AGRICULTURE GEOGRAPHY
• The definition of
Agriculture Geography
Agricultural geography seeks
to describe and explain spatial
variations in agricultural
activity over the earth’s
surface.
The heart of this task is to
explain the great diversity of
agriculture.
• Definition of Agriculture
• Agriculture has been described as the
purposive raising of livestock and crops
for human needs especially food.
• The word ‘purposive’ thus excludes
hunters and gatherers who have not
domesticated the plants and animals they
use for food. Although forestry and fishing
are often placed with agriculture in
economic classifications, they are not
considered here.
• Agriculture is by far the most important of
the world’s economic activities; it uses
one-third of the total land surface and
employs 45 per cent of the working
population.
• Spatial variations of agriculture Is
due to a great variety of variables
Characteristics
A Commission of the International
Geographical Union has compiled a list
(Table 1.1) of the principal variables
which includes land tenure and size of
farms, the use of labour and capital
inputs, the degree of commercialization,
the efficiency with which the inputs are
used, the types of crops grown and the
livestock
• Two approaches to
description of agricultural
adversity
• (i)Systematic analysis of the
distribution of one variable.
• Thus it is useful to study the
spatial variations in the growth
of a crop. This can be done at
any scale. The distribution of
crop growing may be related to
rainfall or the presence of large
urban markets. Valuable as
such an approach is, it has its
limitations.
• (ii) Approach to
description by means of
the idea of type of
farming map, or
agricultural region.
• The analysis of
distribution of crops
require statistics on the
use of agricultural land.
Spatial variations of
crops correspond to
other variations such as
size of farmers.
History of Agriculture
• Transition of hunting & gathering
Agriculture developed in 10,000 BC
after the last ice age where climatic
changes occured.
• Prehistory – Neolithic period ( 9500
BC – 10,000 BC)
• 1 st Agriculture Revolution,
• Location – Fertile crescent of Middle
East ( Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq )
• Hunting & gathering activities change
to permanent settlement ( early
cities)
• Agriculture - increase in production
& technology lead to high population
growth & migration.
• GREEN REVOLUTION
Agriculture production greatly enhanced
by green revolution.
What is a Green Revolution?
• When there is great increase in food
production of grains( wheat) with the
introduction high yielding plants
which begun in the 20 th century.
• It was a period where agriculture was
converted to industrial system
( industrial agriculture) due to
modern methods & technology.
(i) Introduction of High yielding variety
of seeds.
(ii) Increase in then use of fertilisers &
irrigation.
• Period of increase in productivity of
global agriculture.
What is industrialised
Agriculture?
Industrial agriculture is the
large-scale, intensive
production of crops and
animals, often involving
chemical fertilizers on crops
or the routine, harmful use of
antibiotics in animals (as a
way to compensate for filthy
conditions, even when the
animals are n
Pros and Cons of Industrial
Agriculture
It increases food production. Large-
scale industrial farms have an
advantage over traditional farms
when it comes to producing food fast
and in larger amounts. ...
It lowers consumer costs. ...
It encourages technological
development and innovation. ...
It creates employment
opportunities. ...
It lengthens food availability.
Early Agricultural sites
New crops as part of Green Revolution
• The biology of agriculture
• The farmer—unlike the manufacturer—deals with
living things. Plants and animals have inherent
biological characteristics that determine their
productivity; and they only function efficiently in
environments to which they are adapted. Both
these factors profoundly influence the nature and
location of agricultural production.
• PLANTS-crops
• (i) Energy- All the energy on earth comes from the
sun. The solar radiation received at the earth’s
surface is used by those plants that contain
chlorophyll to produce, by photosynthesis,
carbohydrates and protein. (ii) Minerals -In addition
the plant needs mineral nutrients that come from
the decomposition of rocks and are taken into the
plant in solution via its roots.
• (iii) Carbon dioxide, hydrogen and nitrogen are
derived from the atmosphere, although the latter
has to be fixed in the soil as a soluble nitrate before
it can be taken up by the plant. But plants only use
a minute fraction of the energy available in solar
radiation.
• The energy contained in plants
represents, at the very most between
1 and 5 per cent of the energy in the
solar radiation incident at the earth’s
surface.
• The amount of energy formed by
plants is known as the Net Primary
Product, and all other parts of the
natural kingdom are dependent upon
this source of food and energy.
• The natural vegetation provides food
for herbivores, animals that graze on
plants; they form the second level in
the food chain. However, just as the
plants contain a small fraction of the
energy present in solar radiation, so
there is a great loss of energy between
the plants and the animals that graze
upon them.
World variation in Photosynthesis
Types of plants at different latitudes ( climatic
conditions)
• OPTIMUM GROWTH
• Plant requirements in terms of
temperature, moisture and plant nutrients
are rarely linear. For any plant there are :
• (i) minimum requirements of temperature
or moisture without which no growth will
take place;
• (ii) maximum limits, beyond which growth
ceases. Between these limits are
• (iii) environmental characteristics which
give optimum growth and development;
here are found the highest yields, the
weight of the edible part of the crop per
hectare.
• This is the ecological optimum. Away from
the optimum area, environmental
conditions deteriorate so that yields fall and
variability
• Classification plants
• (i) Annuals – crops harvested per one year
and resown the follwong year
and seeds retained after harvest.
(ii) Perennials – crops they yield after
some years
Herbacious perrenial- banana
Stemmed perrenials- apples, cocoa,
olives
BIOLOGY of LIVESTOCK
There are differences i n animals to
produce meat , milk ,wood & hides.
(i) RUMINANTS- animals that have
micro- organism in their guts that
allow them to digest cellulose
,fibrous plants especially grass..
Example of animals- cattle, sheep,
goats ,deer etc.
(ii) NON- RUMINANTS- do not have
mico-organisms in their guts , eg
pigs,
Grass as feed has two advantages
(i) High energy /protein in yield of dry
grass in temperate areas.
(ii) Natural grass cover vast areas of the
world & there fore convenient.
FOOD CALORIES IN PLANTS & ANIMAL
PRODUCTS
• The amount of food produced per
hectare by plants is greater than
those than animals. Why? It depends
on calories,
• Calories- the energy used by the body
to allow it to function. The energy
comes from the chemical energy
stored in food. When the food is
consumed it ( energy ) is released.
• The calories in plants is greater than
animals.
• Why the difference in calories
between plants & animals ?Plants
contain more calories because they
converted energy directly from the
sun into carbohydrates & protein
through photosynthesis.
• The energy is lost through the food
chain as it is consumed by animals.
• The type of food consumed
determines calories intake by
humans.
Food Consumption world wide
% of calories in cereals & root food
Countries consuming more
cereals & root food are
developing countries of Africa,
East Asia , China, India.
% of calories of animal prodducts
Countries consuming
more calories in animal
products are Australia.
Northern european
countries’ , USA &
Canada and
Difference in food calories consumed by
developed & developing countries.

