Textbook: Spatial Arrangement of Agriculture | AP Human Geography - Grade 9 PDF Download

 Page 1


307 CHAPTER 13: SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 13
Spatial Arrangement of 
Agriculture
Topics 5.6–5.9
Topic 5.6 Agricultural Production Regions
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.7 Spatial Organization of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.8 Von Thünen Model
Learning Objective: Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain  
patterns of agricultural production at various scales. (PSO-5.D)
Topic 5.9 The Global System of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain the interdependence among regions of agricultural 
production and consumption. (PSO-5.E)
Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, 
banks, university, church, or army. Agriculture is the foundation 
of civilization and any stable economy.
—Allan Savory, biologist and farmer, Zimbabwe
Source: Getty Images
High-density cattle feedlots often 
contain a mill to produce feed 
which increases the efficiency 
of beef production. (See Topic 
5.6 for how feedlots and other 
agricultural practices are shaped 
by economic factors.)
Page 2


307 CHAPTER 13: SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 13
Spatial Arrangement of 
Agriculture
Topics 5.6–5.9
Topic 5.6 Agricultural Production Regions
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.7 Spatial Organization of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.8 Von Thünen Model
Learning Objective: Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain  
patterns of agricultural production at various scales. (PSO-5.D)
Topic 5.9 The Global System of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain the interdependence among regions of agricultural 
production and consumption. (PSO-5.E)
Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, 
banks, university, church, or army. Agriculture is the foundation 
of civilization and any stable economy.
—Allan Savory, biologist and farmer, Zimbabwe
Source: Getty Images
High-density cattle feedlots often 
contain a mill to produce feed 
which increases the efficiency 
of beef production. (See Topic 
5.6 for how feedlots and other 
agricultural practices are shaped 
by economic factors.)
308 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AP
®
 EDITION
5.6
Agricultural Production Regions
Essential Question: How do economic forces influence agricultural 
practices?
Residents of every continent, except Antarctica, practice agriculture. There 
are differences in agricultural practices in various regions of the world, and 
even within individual continents. These differences include the crops or 
animals raised, level of technology, methods for production, percentage of the 
population working in agriculture, importance of agriculture to the economy, 
and gender roles in farming. These variables are important considerations in 
farmers’ decisions about agricultural practices and land use.
Influence of Economic Forces
Among the many factors that influence farmers’ decisions are available capital 
and the relative costs of land and labor. Because of these different costs, farmers 
balance the use of their resources differently. If land is plentiful and costs little, 
they use it extensively. If land is scarce and expensive, they use it intensely. In 
reality, not every farm fits perfectly into one of these two categories. 
Geographers often refer to the bid-rent theory when discussing land 
costs for different types of agricultural activities. There is usually a distance-
decay relationship between proximity to the urban market and the value of the 
land, meaning the closer the land is to an urban center, the more valuable it 
is. The farmer willing to pay the highest price will gain possession of the land. 
Consequently, the farmer must use intensive agricultural practices to turn a 
profit on the land closest to market. (See Topic 5.8 for more about bid-rent and 
von Thünen’s model.)
Intensive land-use agriculture involves greater inputs of capital and paid 
labor relative to the space used. (See T opic 5.1 for more on intensive agriculture.) 
Intensive practices are used in various regions and conditions:
• Paddy rice farming in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia is very 
labor intensive. Commonly used terraced fields makes using machinery 
difficult.
• Truck farming in California, Texas, Florida, and near large cities is 
sometimes capital intensive because it uses expensive machinery and 
other inputs. In addition to being capital intensive, it is nearly always 
labor intensive. These large farms produce very large quantities of 
vegetables and fruit, often relying on many low-paid migrant workers, to 
tend and harvest crops. 
Page 3


