Agricultural
Production Regions
Explore how climate, economics, and culture shape the spatial patterns of agriculture across the globe.
AP Human Geography
What Is an Agricultural Production Region?
An agricultural production region is a geographic area characterized by a dominant type of farming activity. These regions emerge from the interaction of physical geography (climate, soil, terrain) and human factors (technology, economics, cultural traditions).
Why Do Regions Matter?
Trade Patterns
Agricultural specialization drives global commodity flows: grain from the Great Plains, coffee from Colombia, rubber from Southeast Asia.
Food Security
Understanding which regions produce what helps predict vulnerability to drought, conflict, or climate change.
Cultural Identity
Farming practices are deeply tied to cultural landscapes: terraced paddies in Bali, pastoral nomadism in the Sahel.
Key Factors That Shape Regions
Von Thunen's Model of Land Use
Subsistence vs. Commercial Agriculture
| Subsistence | Commercial | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Feed the farmer's family | Sell on the market for profit |
| Scale | Small plots | Large-scale operations |
| Technology | Hand tools, animal labor | Machinery, GMOs, chemicals |
| Labor | Family-based, labor-intensive | Hired, capital-intensive |
| Location | LDCs (Africa, South/SE Asia) | MDCs (N. America, Europe, Australia) |
Types of Subsistence Agriculture
Shifting Cultivation
Slash-and-burn in tropical forests. Fields are used briefly, then abandoned to regenerate. Found in Amazon, Congo Basin, Southeast Asia.
Pastoral Nomadism
Herding livestock across arid/semi-arid lands following seasonal pastures. Found in the Sahel, Central Asia, Arabian Peninsula.
Intensive Subsistence
High labor input on small plots, often wet-rice (paddy) agriculture. Found in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia.
Types of Commercial Agriculture
Mixed Crop & Livestock
Crops fed to animals, animals fertilize fields. Common in the U.S. Midwest and Western Europe.
Grain Farming
Large-scale wheat, corn, or rice for export. Found in Great Plains (U.S.), Pampas (Argentina), Ukraine.
Plantation Agriculture
Single cash crop (coffee, sugar, rubber) on large estates in the tropics. Often linked to colonial history.
The Green Revolution
Beginning in the 1960s, the Green Revolution introduced high-yield seed varieties, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation technology to developing countries. It transformed agricultural production regions by:
1
Increasing yields dramatically: wheat production in India tripled between 1965 and 1985.
2
Shifting subsistence regions toward commercial production, as farmers could produce surplus for sale.
3
Creating environmental costs: soil depletion, water overuse, and chemical runoff.
4
Widening inequality: wealthy farmers adopted technology faster, marginalizing small-holders.
How to Identify a Production Region
1
Check the climate: Is it tropical, arid, temperate, or continental? This narrows options immediately.
2
Ask: subsistence or commercial? Is the region in an LDC or MDC? How much technology is visible?
3
Identify the primary product: Is it grain, livestock, tree crops, or mixed? This pins down the specific type.
4
Consider labor and land use: Labor-intensive on small plots = subsistence. Capital-intensive on vast acreage = commercial.
5
Apply a model: Does Von Thunen's distance-from-market logic explain the pattern? Does the Bid-rent theory help?
Example: The U.S. Corn Belt
Example: Southeast Asian Wet Rice
Example: Mediterranean Agriculture
Climate
Hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Crops must be drought-tolerant or irrigated during summer months.
Key Crops
Olives, grapes (wine), citrus fruits, figs, and wheat. These are high-value specialty crops, not staple grains.
Locations
Lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea, plus California, central Chile, SW Australia, and the Cape region of South Africa.
AP Tip
Mediterranean agriculture exists in all five regions with Mediterranean climates, not just the Mediterranean Sea area.
Bid-Rent Theory & Modern Context
Globalization & Agribusiness
Modern agricultural production regions are increasingly shaped by global supply chains and agribusiness corporations. Key trends include:
1
Commodity chains: A banana grown in Ecuador is shipped to Germany, processed in Belgium, and sold in France. Production and consumption are spatially separated.
2
Contract farming: Corporations dictate what LDC farmers grow, how they grow it, and what price they receive. Regions shift to export crops.
3
Land grabbing: Foreign governments and corporations purchase farmland in Africa and Southeast Asia, reshaping local agricultural regions.
Common Mistakes on the Exam
✕ Confusing Extensive & Intensive
Extensive = large area, low labor per unit (ranching). Intensive = small area, high labor per unit (wet rice). Don't mix them up.
✕ Equating LDC with Subsistence
Many LDCs have massive plantation agriculture (a commercial type). Not all farming in developing countries is subsistence.
✕ Ignoring Climate Analogues
Mediterranean agriculture exists in California and Chile, not just Europe. Same climate = same farming type, regardless of continent.
Question 1 of 5
In Von Thunen's model, which type of agriculture would be located closest to the central market?
Dairy and market gardening produce perishable goods that must reach consumers quickly. In Von Thunen's model, perishability and transport costs place these activities in the innermost ring, closest to the market.
Question 2 of 5
Which of the following is the best example of intensive subsistence agriculture?
Wet-rice cultivation in Bangladesh involves high labor inputs on small plots to feed the farmer's family: the definition of intensive subsistence. The Amazon example is shifting cultivation (also subsistence, but extensive, not intensive).
Question 3 of 5
The Green Revolution primarily increased agricultural output in developing countries by introducing:
The Green Revolution (1960s-1970s) was defined by high-yield varieties (HYVs), synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and modern irrigation. It dramatically boosted grain production in India, Mexico, and the Philippines, though at environmental and social costs.
Question 4 of 5
Mediterranean agriculture is found on every inhabited continent. Which of the following locations does NOT practice Mediterranean agriculture?
Southeast China has a humid subtropical climate with wet summers: the opposite of the dry-summer Mediterranean climate. Mediterranean agriculture requires hot, dry summers, found in Chile, SW Australia, California, and the Cape of South Africa, not monsoon Asia.
Question 5 of 5
A geographer observes large estates in Central America growing a single crop for export, using hired labor. This is best classified as:
Plantation agriculture is characterized by large estates, a single cash crop (monoculture), hired labor, and production for export. It is a commercial agricultural type commonly found in tropical LDCs, often with roots in colonial-era land tenure systems.