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The beginnings of agriculture. Most historians agree that humankind existed for thousands of years before they began farming. Previously, they survived as hunters and gatherers. Why is this? Why would they have made the switch?. The beginnings of agriculture. Advantage over foraging
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The beginnings of agriculture • Most historians agree that humankind existed for thousands of years before they began farming. Previously, they survived as hunters and gatherers. • Why is this? • Why would they have made the switch?
The beginnings of agriculture Advantage over foraging • Controllable food supply • Other than floods or droughts - food supply was stable • - Especially with grain, you can create a food surplus. • Allows for the creation of cities -> People can stay in one place instead of chasing food • Allows for the specialization of labour. Not everyone needs to be involved in finding food, like they did with foraging. • Agriculture can support people not directly involved in the creation of food • EX: Trades people could then devote their time to creating tools that made all aspects of life (including agriculture) easier
The beginnings of agriculture Disadvantages compared to foraging • In order to keep feeding people as the population grows, you have to radically alter the environment. • Clear land, plant fields, etc. • Farming is difficult labour • In many places, this difficult labourwas part of an exploitative relationships between economic and racial groups (ex. slavery, colonialism, etc.)
What major innovations have allowed for our massive population growth? What events discoveries have allowed us to feed over 8 billion people?
Food production • Over the centuries, two main developments have contributed to our growing food supply. • 1.) The expansion of agriculture around the world. • For example, between 1840 and 1915, an expansion of farming on the North American grasslands (stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to central Alberta) greatly increased the world’s food production capacity. • We have no reached a point where there are no new areas of the planet in which to plant.
Food production • 2.) The second major development is the increased efficiency in land/resource use. • Over the years, a series of technological breakthroughs have dramatically increased food productivity. • Industrialization of farming – The use of new technology to move away from manual labour.
b. ) Selective breeding of crops and animals – A process of developing specific plant or animal species to produce high yields. For example, if two cows are identified as high milk producers they may be bred to produce cows with this capacity. c. ) Development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) – Organisms whose genetic structure has been changed to give them characteristics that are seen as desirable. For example, there is a certain type of corn seed in the USA which has been modified in order to resist RoundUp pesticide.
d.) The Green Revolution was a United Nations-funded movement that sought to bring Western-style agriculture to developing countries. Through selective breeding, they introduced high-yield varieties (HYV) of crops (rice, corn, wheat) to replace local crops that had lower yields. This movement co-incided with major population increases in the developing world and created a much needed increase in food production. e.) Increased corporate ownership of farms – The movement towards large, company-run operations from small, family-run farms.
Where our food comes from • Where does your food come from? Choose an average meal and determine how many countries/people are involved in creating it. • Why is this number so high? Why can’t we do it all here?
The nature of agriculture • Agriculture depends on the interactions of a number of natural systems • Climate – There are two main variables in climate • Solar energy (heat) – This explains why bananas can be grown in the Caribbean but not in Portage. • Moisture – This is usually measure in precipitation levels. However, it is more accurate to measure the relationship between precipitation levels and evapotranspiration levels (the amount of moisture that leaves through evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants). Since evapotranspiration increases with higher temperatures, cooler locations require smaller amounts of precipitation to grow.
The nature of agriculture • Organic material – Of the four parts of soil (minerals, organic matter, water, and air), the amount of organic material is the most critical factor in determining its fertility. • Topography (the shape and arrangement of land)- In general, flat land is best for farming. If land is too hilly , there is the risk of losing topsoil through erosion. • Biology – Some organisms are highly beneficial to farming. Earthworms, for example, improve the movement of air through the soil. Other organisms are highly destructive (bugs, weeds, etc.). The presence of these living things can greatly influence food production.
The stages of food production • In your group, choose five foods that you ate yesterday. • Outline the stages of food production that led that food from nature to your plate. • Highlight the different people who played a role in the food production.
Stages of food production • Growing – This stage includes everything from planting seeds to harvesting crops. It is the initial stage that often takes place on farms. • Processing – This is the stage where food is changed into the form that you find in grocery stores. For example, a variety of ingredients (flour, milk, etc.) are combined to make one product (a loaf of bread) • Transportation – Here, food is brought from the plants to stores and other retailers. • Marketing – Food is advertised and sold.
Human influence on food production • Brainstorm examples of how each of the following human factors could influence food production: • Cultural • Economic • Political • Environmental • Marketing
Menu planning • Imagine you are starting a new fast food chain that will debut with an international launch. You are supposed to come up with food items that match the cultural/economic/political realities of the area. • Create three featured items for three different places in the world. • One for Winnipeg • Two for other unique international locations • Identify the nature of the featured item (what’s in it) • Explain why it matches the places you have chosen
Balderdash • Subsistence Farming • Cash crop Farming • Extensive Farming • Intensive Farming
Types of Agriculture • There are two ways to categorize farming 1.) Subsistence vs. cash-cropping • Subsistence Farming – Farmers grow crops and raise livestock to meet the immediate needs of their families. • Subsistence farmers produce many different products often on small farms. • Any surplus from production may be sold or traded to meet the farmer’s other needs. • This is the dominant form of agriculture in developing countries. 65% of Africa’s sub-Saharan population rely on subsistence farming.
