Agricultural Production Regions Chapter Notes | AP Human Geography - Grade 9 PDF Download

Introduction

This chapter notes explores how agricultural practices and land-use patterns are shaped by economic factors, including the distinction between subsistence and commercial farming and the influence of intensive or extensive farming based on land costs. It examines major agricultural production regions worldwide, detailing their unique characteristics, and discusses key concepts like monoculture and bid-rent theory, highlighting their impacts on farming and urban planning.

Regions of Agricultural Production

Agricultural production regions are areas globally recognized for significant agricultural activity. These regions possess the ideal combination of climate, soil, and water resources to support crop cultivation and livestock rearing. 

Major agricultural production regions include:

• The Midwest United States: Renowned for its rich, fertile soil, this region is a leading producer of crops like corn, wheat, and soybeans.
• The Prairie Provinces of Canada: Characterized by a temperate climate, this area is a key producer of wheat, canola, and various grains.
• The Yangtze River Valley in China: With a humid, subtropical climate, this region is a major producer of rice, wheat, and other crops.
• The Po Valley in Italy: Featuring a Mediterranean climate, this region is a significant producer of wheat, rice, and other grains.
• The Pampas in Argentina: Known for its temperate climate, this area is a leading producer of wheat, corn, and soybeans.
• The Midwest and Great Plains regions of Brazil: With a tropical climate, this region is a major producer of soybeans, corn, and other crops.

Types of Farming

Subsistence Farming

• Subsistence farming is commonly practiced in less developed countries (LDCs), where farmers focus on growing food to sustain themselves and their families rather than for profit. The crops and livestock are primarily for personal consumption, with little surplus intended for market sale.
• Example of subsistence farming: In rural Nepal, a family of five depends on a small plot of land to cultivate rice, wheat, and vegetables. They keep a few goats and chickens for milk and eggs. The family works diligently to produce enough food for their own needs, with a small amount left to sell at the local market. Without access to irrigation, they rely on monsoon rains to water their crops and use traditional methods like terracing and composting to optimize their limited resources. Their farm ensures basic food security, but they lack the means to diversify crops or expand their operations.

Commercial Farming

• Commercial farming involves producing crops or livestock for sale in the market, with a focus on maximizing yield and profit. Commercial farmers grow a diverse range of crops or raise various livestock, employing modern techniques and technologies to enhance efficiency and profitability.
• Unlike small-scale or subsistence farming, where production is mainly for personal use or local markets, commercial farming operates on a larger scale, often supplying products to both domestic and international markets.
• Commercial farming can have both positive and negative effects on the environment, local communities, and the global food system. It contributes to increased food production and economic growth but can also cause environmental degradation, such as soil erosion and water pollution, and may lead to the displacement of small-scale farmers in favor of larger, mechanized operations.
• Example of commercial farming: In California, USA, a large farm specializes in growing almonds, a high-value cash crop. The farm utilizes irrigation and advanced techniques like precision farming and pest control to maximize yields. A team of workers handles planting, pruning, and harvesting the almond trees. The almonds are processed, packaged, and shipped to global markets, generating significant profits that are reinvested in the business and used to pay workers. The farm’s owners have the resources to diversify their crops and explore new ventures, such as processing and marketing.

Monocropping/Monoculture

• Monocropping, or monoculture, is the practice of cultivating a single crop species over a large area. This approach is used to maximize efficiency and profits or to capitalize on specific soil or climate conditions.
• Monoculture offers benefits like increased efficiency, higher productivity, and lower costs for farmers. However, it can negatively impact the environment and local ecosystems. For instance, growing the same crop repeatedly in the same soil can lead to soil degradation and erosion. Monoculture also increases crop vulnerability to pests and diseases due to reduced biodiversity in the field.
• To address monoculture’s negative effects, some farmers practice crop rotation, growing different crops in the same field across seasons, or intercropping, cultivating multiple crops together in one field. These methods improve soil health and reduce pest and disease risks.
• Examples of monoculture crops include:
  • Corn: Corn is frequently grown as a monoculture crop, especially in the United States, where it is the most widely produced crop.
  • Wheat: Wheat is commonly grown as a monoculture in temperate regions, such as Canada’s Prairie Provinces and the U.S. Midwest.
  • Soybeans: Soybeans are often grown as a monoculture in Brazil and the U.S. Midwest.
  • Rice: Rice is typically grown as a monoculture in Asian regions like China’s Yangtze River Valley and Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
  • Cotton: Cotton is frequently grown as a monoculture in the U.S. Southwest, India, China, and Pakistan.
  • Palm oil: Palm oil is commonly grown as a monoculture in tropical areas, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Bid-Rent Theory

