Food production Flashcards
Sedentary farming
is when a farm is based in the same location all the time.
Nomadic farming
is when a farmer moves from one place to another. This is common in some LEDCs.
Subsistence farming
is when crops and animals are produced by a farmer to feed their family, rather than to take to market.
Commercial farming
is when crops and animals are produced to sell at market for a profit.
Arable farming
arable = growing crops.
Crops are plants that are harvested from the ground to be eaten or sold.
Pastoral farming
= rear animals - either for animal by-products such as milk, eggs or wool, or for meat.
Mixed
Grow both crops and rear animals
Extensive farming
is where a relatively small amount of produce is generated from a large area of farmland.
Intensive farming
is where a large amount of produce is generated from a relatively small area of land. Inputs will be high to achieve a high yield per hectare. Inputs could be either fertilizers, machines or labour.
Capital
Capital = money.
Money is important when establishing a farm or trying to run one. Subsidies and government policies also help but mean farming has to be more efficient (eg modern technology) to survive. As prices fall for farm products, farmer’s profits also fall, meaning farmers employ less people and buy less seeds and animals for the next year. It is a vicious downward trend experienced in many farming communities.
Choice
Farmers choose what type of farming to do, how to farm and what to farm.
The farmer may have a number of choices over which type of farming he is going to follow. Normally this is determined by the climate, soils and the relief. However, farmers are increasingly having to turn to farming crops or animals that will bring them the most money, rather than which ones may be best suited to the area.
Climate
Climate = weather (eg hours of sunshine), average temperature and amount of rainfall.
One of the most important factors in deciding what type of farming might occur in a certain area. The important considerations for farmers are the hours of sunshine, the average temperature and the amount of rainfall.
Labour
Labour = workers
Every farm needs workers, and so farms need these sources of labour. In the old days there would have been many people doing very labour-intensive jobs around the farm. However, with farming becoming increasingly mechanised the numbers of people working on farms has diminished and many of those people tend to be more like farm managers rather than actually getting out and doing the dirty work.
Market
Market = selling place for farmers.
The market is very important for a farmer. He must know that he is going to be able to sell his produce at a good price, in order to make a profit. Quotas and subsidies have been brought in to try to help farmers as the prices of their produce have fallen over the last twenty years. Farmers increasingly have to decide exactly what they are going to grow by the price that they will get for their produce.
Politics
Politics = government and policies (eg national, European) which can work to support farming (eg subsidies).
Government and International farming policies have had a huge impact on many farms around the world. In Europe the Common Agricultural Policy and EU regulations have meant that farmers are protected and that their produce will be bought. However, they have also meant some farmers have had to completely
change what they are growing to suit the new regulations.
Relief
Relief = the characteristics of the land (flat, steep slopes).
The relief of the land is a very important factor in determining the type of agricultural activity that can take place on it. Flat, sheltered areas are usually best for crops as it is easy to use machinery and there will be the best climatic conditions for crop growth. Steep slopes are more likely to be used for sheep and cattle farming, such as in the valley of South Wales. However, in countries such as Indonesia the steep slopes have been terraced to allow rice to grow.
Soils
Soil = condition of the soil for farming.
Thick, well-irrigated, often alluvial (deposited by a river) soil is usually the best for crop farming. In Britain the best soil for arable farming can be found in Norfolk and other Eastern areas of the country. In hilly areas the soil tends to be thinner and less fertile, meaning it is more suitable for pasture farming.
Marasmus
Marasmus = low child weight through undernourishment.
undernourishment causes a child’s weight to be significantly low for their age. Even in some cases up to 60%.
Kwashiorkor
A disorder that occurs due to malnutrition produced by severe protein deficiency in diet. It is most common in children.
