Revision:Farming at a Global Scale

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Classification of Farming

There are a number of classifications that can be used to distinguish between types of farm:

Economic Status

Subsistence farming – Grow only enough food & fibre for their own needs and so hardly ever enter into the cash economy. However there is usually some element of commercialism. Tends to dominate in LEDCs. E.g. Subsistence rice farming in the Ganges valley.

Commercial farming – Produce agricultural commodities for sale as part of the agribusiness. The prime function is to make a profit. Capital is used to purchase items such as machinery. These farms are generally larger than subsistence farms due to the large expense so they can use economies of scale. Therefore they tend to dominate in MEDCs. E.g. Plantations & wheat cultivation.

Collective farming – Occur where there is a centrally planned economy. In these societies agricultural production operates under a system of collective & state farms. The workers tend the land for a small salary but do not share in the profits. Generally these are not as productive as privately run farms. E.g. China, North Korea.

Specialisation

Arable – arable is more efficient as there is greater food per unit area.

Pastoral – Often a response to a limiting factor in the environment.

Mixed

Intensity of Land Use

Intensive farming – A small farm compared to the amount of labour & the money spent. There is a high yield per unit area and there are high levels of inputs. E.g. commercial market gardening in which there are high amounts of capital, technology, labour & fertilisers. The farms are often small & so investment is concentrated.

Extensive farming – A large farm compared to the labour or money spent on it. There are lower levels of input and so there are lower yields per unit area. However because there is very low labour, profits are fairly high, therefore extensive farms can be just as profitable as intensive ones.

Nature of the Physical Environment

Land Tenure

Shifting / nomadic cultivation.

Sedentary – farming permanent.

Classification of Agricultural systems

Factors Influencing Agriculture

The location of agriculture is influenced by the characteristics of both the physical environment & the human environment. On a global scale climate is the dominant influence but on a more local scale soil and relief explain variation better.

Type of farming dependent on:

• Favourable physical conditions
• Economic conditions
• Expertise
• Personal choice of the farmer
• Political pressures
• Size of farm
• Market trends

An example of this is the Location of farming in Europe:

The Physical Constraints of Agricultural Systems

The environment acts as a constraint on agriculture, as provides the basic essentials for plant life – heat, sunshine, water & soil. Different crops vary in their environmental requirements.

Climate

Most significant control – growth & survival

• Also affects soil formation & quality
• Annual & seasonal amounts of rainfall, although this is now negated with irrigation. E.g. N&W Europe has high rainfall for grass growth & so better to rear animals while the S & E is dry so is better suited to arable farming.
• Length of thermal growing season. E.g. Italy where there is a long growing season so fruit ripens better.

Soil

Influence on plant growth

• Depth – generally need to be deep & rich for intensive farming.
• Acidity
• Fertility
• Moisture retention - Well-drained
• Texture
• Structure
• Amount of soil nutrients

Relief

Effect on climate & soils

• Influence on aspect, altitude, slope etc.
• The flatter the land the more efficient the farm.

Social, Economic & Political factors influencing Agricultural Land Use

Farm size/ Tenure

Farm size varies due to land quality & availability. This determines whether farming is intensive or extensive. Farm size also determines prosperity – large farm allows economies of scale.

Forms of tenure:

1. Owner occupation – freedom to do what you like & invest for the future
2. Tenancy – Landowner provides the land & working equipment in exchange for an annual cash return.
3. Communal ownership e.g. China where there can be problems of bad decision making due to poor leaders.

The impact on agricultural land use is often determined by the different access of these various groups to capital for investment.

Inheritance laws – Generally farm size has increased along with increased commercialisation of agriculture. However in mainland Europe the land is often split equally between all the children of a deceased farmer leading to fragmentation of land. This has had a negative impact on the development of commercial farming.

Accessibility

Transport availability and distance from markets impacts on price. Even where transport costs have fallen this is still a strong influence.

Markets

The size & type of markets is very important. E.g. there is a lack of milk production in China as many ethnic groups have an intolerance of dairy products. In the UK the rising popularity of organic goods has had a large impact on the type of goods produced in the UK. Also perishable goods tend to be grown near to market.

Competition

There is competition for land from urban sprawl or recreation. Increased globalisation of food production, so there is now greater competition with imports. This has been helped by the trend in reducing trade barriers. E.g. Uruguay has lost its specialisation in beef markets due to the development of beef industries in other countries. This had a catastrophic effect on Uruguay.

Economic Factors

In developed countries farming is capital intensive. Used to maximise yields with mechanisation or by altering the landscape. In MEDCs farmers tend to rely on government subsidies. There is very little capital in LEDCs and so co-operative systems are more useful. There are, however problems of price stability & exploitation in LEDCs so they can’t get a fair price.

Transport & markets are important in determining the crop but is no longer as important as it was due to the advance in technology. TNCs tend to use global markets to produce fruit & vegetables, as it is cheaper.

Farmers

Decision makers with personal goals.

Government intervention

Forms one of the supporting structures of the food supply system and so is a major influence. The extent & impact of government interference has increased considerably during the 20th Century.

Methods of support:

• Supplement incomes – income support
• Reduce costs – Grants for improvements, restructuring & management.
• Reduce supply – Quotas & set-aside
• Increase demand – Domestic food subsidy, intervention buying, export subsidy & food aid.

E.g. There is wide scale industrial farming in the UK to drive up production and be self-sufficient so now farming here extremely efficient. Also helped by the development of CAP. Similarly the World Trade Organisation & many TNCs have had a large role in developing global markets and global production patterns. There has also been the development of the agribusiness due to government intervention.

Human Impacts

• Growing population – need to produce more food.
• Now MEDCs import more food.
• Fertiliser – increase the yield in affluent areas.
• Mechanisation – Increases yield, but reduces employment.
• Varieties of seed – GM crops & HYVs (High yield varieties) more resilient.

Also See

• Urban Deprivation in MEDCs
• Global Variations in Urbanisation
• Management and Planning in Urban Areas
• Changes in the Central Areas of Cities
• Urbanisation at the Fringe
• Greenbelts - Preventing Urban Growth
• New Towns
• Megacities
• The influence of Urban Economies on Rural Areas
• Agriculture in LEDCs
• Agriculture in MEDCs
• Resources in Rural Areas
• The Globalisation of Food Production
• Farming at a Global Scale
• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
• Farming Case studies
• National Parks

Comments

These notes were originally written by F1_fanatic and posted here on TSR Forums. They are suitable for people studying for geography at A Level.