Subsistence vs. Commercial Agriculture

What makes subsistence agriculture different from commercial agriculture?

Purpose of farming Percentage of farmers in labor force Use of machinery Relationship of farming to other business

Subsistence Agriculture Production of food primarily for

consumption by the farmer’s family Less Developed Countries

Percentage: labor intensive More than 55% farmers in LDC

Machinery? Farm Size? Relationship of farming to other business?

Subsistence Agriculture

Types of Subsistence Shifting Cultivation

The moving of planting from place to place provide crops better land

Subtropical areas Humid low latitude High temperatures with large amounts of rainfall

Amazon, Central West Africa, And Southeast Asia

Types of Subsistence Process of Shifting Cultivation

Slash and Burn Pick area surrounding settlement Clear vegetation Burn debris Rain washes nutrients into soil

Swidden- Cleared area When nutrients are depleted, let vegetation take

the land and find a new area

Types of Subsistence Pastoral Nomadism

Based on the herding of domesticated animals Extensive Agriculture- uses little inputs on vast areas of land

Low Output per area Arid and Semiarid land

North Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia Bedouins (Saudi Arabia, North Africa)

Depend on animals more than crops Trade with sedentary subsistence farmers Why do you think this is?

Types of Subsistence Pastoral Nomadism

Choice of animals Camels? Goats? Sheep?

Movement of Nomads Territoriality Transhumance- Seasonal migration of livestock

between mountains and lowland pastures

Types of Subsistence Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

Intensive Agriculture- More input of labor and materials relative per area

Labor Intensive Intertillage-the practice of planting taller, stronger crops to shelter lower, fragile ones from tropicaldownpours

East, South and Southeast Asia Small tracts of land Large labor forces

Lowland rice-Wet Rice

Commercial Agriculture Production of food primarily for sale off the farm More Developed Country

Percentage: MDC 5% farmers Machinery? Farm Size? Relationship to other businesses?

What are the different types of commercial agriculture?

Types of Commercial Agriculture Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

Both crops and livestock Fertilizer from livestock Feed for livestock Reduces seasonal variation in income Crop rotation Corn Belt

Dairy Farming Near urban areas- Why? Milkshed- ring around a city from which milk can be

supplied w/o spoiling

Milk Cows per acre by county

Milk Production

Types of Commercial Agriculture Grain Farming

Grain-seed from various grasses, like wheat, corn, oats, barley, rice, etc…

Produced for people (not livestock) Where do you think grain farming occurs?

Winter Wheat Belt-Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma Planted in autumn, ripe at beginning of summer

Spring wheat belt-Dakotas, Montana, and southern Saskatchewan

Planted in spring, harvested in the late summer Palouse region- Washington State

Grain

Wheat Production

Types of Commercial Agriculture Livestock Ranching

Commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area Where do you find livestock ranching? Cattle ranching in America

Rail to major cities (Chicago) Pampas- Argentina, Southern Brazil, and Uruguay Sheep in Australia

Types of Commercial Agriculture Mediterranean Crops

Southern Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia High Moisture, mild winters, hilly Examples: Olives, grapes, fruits, vegetables,

wheat for pasta an bread

Types of Commercial Agriculture Commercial Gardening and Fruit Farming

U.S. Southeast AKA Truck farming Examples: apples, asparagus, cherries, lettuce,

mushrooms and tomatoes Migrant workers Specialty Farming

Types of Commercial Agriculture Plantation Farming

Large farm that specializes in one or two crops Tropics and Subtropics

LDCs Corporate Ownership Examples: cotton, sugarcane, coffee, rubber,

tobacco, cocoa, tea, coconuts, and palm oil

What types of commercial

agriculture do you see around here?

Why is it important for the world economy to have these multiple types of commercial agriculture?

Rank the types of agriculture from most intensive to least intensive (Extensive)

Remember! Intensive-

High inputs: Labor, Machinery, effort, etc…

Relative to area farmed High Output

Extensive Low inputs Large area Low output

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What are the two major types of Agriculture?

What are the types within Subsistence? What are the types within Commercial?

Short Presentation- Each person will get a type of agriculture You will need to:

Describe every location where this type of agriculture takes place

Map this on the board In what climate is this type mostly prevalent? Other than climate, why is this type of agriculture

here? Think historical, political, economic or cultural

reasons why