Understanding Agriculture: Practices, Factors, and Types
Agriculture: An Overview
Agriculture: The cultivation of land to obtain food for human consumption and raw materials for industry.
Agricultural Revolution
Agricultural Revolution: A rapid change in the methods of land ownership and cultivation.
Agriculture Today
Developed Countries
In developed countries, less than 5% of the active population is engaged in agriculture. There is high productivity due to technical advances.
Developing Countries
In developing countries, almost 80% of workers are engaged in agricultural activities. Agriculture employs most of the population and contributes over 20% of the national wealth. The use of traditional farming techniques results in lower productivity, which hinders meeting food needs.
Physical Factors of Agriculture
Climate
Each plant requires specific temperature and humidity conditions to grow. Climatic factors can impede agricultural practices.
Relief
The altitude and slope of the terrain affect agricultural activity. Temperatures decrease as altitude increases.
Soil
The soil needs to have adequate characteristics. The size of the soil grains and its porosity determine the amount of oxygen in the soil and its ability to retain water.
Drainage
- Very fine and compact soils: Rich in nutrients but easily waterlogged.
- Sandy soils: Grains are very loose. They do not retain water or nutrients that plants need.
- Loamy soils: Medium grain and compact. Optimum for agriculture, as they retain water longer.
Human Factors in Agriculture
Population Volume
The need to feed an increasingly large population.
Farming Techniques
The use of technical or other methods determines the performance of cultivated lands.
Destination of Production
Subsistence agriculture is devoted to the consumption of rural households. Specialized agriculture focuses on producing for the market or a few specific products.
Agricultural Policies
Governments have a decisive influence on the characteristics and evolution of agriculture through various measures.
Types of Agriculture
- Fee: Maximum production.
- Intensive Agriculture: Maximizing the use of land.
- Extensive Farming: Not fully exploiting the parcel.
- Dryland Agriculture: Crops receive water only from rainfall.
- Irrigated Agriculture: The farmer provides the water needed by plants.
- Polyculture: Different varieties of plants are cultivated in the same area.
- Monoculture: Only one product is grown.
Traditional Agriculture
Aims to obtain the necessary food for the farmer’s family, a subsistence agriculture, practiced on small properties. Polyculture predominates. Farming activities are carried out with great effort using primitive tools and techniques. There is limited access to technological advances, and a strong dependence on physical factors.
Livestock
Livestock: Animal breeding based on its use.
Ranching
Large farms are characteristic of natural grasslands. Requires few investments, but productivity is low. The characteristic types of livestock are cattle and sheep.
Intensive Farming
Farming is practiced in specialized facilities, requires large investments, and has high productivity. It is a cattle feedlot. The characteristic types of livestock are cattle, pigs, and poultry.
Fisheries
Fisheries: Catching fish and aquatic animals.
Types of Fishing
- Inshore Fishing: Carried out near the shore in tiny boats without motors. Catches are used for consumption.
- Coastal Fisheries: Close to the coast in small or medium-sized boats.
- Deep-sea Fishing: Carried out at sea, equipped with large tonnage vessels.
- Trawling: Use of nets dragged along the seabed.
Fishing Locations
Stocks: Continental shelves.
Aquaculture
The captive breeding or controlled environment for plant and animal aquatic organisms.
Forestry
Forestry: The economic exploitation of forests.
Forestry Management
Determines the surface that can be exploited depending on the capacity for regeneration.