307 CHAPTER 13: SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 13
Spatial Arrangement of 
Agriculture
Topics 5.6–5.9
Topic 5.6 Agricultural Production Regions
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.7 Spatial Organization of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.8 Von Thünen Model
Learning Objective: Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain  
patterns of agricultural production at various scales. (PSO-5.D)
Topic 5.9 The Global System of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain the interdependence among regions of agricultural 
production and consumption. (PSO-5.E)
Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, 
banks, university, church, or army. Agriculture is the foundation 
of civilization and any stable economy.
—Allan Savory, biologist and farmer, Zimbabwe
Source: Getty Images
High-density cattle feedlots often 
contain a mill to produce feed 
which increases the efficiency 
of beef production. (See Topic 
5.6 for how feedlots and other 
agricultural practices are shaped 
by economic factors.)
308 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AP
®
 EDITION
5.6
Agricultural Production Regions
Essential Question: How do economic forces influence agricultural 
practices?
Residents of every continent, except Antarctica, practice agriculture. There 
are differences in agricultural practices in various regions of the world, and 
even within individual continents. These differences include the crops or 
animals raised, level of technology, methods for production, percentage of the 
population working in agriculture, importance of agriculture to the economy, 
and gender roles in farming. These variables are important considerations in 
farmers’ decisions about agricultural practices and land use.
Influence of Economic Forces
Among the many factors that influence farmers’ decisions are available capital 
and the relative costs of land and labor. Because of these different costs, farmers 
balance the use of their resources differently. If land is plentiful and costs little, 
they use it extensively. If land is scarce and expensive, they use it intensely. In 
reality, not every farm fits perfectly into one of these two categories. 
Geographers often refer to the bid-rent theory when discussing land 
costs for different types of agricultural activities. There is usually a distance-
decay relationship between proximity to the urban market and the value of the 
land, meaning the closer the land is to an urban center, the more valuable it 
is. The farmer willing to pay the highest price will gain possession of the land. 
Consequently, the farmer must use intensive agricultural practices to turn a 
profit on the land closest to market. (See Topic 5.8 for more about bid-rent and 
von Thünen’s model.)
Intensive land-use agriculture involves greater inputs of capital and paid 
labor relative to the space used. (See T opic 5.1 for more on intensive agriculture.) 
Intensive practices are used in various regions and conditions:
• Paddy rice farming in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia is very 
labor intensive. Commonly used terraced fields makes using machinery 
difficult.
• Truck farming in California, Texas, Florida, and near large cities is 
sometimes capital intensive because it uses expensive machinery and 
other inputs. In addition to being capital intensive, it is nearly always 
labor intensive. These large farms produce very large quantities of 
vegetables and fruit, often relying on many low-paid migrant workers, to 
tend and harvest crops. 
309 5.6: AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION REGIONS
• Factory farming is a capital-intensive livestock operation in which 
many animals are kept in close quarters, and bred and fed in a controlled 
environment. The term comes from these operations running like a 
factory. Instead of cars or computers moving along an assembly line, it is 
the animals that progress from one end of the “factory” to the other end, 
where they are eventually processed into meat products.
• Aquaculture (aquafarming) is a type of intensive farming. Rather 
than raising typical farm animals in close quarters with a controlled 
environment, fish, shellfish, or water plants are raised in netted areas in 
the sea, tanks, or other bodies of water. (See Topic 5.11.)
Extensive land-use agriculture uses fewer inputs of capital and paid labor 
relative to the amount of space used. Extensive practices, such as shifting 
cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching (see Topic 5.1) can be found 
throughout the world and across the entire spectrum of economic development. 
Increasing Intensity 
Regions of the world that traditionally relied on extensive agricultural 
techniques are under pressure because of local increases in demand for 
food, regional population growth, and global competition to use land more 
intensely. These demographic and economic forces have placed more stress on 
the land because they have pushed farmers to use land continuously, rather 
than allowing land to lie fallow and recover. This shift increases demand for 
expensive inputs such as irrigation, chemicals fertilizers, and improved seeds. 
Those who rely on shifting cultivation have found it more difficult to 
continue these methods as global demand for tropical cash crops, such as 
coffee, tea, and cacao, compete for more land use. The timber industry has 
also put an economic strain on shifting cultivation. For subsistence farmers, 
increasing population and competition—for space to grow timber, rubber, 
cotton, or products that are not eaten but used in industry—have resulted in 
food security issues, most noticeably in Africa.
Methods of Planting 
Different methods of planting increase the intensity of land use. Double (or 
triple) cropping is planting and harvesting a crop two (or three) times per year 
on the same piece of land. Another technique, intercropping, also known as 
multicropping, is when farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously on 
the same field. For example, a farmer might plant a legume crop alongside a 
cereal crop to add nitrogen to the soil and guard against soil erosion.
The opposite of multicropping is monoculture, in which only one 
crop is grown or one type of animal is raised per season on a piece of land. 
Monocropping, or continuous monoculture, is only growing one type of crop 
or raising one type of animal year after year. As a result, these farmers purchase 
very specific equipment, irrigation systems, fertilizers, and pesticides designed 
for their one crop or animal to maximize efficiency. 
Page 4


