Welcome to IHE Geography :
Geography of Food
Semester 2
Teacher : Mrs Ruth ANN-LOH
Office : Main Staffroom, Level 2 (Above GO)
Tel : 64651073
Email: [email protected]
MSN : [email protected]
FB : Ruth ANN LOH
Geography of Food
• Introduction to food consumption, production
and distribution
• 1. Housekeeping/syllabus
• 2. Types of farming system/agricultural
economy
• 2.1 arable, pastoral, mixed farming
• 2.2 subsistence & commercial faming
• 2.3 sedentary and nomadic (migratory)
• 2.4 extensive and intensive farming
• 2.5 Case studies – MEDC and LEDC
• 3. World farming types and distribution
Farming is an industry and operates like other
industries. It is a system with:
INPUTS:
These are what go
into a farm and can
be divided into
physical, human and
economic inputs.
PROCESSES:
These are the
activities on the
farm which turn
the inputs into
outputs.
OUTPUTS: These
are the products of
the farm. If the farm
is to make a profit the
value of the outputs
should be greater than
that of the inputs.
Farming system
Inputs
Processes
Outputs
labour
ploughing
wheat
capital
sowing
potatoes
seeds
spraying
barley
animals
adding
fertiliser
seeds
fertilisers
pesticides
harvesting
crop waste
milk
grazing
hides
milking
wool
profit
eggs
Geography of
Food
-IPO for short
The Farmer is very important and is the
DECISION-MAKER.
Each individual farmers decision on what crops to grow or
animals to rear, and which methods to use to maximise output,
depends on an UNDERSTANDING of the most favourable
physical and economic conditions for the farm.
Sometimes, the farmer may have several choices and so the
decision may depend upon individual likes and expertise. On
other occasions the choice may be limited by extreme
physical conditions or economic or political pressures.
Farming can be classified
by Inputs, Processes or Outputs
INTENSIVE or EXTENSIVE
ARABLE, PASTORAL
or MIXED
SUBSISTENCE or
COMMERCIAL
What are the different types of farming?
Arable
Pastoral
Mixed
Farming:
Concentrates on rearing
of animals.
Subsistence
Producing food only
to feed themselves
and their families. In
LEDC’s most farming
is subsistence.
Grows crops
and rears
animals
Only grows crops
e.g. arable farms in
East Anglia.
Commercial
Farmers grow crops and rear
animals to sell in order to
make a profit. In MEDC’s
most farming is commercial.
Extensive
Where the farm size is
very large compared
with either the amount
of money spent on it or
the number of people
working there.
Intensive
Where the farm is small in
size compared to the
numbers working there or
the amount of money spent
on it, ie have high inputs of
labour or capital (money) in
order to achieve high
outputs per hectare or
yield.
NOMADIC
SEDENTARY:
Settlement is permanent
and the landscape is
farmed every year.
Nomadic farmers move
around to find fresh
pasture for animals or new
plots of land to cultivate.
In a nutshell for IPO :
Recap :
What does IPO stand for?
Classification by INPUT
• INTENSIVE farming – high levels of input
producing a high yield per hectare.
Examples include, arable farming in East
Anglia, England and rice farming in South
East Asia.
• EXTENSIVE farming – low levels of input
producing a low yield per hectare.
Example, sheep farming in North Wales
Classification by PROCESSES
Arable vs. Pastoral
Arable
Growing and harvesting of crops
Pastoral
Specialise in
rearing of animals
Mixed
Both pastoral and arable farming
Classification by OUTPUT
• SUBSISTENCE farming
Produce is consumed by the
farmer, any surplus is usually
sold to buy other goods
• COMMERCIAL farming

The majority of produce is
sold to make financial profit
What effects the distribution of farming ?
The main factors affecting the distribution of farming are:
Climate
Relief (shape of the land)
Soil type
Accessibility to the market and labour supply
CASE STUDY :
PRIMARY
INDUSTRY IN
UK (MEDC)
VINE HOUSE
FARM,
LINCOLNSHIRE.
CASE STUDY :
VINE HOUSE FARM,
EAST ANGLIA (LEDC)
(an arable farm)
•Where is it ?
•What are the inputs, outputs, processes ? (systems
diagram)
•How has it changed ?
CASE STUDY :
VINE HOUSE FARM,
EAST ANGLIA
(an arable farm) Don’t forget to include
Include simple
FACTS !!
SummariseYou can’t
learn it all
Ask yourself these questions;
1. Where is it ?
2. What are the inputs,
outputs, processes ? (systems
diagram)
3. How has it changed ?
KEYWORDS !!
Remember to
describe its
LOCATION.
MEDC : United Kingdom
(Detailed)
- The different types of farming
system
FARMING IN THE UK
Market Gardening
involves intensive
farming of high
value fruit and
salad vegetables
in greenhouses
FARMING IN THE UK
Sheep and beef
cattle are reared
for wool and
meat, mainly in
upland areas
FARMING IN THE UK
Dairy Farming
is the rearing of
cows for milk,
usually in flatter
areas - good grass
so lush pastures
FARMING IN THE UK
Arable Farming in
the UK is mainly
cereal crops, but
also vegetables
and animal feeds
South Penquite Farm – a case study
South Penquite Farm
South Penquite is a 80
hectare working hill farm
situated high on Bodmin Moor
in Cornwall.
The farm has a flock of 400
ewes and a herd of 60 cows as
well as many horses, ponies,
goats, donkeys and chickens.
South Penquite Farm
South Penquite Farm
The farm has achieved organic status under the
guidance of the Soil Association.
It takes two years to convert the land over which time
they have not used any pesticides or nitrogen
fertilizers.
South Penquite started the conversion to becoming an
organic farm in May 1999 and from June 2001 they
have been able to offer organic beef and lamb.
South Penquite Farm
The farm has diversified.
They offer a range of countryside holidays which
include camping and horse riding. For the camping they
have a limited number of pitches to minimize the impact
on the environment. They also have facilities for field
studies and opportunities for educational groups to
learn about local environment.
Camping
Riding Holidays
Field Studies
Wrap up on IPO :
World : Agriculture
http://go-passport.grolier.com/atlas?id=mtlr079
http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home