Agriculture

This section of the course explores four themes: the origin and diffusion of agriculture; the characteristics and processes of the world’s agricultural production systems and land use; the impact of agricultural change on quality of life and the environment; and issues in contemporary agriculture . Students examine centers where domestication originated and study the processes by which domesticated crops and animals spread . This diffusion process makes clear why distinct regional patterns emerge in terms of diet, energy use, and the adaptation of biotechnology . The course also covers the major agricultural production regions of the world . Extensive activity (fishing, forestry, nomadic herding, ranching, shifting cultivation) and intensive activity (plantation agriculture, mixed crop/livestock systems, market gardening, horticulture, large-scale commercial agriculture) are examined, as are settlement patterns and landscapes typical of each major agriculture type . Students learn about land survey systems, environmental conditions, sustainability, global food supply problems, and the cultural values that shape agricultural patterns . In addition this section presents the roles of women in agricultural production, particularly in subsistence farming and market economies in the developing world . Explanations for patterns of rural land use and associated settlements (e .g ., von Thünen’s land use model) are major concerns . Also important are the impacts of large-scale agribusiness on food production and consumption . The effects of economic and cultural globalization on agriculture and the need to increase food supplies and production capacity conclude this section