Traditional vs. Evolved Agricultural Landscapes: A Comprehensive Comparison

Posted on Apr 29, 2024 in Geography

Traditional Agricultural Landscapes

Characteristics of Traditional Agriculture

  • Low level of development
  • Backward technology
  • Labor-intensive practices
  • Low productivity
  • Production for family consumption
  • Polyculture and livestock integration
  • Individual or collective land ownership

Types of Traditional Agriculture

Shifting Cultivation

  • Found in humid equatorial and tropical climates
  • Irregular plots cleared through burning
  • Short cultivation periods due to soil exhaustion
  • Subsistence farming with low population densities

Sedentary Dryland Agriculture

  • Located in dry savanna climates
  • Villages surrounded by orchards and collectively worked fields
  • Sustainable land use practices
  • Supports higher population densities

Monsoon Agriculture

  • Practiced in tropical monsoon climates
  • Rice cultivation in river plains and deltas
  • Continuous production with multiple harvests
  • Modernization through the Green Revolution

Pastoral Nomadism

  • Found in semi-arid and arid regions
  • Livestock herding as the primary activity
  • Limited agriculture in oases

Evolved Agricultural Landscapes

Characteristics of Evolved Agriculture

  • High level of development
  • Advanced technology
  • Reduced labor requirements
  • High productivity
  • Specialized and market-oriented production
  • Private land ownership

Types of Evolved Agriculture

Agriculture in Developed Countries

  • Large, regular plots
  • High technology and low labor
  • Specialized production in suitable environments
  • Examples: Grain farming in grasslands, ranching in drier areas

Agribusiness

  • Mass production for international markets
  • Focus on low prices and profit maximization
  • Monoculture and intensive farming practices
  • Land ownership by skilled farmers or corporations
  • Challenges: Overproduction, price fluctuations, soil depletion

Plantation Agriculture

  • Located in humid tropical climates
  • Large-scale production of cash crops (e.g., sugarcane, cotton)
  • High investment, technology, and labor
  • Production for export to developed countries
  • Land ownership by multinational companies
  • Challenges: Demand fluctuations, competition, soil depletion