From the table ;

Developed countries compared
to developing countries
consumed;
• More cereals & root food
• More animal products
So developed countries
consumed more calories than
developing countries.
Factors affecting location of agriculture –
Physical & Human factors.
ORIGIN OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Definition of farming systems

What is a farming system made of?

• A farm system has INPUTS,

PROCESSES. OUTPUTS and FEEDBACK.

• A system is a set of interrelated

,interacting and interdependence
elements acting together for a
common purpose and capable of
reacting as a whole to external stimuli.
It is unaffected by it’s own output and
has external boundaries based on a
significant feedbacks.
• Any farm can be viewed as a
system, with inputs ,processes,
output and feedback.
• INPUT – factors that a farm need
to work
INPUTS are divided into two types.
(i) Physical Inputs – naturally occurs
water,raw material & land.
(ii) Human/ Cultural Inputs – money
, labour and skills.
• PROCCESSES are actions within a
forms that allows inputs to turn
into outputs- harvesting, spraying
• OUTPUTS can be positive or
negative.Negative outputs are
waste products,soil erosion etc.
Positive outputs are finished products
such as seeds,meat,milk & eggs and
money gained from selling products.
• FEED BACK is what is put back into
the system ; two main example
money from sale of goods &
knowledge gained from the
manufacturing processes ,use to
make production better & improve
efficiency of these processes.
• Negative feed back-Output is
greater than input result in wealth
that is reinvested in to the farm.
• Positive feed back –Output is less
than input than there is a loss to
the farming system.
Labour % in Agriculture,1990
Irrigation method as I input
Use of chemicals as input world wide.
 Farming Concepts
• Farming system is a decision-making unit
comprising the farmhouse hold, cropping,
livestock system that transform land,
capital & labour into useful products that
can be consumed or sold.
• Farm system is resources management
strategy to achieve economic & sustained
agricultural productions to meet diverse
requirements of farm livelihood while
preserving resource base and maintaining
a high level of environment quality.
• without dislocating the ecological &
Farm system is a set of agro economic
activities that are interrelated & interact
with themselves in a particular agarian
setting.It is a mix of farming enterprises
to which farm families allocates its
resources in order to efficiently utilise
existing enterprises for increasing the
productivity & profitibility of the farm
Farm enterprises are crops, livestock,
aquaculture, agro-forestry and agric-
horticulture and fruit crops to farm family to
allocates its resources in order to efficiently
manage existing environment for the
attainment of family goal.
• Farming systems represents an
appropriate combination of farm
enterprises and the means available to a
farmer to raise them for profitability .It
interacts adequately with environment
socioeconomic balance and attempt to
meet the national goals on the other hand.
• Farming system is a unqiue & reasonably
stable arrangement of families enterprises
that a household manage according to well
defined practices in response to physical
Biological, & socioeconomic
environment and in accordance to
house hold goals preferences &
resources.
Systems diagram below
Shows how variations (changes)in
physical, cultural & economic and
behavioural factors as inputs
determine or responsible for types
and different patterns of farming.
Surplus output is re-invested back as
negative feed-back. Loss of out-put
to loss in the system as positive
feedback.
Physical Input-
Output
Temperature, precipitation.
>input=profit &
Wind,altitude,slope,
Negative wealth
aspect, soils
Feedback( rein
vestment)
Decision-
making-
Cultural Input- tenure Income =
individual Patter Outpu
,inheritance, farm size Profit(stability)
farmers or ns t
group
farmers
Economic Input- transport,
markets,
capital,technology,governm
rnt, buildings Out < Input=
Loss to the Positive loss & poverty
system& loss Feedback
Behavioural Input- age,
ambition, perception, etc,,
knowledge experience
Types of farming systems.
Farming systems and products.
Differences in agriculture between developed &
developing countries
Differences between subsistence &
Commercial
Methods of farming between commercial &
subsistence.
Differences in flow chart showing in subsistence &
commercial agriculture.
Plantations
Pressures on Agricultural activities.
 More than a fourth of
global forest loss from
2001 to 2015 can be
primarily attributed to
permanent land-use
change for commodity
agriculture – meaning
these areas likely will
not be forested again
– according to a new
study published today
in Science, one of the
world’s top academic
journals.
Agricultural activities
result in increased loss
of habitats. and
biodiversity ( plants &
animals endemic to
habitat).
Impacts of climatic change on agricultural productivity.
Green house gases such as carbon
dioxide from fossil burning can
contribute to global warming
altering climatic conditions such
as climate disruption, heavy
rains, , extreme weather
,increased ozone and sea level ise
can destroy food crops , by land
degradation, salination ( increased
salt ) and effects cyclones
,floods ,drought and heat waves.
FOOD SECURITY PERFORMANCE INDEX

