AgricultureFirst Agricultural

Revolution

Second Agricultural Revolution

Green Revolution

(Third Agricultural Revolution)

Prehistoric Man

Hunter gather society

Nomadic

Temperate environment

Cyclic Movement

Migratory

FireDomesticated 500,000 ????

tools

First Ag RevPlant domestication

Animal domestication

Use of fire

Plant DomesticationGather seeds

Irrigation

Fertilizer

Cultivate

Clear land (fire)

12,000 years ago or less

Plant DomesticationSlash and Burn

Swidden

Grindstones

Pestle and Mortar

Storage

ProblemsNo crop rotation

Wear the land out

Move on to new land

Lack of permanent settlements

Plants

Animal Domestication

Young

Garbage

Fire

Protection

Cultural HearthsFood surplus

Social stratification

Specialization

Urban hierarchy

DevelopmentGovernmentsReligionArtsMusicArchitectureMedicine

Cultural HearthsMesopotamiaNile Valley Indus ValleyWei-Huang ValleyGanges ValleyMesoamericaWest AfricaAndean America

Cultural HearthsFresh waterTemperate areasLand was diverse

Different types of plantsSeasons allowed for different growth

Cultural HearthsBegan as egalitarian societiesHierarchy developedTrade within a functional regionSedentary societies

Cultural DiffusionGovernmentsReligionArtsMusicArchitectureMedicine

Independent Invention

Inventions in different places at different times without any knowledge of the other. No diffusion.

Independent Invention

Example - metallurgyFire heated rocks

Melted ores

Tools, weapons

Empire BuildingSome societies became so stratified, they could have military.

Control other lesser developed areas

Empire BuildingGrew in power by taking resources of others

Cultural diffusion

Second Ag RevDevelop machines that do the work of many people

Too many without ag work

Move to urban areas

Work in factories

Second Ag RevFactories make machines for farmers

Larger farms, fewer farmers

More to urban areas

More factories, larger machines

Second Ag RevFertilizers

Drainage

Irrigation

Fence

Breading

Agricultural/Industrial Spiral

Ag input increase

Fewer agricultural workers needed

More urban dwellers

Need jobs

Work in factories

Factories make better farm machines

Fewer Ag workers needed

Von ThunenGerman economist

Agricultural Concentric Circles

mid 1800’s

Wrote

The Isolated

State

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Von ThunenThunen’s model: the black dot represents a city; 1 (white) dairy and market gardening; 2 (green) forest for fuel; 3 (yellow) grains and field crops; 4 (red) ranching; the outer, dark green area represents wilderness where agriculture is not profitable

Von Thunen made a model

Exceptions

Von Thunen made a model

Exceptions

Isotropic plainNo rivers

No mountains

All travel equal

No other settlements

All land the same

Government policies

What is the use?

The model could predict agricultural location.

Can it predict location today?

Have you read: Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food

If you have, read it again.If you have not read it twice.We will read it a third time after we end the Green Revolution.Read the Time Article

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1917726,00.html

Green RevolutionHistory

Aspects

Results

Future

History of Green Revolution

Mexico 1945

Need wheat for the rapidly growing population

India 1961 starvation

Rice

History of Green Revolution

Norman Borlaug began the ideas.

Term “Green Revolution” by Gaud of USAID in 1968.

History of Green Revolution

Philippines starvation

Rice

Africa 1980’s

Population growth and political instability

AspectsGenetically modified seedsShorter stems, chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, better irrigationTechniques

AspectsVery expensiveNeed government support

RoadsStorageWells

AspectsMust have government stabilitySoil ClimateMoney

AspectsFinance and research

Rockefeller FoundationFord Foundation

Results of the Green Revolution

Mexico

1943 imported 1/2 wheat

1956 self sufficient

1964 exported wheat

Results of the Green Revolution

India

IR8 semi-dwarf rice

Price of rice $550/ton in 1970

Price of rice $200/ton in 2001

Export 4.5 mil ton in 2006

Results of the Green Revolution

Philippines 1966IR8 rice like India

3.7 to 7.7 mil tons in 20 yr

Results of the Green Revolution

Africa experienced very little success 1970’s.

Insecurity, lack of infrastructure, corruption, lack of cooperation

Natural limits, water and soil

Future of the Green Revolution

Yield increases leveled off in mid 1980’sPetro chemicals costs increasesChemical fert, pest, and herb damage the ecosystem

Future of the Green Revolution

Fert - runoff makes algee grow, too much oxygen, choke out fishHerb - eliminate plant diversityPest - eliminate insect diversityAll exspensive

Future of the Green Revolution

Genetically altered plants mutate others (roundup ready corn)Loss of diversity of food

Future of the Green Revolution

Neo-Malthusian theorySustainabilityCarrying capacity

Time article

Future of the Green Revolution

Monocultures - lack of diversity in dietSocioeconomic - poor cannot afford to farm.

Future of the Green Revolution

GlobalizationLarger farms, fewer farmersPoor move to citiesWork in foreign owned factoriesRich richer, poor poorer