Ch.

9 Food and Agriculture

Key Issue 1 Where Did Agriculture Originate?
Rubenstein, p.308-311

1. Define agriculture:
Agriculture is the deliberate modification on Earth’s Surface to grow crops
2. Define cultivate:
To prepare and use land for crops or gardening
3. Define crop:
Grain or fruit gathered from a field or area of harvest

I. INTRODUCING FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

4. Agricultural Revolution
There were two agricultural revolution, the first being the change from being hunter gatherers to
begin to practice agriculture.
5. Agricultural Hearths - Identify (shade & label) the five agricultural hearths. For each, identify key
cultivated crops and domesticated animals along with key dates. Additionally, make a timeline
across the bottom and put key developments in chronological order. (Focus on crops/animals
mentioned in the reading—you do not have to include everything in Figure 9-2.)

Southwest Asia

Cattle, Dog, Goat, Pig

East Asia
Barley, Rye, Bread Wheat, Olive

Rice, Millet, Soybeans, Walnut

Latin America

Alpacas and Llamas Sub- Saharan Africa

Southeast Asia
Sweet Potato, Maize, Squash, Yam, African Rice, Sorghum,
Potato and Pepper Cowpea, Coffee
Coconut, Mango, Taro, Pigeon Pea.

Domesticated 9,000 years ago or more:

 Cassava, Squash, Sorghum, Yam, Coconut, Mango, Taro, Rice, Millet, Barley, Cattle, Dog, Pig,
Goat, Rye, Lentils, Oats.
Domesticated between 9,000 and 7,000 years ago:
 Pepper, Tomato, Bread Wheat, Olive.
Domesticated between 7,000 and 3,000 years ago:
 Alpaca, Cotton, Lima Bean, Llama, Maize, Sweet Potato, Soybean, Chinese Walnut, Cowpea,
African Rice, Pigeon Pea.

6. The fact that agriculture has multiple hearths means that it is a global practice.
 II. SUBSISTENCE AND COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE
*This is key APHG info—make sure to know key differences!
SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE
(mostly in LDCs) (mostly in MDCs)

A form of farming primarily for the consumption of the The production of food primarily to be sold.
farmer’s family.
Purpose of Farming
Definition/

Around 42% of workers found engaged in farming due to Around 3% (as low as 2% in north America) of workers
% Of farmers in labor

the little amount of machinery and the reliability of found in farming due to more machinery for
force (and why)

agriculture on humans. Also, most farms are for agriculture.

subsistence purposes.

The agriculture mostly depends on humans and other The agriculture mostly depends on few people and
Science, & Technology

animals for the growing of crops, and much land, due to many machines, plus science and technology finds,
Use of Machinery,

the lack of machinery and use of technology and science. such as special fertilizers and GMO’s help the process
of food production faster.

Farms are considerably smaller with an example of each Farms are very large to justify the high prices of
farm in China being 1 hectare. machinery. As an example, the USA with an average
farm size of 178 hectares.
Farm size

Subsistence farming is very cheap (comparted to Commercial farming as many worldwide businesses is
Relationship of farming to

commercial farming) yet produces little amounts of very costly, yet therefore produce a good profit and a
other businesses

products and therefore profit. It can be compared to lot of money such as large businesses.
small businesses such as family businesses or startups.