Types of Agriculture • Cash crop farming describes farming where the food is produced to be sold in local and global markets. • These farmers specialize in producing only a few products, even if they have large farms. • They may not use any of the products that they grow or produce. • For example, a farmer who owns a large dairy farm may still purchase his/her milk from a grocery store.
Intensive farming vs. extensive farming • Intensive farming refers to the practice of farming a small amount of land in a concentrated fashion with the use of large amounts of labour and capital. • A great deal of capital (money) and labour (work) are required to apply chemicals and purchase, maintain, and use of machinery. • These practices produce a high yield per area unit of land. • Examples in Canada: Fruit and vegetable growing, vineyards, livestock feedlots, and hog factories.
Extensive farming uses large amounts of land with limited amounts of labour and capital. • Crop yields depend primarily of natural soil fertility, terrain, climate, and the availability of water. • Since this type of farming produces a lower yield per unit of area, it requires more land to be profitable. • Examples in Canada: Grain, oil-seed farming, ranching, and most forms of mixed farming.
The business of farming • One in five people in Canada is involved in some stage of food production/selling (growing, processing, transportation, selling). • In the 1950s, Canadians spent about 25% of their income on food. • Today, Canadians spend about 11% of their income on food.
Land: The basic resource • What is the difference between a renewable resource and a non-renewable resource? • Renewable – Resources that replace themselves unless badly mismanaged. Ex: Trees, water, etc. • Non-renewable – Resources that can only be used once and are in limited supply. EX: Metals, diamonds, etc. • Which category does land fall under?
Land: The basic resource • In some ways, land can fit both definitions: • Land is renewable in the sense that it can produce crops year after year if properly managed. • Land is non-renewable in the sense that it is in limited supply – There is no way to create new land. • In Canada, land is divided into different classes. That outline the land capability of the country. • Land capability refers to the usefulness of land for an intended purpose. For agriculture, this calculation examines soil quality, drainage, slope, and climate.
Threats to the land • What are the forces/elements that threaten a farmer’s yield?
Threats to the land • There are many natural/human elements that threaten to harm farming soil: • Erosion – the wearing away of the Earth’s surface followed by the movement to other locations of THE materials that have worn away. • Contamination – the loss of crops due to the growth/presence of harmful elements (weeds, insects, etc.) In order to combat these threats, farmers take numerous steps to protect their soil/crops: • Soil conservation methods are approaches that seek to maintain the fertility of soil year after year. • EX: No-till cropping leaves the stubble from the previous year’s crop on the field in order to protect the soil from wind erosion. Stubble also traps snow in the fields and helps build up soil moisture. • The use of pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals address the issues of contamination, but also present environmental concerns
Land: The basic resource • During the 1960s and 1970s the government surveyed most of the land in Canada – 2.5m km2. Their goal was to determine the land capability for agriculture. This produced the Canada Land Inventory • Class 1: Land has deep soils and is excellent for farming. It has no climatic or land limitations. 0.5% of land. • Class 5: Land has serious limitations for agriculture, such as a very short growing season, hilly landscape, thin soil, or poor drainage. Class 5 land may be used for grazing or producing hay. 3.7% of Canada’s land. • Class 7: Land has no capability for farming or was not classified. 86.8% of Canada’s land.
Global warming • What is global warming? • What evidence exists for it?
Sustainable Development • What does the word “sustainable” mean? • Will the world ever run out of food? Why/why not? • Is there enough food for everyone in the world?
Food Security • The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. • Food security is defined as including both physical and economic access to food that meets people's dietary needs as well as their food preferences.
Food Security Part One What would it take for you to go hungry? Part Two Rank the roles provided in terms of the stability of their access to healthy food on a regular basis. Create a list of factors that would prevent these people from eating well Looking at the list of obstacles to healthy eating, create a list of the ways in which we could address/resolve the problem of food insecurity
Food Security • Food security is built on three pillars: • Food availability: sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis. • Food access: having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. • Food use: appropriate use based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care, as well as adequate water and sanitation.
