Introduction to Geography
People, Places, and Environment, 4e
Edward F. Bergman
William H. Renwick
Chapter 8:
The Human Food Supply
Victoria Alapo, Instructor
Geog 1010
Food Supplies Over the Last
200 Years

Malthus’ prediction

Technological advances:
Green revolution
New crops




New cropland


Transplants and genetic engineering
New lands opened by irrigation
Transportation and storage


Faster refrigerated modern methods
Improved storage protects against spoilage and pests
Agriculture Today

Subsistence agriculture


Commercial agriculture


Raising a variety of crops
Monoculture


Food for sale
Polyculture


Food for self and family
Specializing in one type
Pastoral nomadism

Transhumance – when nomadic movement is regular and
seasonal
Subsistence and Commercial
Agriculture

Subsistence Traits




Relies mostly on
human labor – little
animal or machine
power
Low technology
use
Smaller average
farm size
Most food is
consumed by
farmer

Commercial Traits




Relies on capital
investment in
machinery,
chemicals,
improved seeds
Large average farm
size
Products sold to
agribusiness
companies
Fewer family owned
farms
Introduction to Geography
People, Places, and Environment, 4e
Edward F. Bergman
William H. Renwick
Chapter 9: Earth’s Resources
and Environmental Protection
Victoria Alapo, Instructor
Geog 1010
What Is a Natural Resource?

Anything from nature that people use and
value; distinguished from human creations and
inventions

Nonrenewable resources


Limited amounts e.g. gas, oil, coal, metals
Renewable resources

Replaced continually e.g. air, wind, water,
solar
Mineral Resources

Distribution of deposits are uneven


Encourages Cartels. And a cartel is when a group
of countries come together to determine the price of
a good e.g. OPEC, diamonds, etc
Distribution of Oil


2/3 of oil reserves in Middle East (77% of world
total). See next table.
North America and Europe have highest per capita
oil consumption rates (next slides).
World Energy Consumption
The U.S., with about 5% of world population, consumes almost 25% of world energy.
Solid Waste

Sanitary Landfills


NIMBY – “not in my backyard”
Recycling reduces waste
Renewable Energy

Hydroelectric


Flowing water; ¼ of world’s
electricity
Nuclear: potential accidents,
radioactive waste, public opposition,
high cost. Pg 372.

Biomass




Wood, plant material and animal
waste; home heating and
cooking in most of world
Brazil vehicles use a lot of
ethanol fuel (highest rate in the
world)
Solar
Wind generation
Air Pollution

Urban air pollution

Temperature inversion – when the ‘upper’
atmosphere is warmer than the ‘lower’
atmosphere. Caused by rapid cooling of
surfaces at night. (See next slide)