• Bid-rent theory is a model that describes the relationship between land value and its distance from a city’s central business district (CBD). According to the theory, land value decreases as the distance from the CBD increases, as land closer to the CBD is more valuable due to its proximity to amenities like jobs, transportation, and resources.
• Bid-rent theory is used to predict land-use patterns within a city. For example, it suggests that high-value activities, such as office buildings, are located near the CBD, while lower-value uses, like industrial or agricultural land, are situated farther away.
• The theory is widely applied in urban and regional planning to analyze land use and value across different city areas. It also informs real estate decisions by predicting land values and guiding investments.
• Example of bid-rent theory in action: In a city, land near the downtown area is more expensive than land on the outskirts due to its higher development potential. A developer might pay a premium for a plot in the city center to build a high-rise apartment building, which offers a higher return on investment compared to a low-rise building on the outskirts. The developer pays a “bid rent” expecting profits from the development. Conversely, a farmer might pay less for land farther from the city to use for agriculture, which yields lower returns.

Key Points

• Commercial activities are located in the city’s inner core, paying higher rent for prime locations.
  • Greater accessibility in the city center provides more opportunities to attract large populations to businesses.
• Industries are situated farther from the CBD, requiring more land at lower costs.
  • Industries seek low prices while remaining close enough to the marketplace.
• Residential areas are less concerned with market proximity and more focused on affordable commuting distances.
• Lower-income residents live closer to the city for easier access to jobs.

Assumptions of the theory

• The land is featureless, with no physical characteristics affecting commuting cost or time.
• Rent costs increase directly with proximity to the CBD.
• Most employment centers are in the CBD, with others distributed throughout the metropolitan area.

Key Terms

• Agricultural Production Regions: Agricultural production regions are areas with concentrated farming activity, shaped by climate, soil, and cultural factors, crucial for understanding global food production patterns.
• Bid-Rent Theory: Bid-rent theory explains how land value and demand decrease with distance from the central business district, influencing urban land use, agriculture, and economic activities.
• Central Business District (CBD): The central business district is a city’s commercial hub, with high land values, dense retail, offices, and cultural institutions, shaping urban development and economic activity.
• Commercial Farming: Commercial farming focuses on producing crops and livestock for market sale, using large-scale operations and advanced technologies to maximize profit and impact global food systems.
• Crop Rotation: Crop rotation involves alternating crops in a field across seasons to maintain soil fertility, reduce pests, and optimize nutrient use, enhancing sustainable farming practices.
• Extensive Farming: Extensive farming uses low labor and capital inputs per land unit, covering large areas with lower yields, suitable for regions with abundant land but limited resources.
• Intensive Farming: Intensive farming maximizes crop and livestock output per land unit using high inputs like fertilizers and technology, raising concerns about environmental sustainability.
• Intercropping: Intercropping is the practice of growing multiple crops together in one field, enhancing biodiversity, soil health, and crop yields through complementary resource use.
• Monocropping/Monoculture: Monocropping involves growing a single crop over a large area, increasing efficiency but risking soil depletion, pest vulnerability, and biodiversity loss.
• Subsistence Farming: Subsistence farming produces food primarily for the farmer’s family, with minimal surplus, influencing local economies, demographics, and agricultural practices.
• Urban and Regional Planning: Urban and regional planning guides land use to create sustainable, functional environments, balancing urban growth with agricultural land preservation.