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Agricultural Systems
Farming types
World Distribution of Rice Farming
Green Revolution
Common Agricultural Policy
Set-aside
Desertification
Soil erosion
What might the examiner ask?
Farming is a system of Inputs, Processes and Outputs.
Inputs - Labour, land, capital, seeds, climate, soil, relief, machinery, fertilisers, water
Processes - Ploughing, spraying, weeding, harvesting, sowing, milking, feeding, irrigation
Outputs - Crops, pollution, agricultural waste, profits, meat, wool, lambs, calves
Arable - Growing crops
Farming can be a mixture of these types of Agriculture. For example, the Massai cattle herders in Kenya are both subsistence and nomadic farmers.
Pastoral - Rearing animals
Mixed - Growing crops and rearing animals
Subsistence - Producing just enough for your own and your families consumption
Commercial - Producing enough to sell to make a profit
Nomadic - Moving from one place to another especially with herds of animals
Sedentary - Farming in one place
Intensive - High levels of input into a small area producing high yields
Extensive - Low inputs over a large area providing low yields
Most of the world's rice is grown in South and South East Asia.
Ideal rice growing conditions:
By the 1960s an increase in population and subsistence farming in LEDCs meant it was essential to increase food production.
The Green Revolution:
Successes and Failures of the Green Revolution:
SUCCESSES
FAILURES
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) governs farming in all countries in the EU. After World War II Europe wanted to be agriculturally self-sufficient. Therefore, farmers were guaranteed a price for their crops regardless of market forces. This protected the farmers from cheap imports from abroad. EU farmers ended up producing too much food; this led to food mountains.
Set-aside is a scheme by which the EU pays farmers a subsidy to leave land uncultivated to reduce overall production. In order to continue receiving EU subsidies all farms with over 20 hectares of land must now leave 15 % of it as set-aside.
Desertification is when a desert gradually spreads to the surrounding areas of semi-desert.
Desertification in the Sahel
The Sahel is located in the southern region of the Sahara desert, Africa. It is an area which is experiencing desertification. The reason for desertification in the Sahel are as follows:
Deforestation for fire wood
Roots no longer hold soil together, leaves no longer protect soil from wind and rain
Loose top soil blown away by wind or eroded by rainfall
Desertification
Grassland grazed more intensively, roots may be eaten as well as grass
Less vegetation means less protection from winds and rainfall
Loose top soil blown away by wind or eroded by rainfall
Desertification
SODU - An excellent acronym to remember the way farmers cause soil erosion. Farming practices which cause soil erosion:
Soil exhaustion
Too many crops are grown on the same area of land. Nutrients are exhausted. Vegetation will no longer grow. Soil exposed to wind and rain.
Crop rotation - farmers should grow different crops from year to year. Fields should be taken out of production to allow the recovery of nutrients.
Overgrazing
Too many animals are kept on an area of land, vegetation cover is removed, wind and rain erode the soil
Rotate animals on different fields.
Deforestation
Farmers remove woodlands and hedgerows. Less protection from the wind and rain lead to increase in erosion.
Afforestation - planting trees.
Up and down ploughing
This is when farmers plough up and down hills. Rainfall flows down furrows removing top soil.
Farmers should plough following contours.
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