What is Food Security?
Food security “exists when all people, at all
times, have physical, social and economic
access to sufficient safe and nutritious food
that meets their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life.” –
FAO, 1996
Agriculture contributes to sustaining food
security.
The core concept of food security carries the
access to healthy food and optimal nutrition
for all.
Household food security is the application of
this concept to the family level, with
individuals within households as the focus of
concern.
Food insecurity refers to a lack of access to
enough good, healthy, and culturally
appropriate food.
Characteristics of being Food Secured:
Concept of food security also includes
the presence of following
characteristics:
Enough food: If there is adequate
food as per one’s need and
requirements.
Good food: It should be with
desirable taste, texture and other
attributes.
Healthy food: It should be nutritious
and sustaining with proper vitamins,
minerals, fibre, energy, and all the
other things that our bodies need.
Culturally appropriate food: Having
access to culturally appropriate food
means that people have food that they
are familiar and comfortable with
including availability of familiar foods
& varieties.
Exercise
1. What is agriculture?
2. What is agriculture geography?
3. Farm characteristics can be described
as ;
a. social attributes
b. Operational attributes
C. Production attributes
d. Social attributes
4. What are two approaches to agriculture?
5. When did agriculture activities begin in
the world and what period in history?
6. What is Green Revolution? What the
limitations of green revolution to
agriculture?
7. What is the importance of Green
Revolution to agriculture?
8. What is the difference between
biology of plants & animals ( livestock0?
9. What are calories ?
10. What is the difference between
calories in plants & animals ? Why?
11. Name & describe the factors that
affect location of types of agriculture?
12.Name some factors that affect crop
production.
13. What is the difference between
ruminants animal & non- ruminants
animals?
14. What is the difference between food
calories consumed in developing &
developed countries?
15.What is farming system?
16. Describe the input, processes, output &
feedback of a farming system?
17. What is the difference between negative
& positive feedback in a farming system?
18.Decribe a farming system as resources
management strategy.
19. Give examples of following farming
systems:
(i) Traditional ( subsistence) system
(ii) Cropping system
(iii) Mixed systems
(iv) Commercial system
20. Agricultural regions are divided in two
systems. What are they? Name the
types of major types of agriculture in
each type of system.
21. Name the type of agriculture activities
found in:
(i) Tropical region ( 0- 30 degrees north
& south of the equator).
(ii) Temperate region( 30- 60 degrees
north & south of the equator)
(iii) Polar region( 60 – 90 degrees north
& south of the equator).
22.What is the difference between the
types of agriculture in developed &
developing countries?
23.Name some differences between
subsistence & commercial farming.
24. What is the difference between
intensive & extensive farming?
25. What are the categories in;
(iv) Subsistence farming
(v) Shifting cultivation
(vi) Commercial farming
(v) Pastoral farming 31. Refer to the map below before
26. Describe the activities of ; answering the questions
(i) Pastoral nomadism (i) What is likely agricultural types
(ii) Shifting cultivation found in location;
(iii) Intensive subsistence farming. A, B, C, D
27. What are the factors affecting (ii) Why are these locations suitable for
agricultural production? these types of agricultural activities?
(iv) Natural factors
(v) Economic factors
(vi) social factors
(vii) Political factors
28. What are some pressures on
agriculture world today?
29. What is global warming & how does
it affect agriculture?Name effects.
30. What is food security & its
importance to agriculture?
Subsistence Farming