very productive. Substinence: most eaten, low productivity. Intensive: small scale, lots of capital and labour. Extensive: large area, low capital and labour
Physical inputs
Topography, soil, water, wind, temperature, seasons, altitude, aspect, hazards
Farmer inputs
Labour, skill, knowledge, ambition, innovation, capital, land
Economic inputs
Storage, machinery, chemicals, local market, loans, transport, government, seeds, animals
Cultural inputs
Religion, caste system, job perception, diet, hierarchy, land ownership, inheritance, Harper Adams
Kerala social management of population action
1970, communist government gave all people 8 hectares of land, all could be self sufficient
Farming processes
Sowing, weeding, etc.
Farming outputs
Crop and animal products
Farming losses
Soil erosion, poor storage, water, nutrients, disease, hazards, quality
Agricultural curve
% employed and % GDP decrease with development. Progress through substinence, mechanisation, chemical farming, food manufacturing, biotech, agribusiness
How is productivity most commonly measured
Total factor productivity: ratio of outputs to inputs. Represents efficiency, can be shaped by external factors in short term, boosted in LICs since 1980s with massive input and intervention. Can be increased by HYVs, cultivation, animal care etc.
Zonal soils
Have distinct soil horizons, the proportions and characteristics of which vary in different places
Soil functions
Nutrient cycling, water regulation, sustaining life, physical stability, filtering and buffering pollutants
Food security
Condition in which all people have physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life
GAFSP
Global agriculture and food security programme, tend to partner with WB, need 50% more food by 2050, helped with 31 countries since
UNFAO
Part of UN, issue is storage, overconsumption, and waste, 2011 30% SSA food lost, 800m malnourished but food production increased faster than population
What does food security depend on
Availability, access, stability, utilisation
Challenges to food security
Quantity, distribution, household hierarchy, loss, trade, globalisation, food safety e.g. aflatoxin food poisoning E African epidemic
Solutions to food security
Dry properly, harvest training, land preparation advice