Food Security • Food Insecurity identifies conditions where people are unable to meet the conditions above. • This includes a wide variety of forms of malnutrition. • People living in poverty in developing countries are often undernourished and don’t have access to enough food to properly sustain life. • People living in poverty in first-world countries often only have access to unhealthy foods that lack the necessary nutrients. • There are many threats to food security in the world • Population growth • Global warming • Intellectual property rights (GMOs)
Industry • For your assigned industry type: • Create a definition of your type of industry (in your own words) • Create a new name for your group that will help your classmates remember what your industry does • Create a list of ten examples of your line of work • List three reasons why you are the most important group of workers in Canada
Primary Industries • Primary industries take raw materials from the natural environment. • They are called “primary” because they recover natural resources before anything else can occur. • The main industries related to primary industries are agriculture, mining, forestry and fishing. • Only a few countries in the world can rival Canada as a source of natural production. These industries account for a large portion of our wealth. • Primary industries are located where the resources is found, which varies from resource to resource.
Secondary Industries • Secondary industries involve processing the primary industry product into finished goods. • The most important secondary industry is manufacturing, which is responsible for making the enormous range of products needed by consumers and by companies.
Secondary Industries • Manufacturers make everything from computers and diamond rings to cans of fruit and bulldozers. • Manufacturing often involves more than one stage of processing. • For example iron ore, coal, limestone, and other metals are used to make steel. This steel then may be used by a different manufacturer to create a finished product. • Manufacturing industries tend to me located near densely populated areas because they want to be near their customers.
Tertiary • Tertiary industries provide a wide range of services that support primary and secondary industries and society in general. • This includes retail, transportation, finance, education, health, government, etc. • Almost 3X as many Canadians work in tertiary industries than in primary and secondary industries combined.
Quaternary • Quaternary industries produce ideas, not products • This could include • Researchers • Computer programmers • Writers • Financial planning • This segment of the economy has grown significantly in the past few years. • Most of these industries are closely linked to other industries. • For example, a professor may work as a researcher developing new ideas as part of her job (quatnerary), but she may also teach classes for other students which provides a service (tertiary).
Where (in Canada) should we build our plant? • French Fries • Aluminum • Oil drills • Mini vans • iPhones
Location of Manufacturing • Manufacturing describes the process of many secondary industries which take raw materials (or manufactured materials) and transform them into finished products. • When deciding where to place a new plant, business owners consider a wide variety of factors.
Location of Raw Materials • Since many manufacturing plants deal directly with raw materials, it is efficient for them to be located near the production of these materials. • Some products (such as fruits and vegetables) should be processed as soon as possible after being picked, so food processing companies tend to be located in areas where crops are grown. • Some factories, such as sawmills, use great quantities of bulky raw materials and produce finished products that are much smaller. Being located near the raw materials greatly reduces their transportation costs. • Example – McCain Foods Florenceville, New Brunswick; and other east-coast centres. These factories are all located near potato crops.
Location of Markets • Often a company will choose to locate near a large number of its customers (market). • This limits the delivery costs and allows them to deliver the product with limited delay. This gives them a significant advantage over companies located further away. • Example – Cardium Tool Services – This company specializes in tools for oil drilling and production. They are located in Edmonton which is very near many of the oil fields.
Availability of Fresh Water and Power • One of the most basic needs for most kinds of manufacturing is an abundant supply of fresh water and power. Many manufacturing companies, like steel makers and oil refiners use vast amounts of fresh water for cooling and cleaning purposes. • As a result, many of these companies locate near major lakes and rivers. • Example – Alcan Aluminum. Producing 1 tonne of aluminum requires the use of 13,500 kWh of electricity (the same amount of power could run a stereo system running for 24 hours/day for 50 years). This company is located near the Sangenay and Peribonka rivers in Quebec where they operate their own hydro-electric generating stations.
Labour Supply • A company must consider the availability and cost of its labour supply when deciding where to locate. In the past, many companies needed a low-cost, large labour force. • For many years, this included basic lines of work such as clothing production. However, since trade laws have outsourced much of this work to other countries, this type of basic labour is no longer in demand. • Today, many Canadian companies are in need of advanced skills and will locate in parts of the country that have universities, colleges and other programs that produce these types of employees. • Example – Technology companies such as RIM, Nortel, etc.
Transportation • Every company needs fast and efficient transportation. However, for some companies it is the most important factor of all. • Example – Two large steel mills in Hamilton are located in that city to take advantage of the raw materials that are brought in by ship. This includes coal from American ports along Lake Erie and iron ore from ports on the lower St. Lawrence River.
Political Factors • One way for a government to attract and keep industry is to provide good business climate. Governments can influence manufacturing in direct and indirect ways. • Direct – A government may offer reduced taxes for a particular industry to entice new developments and keep existing ones. • Indirect – A government can improve/create a new highway that benefits all citizens, but also increases the efficiency of manufacturers. • EX – Toyota Motors Canada - In the mid-1980s the Ontario and local government provided them with incentives to open new plants in Cambridge, ON. The new plant created new jobs for local residents and stimulated the economy.