307 CHAPTER 13: SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 13
Spatial Arrangement of 
Agriculture
Topics 5.6–5.9
Topic 5.6 Agricultural Production Regions
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.7 Spatial Organization of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.8 Von Thünen Model
Learning Objective: Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain  
patterns of agricultural production at various scales. (PSO-5.D)
Topic 5.9 The Global System of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain the interdependence among regions of agricultural 
production and consumption. (PSO-5.E)
Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, 
banks, university, church, or army. Agriculture is the foundation 
of civilization and any stable economy.
—Allan Savory, biologist and farmer, Zimbabwe
Source: Getty Images
High-density cattle feedlots often 
contain a mill to produce feed 
which increases the efficiency 
of beef production. (See Topic 
5.6 for how feedlots and other 
agricultural practices are shaped 
by economic factors.)
308 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AP
®
 EDITION
5.6
Agricultural Production Regions
Essential Question: How do economic forces influence agricultural 
practices?
Residents of every continent, except Antarctica, practice agriculture. There 
are differences in agricultural practices in various regions of the world, and 
even within individual continents. These differences include the crops or 
animals raised, level of technology, methods for production, percentage of the 
population working in agriculture, importance of agriculture to the economy, 
and gender roles in farming. These variables are important considerations in 
farmers’ decisions about agricultural practices and land use.
Influence of Economic Forces
Among the many factors that influence farmers’ decisions are available capital 
and the relative costs of land and labor. Because of these different costs, farmers 
balance the use of their resources differently. If land is plentiful and costs little, 
they use it extensively. If land is scarce and expensive, they use it intensely. In 
reality, not every farm fits perfectly into one of these two categories. 
Geographers often refer to the bid-rent theory when discussing land 
costs for different types of agricultural activities. There is usually a distance-
decay relationship between proximity to the urban market and the value of the 
land, meaning the closer the land is to an urban center, the more valuable it 
is. The farmer willing to pay the highest price will gain possession of the land. 
Consequently, the farmer must use intensive agricultural practices to turn a 
profit on the land closest to market. (See Topic 5.8 for more about bid-rent and 
von Thünen’s model.)
Intensive land-use agriculture involves greater inputs of capital and paid 
labor relative to the space used. (See T opic 5.1 for more on intensive agriculture.) 
Intensive practices are used in various regions and conditions:
• Paddy rice farming in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia is very 
labor intensive. Commonly used terraced fields makes using machinery 
difficult.
• Truck farming in California, Texas, Florida, and near large cities is 
sometimes capital intensive because it uses expensive machinery and 
other inputs. In addition to being capital intensive, it is nearly always 
labor intensive. These large farms produce very large quantities of 
vegetables and fruit, often relying on many low-paid migrant workers, to 
tend and harvest crops. 
309 5.6: AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION REGIONS
• Factory farming is a capital-intensive livestock operation in which 
many animals are kept in close quarters, and bred and fed in a controlled 
environment. The term comes from these operations running like a 
factory. Instead of cars or computers moving along an assembly line, it is 
the animals that progress from one end of the “factory” to the other end, 
where they are eventually processed into meat products.
• Aquaculture (aquafarming) is a type of intensive farming. Rather 
than raising typical farm animals in close quarters with a controlled 
environment, fish, shellfish, or water plants are raised in netted areas in 
the sea, tanks, or other bodies of water. (See Topic 5.11.)
Extensive land-use agriculture uses fewer inputs of capital and paid labor 
relative to the amount of space used. Extensive practices, such as shifting 
cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching (see Topic 5.1) can be found 
throughout the world and across the entire spectrum of economic development. 
Increasing Intensity 
Regions of the world that traditionally relied on extensive agricultural 
techniques are under pressure because of local increases in demand for 
food, regional population growth, and global competition to use land more 
intensely. These demographic and economic forces have placed more stress on 
the land because they have pushed farmers to use land continuously, rather 
than allowing land to lie fallow and recover. This shift increases demand for 
expensive inputs such as irrigation, chemicals fertilizers, and improved seeds. 
Those who rely on shifting cultivation have found it more difficult to 
continue these methods as global demand for tropical cash crops, such as 
coffee, tea, and cacao, compete for more land use. The timber industry has 
also put an economic strain on shifting cultivation. For subsistence farmers, 
increasing population and competition—for space to grow timber, rubber, 
cotton, or products that are not eaten but used in industry—have resulted in 
food security issues, most noticeably in Africa.
Methods of Planting 
Different methods of planting increase the intensity of land use. Double (or 
triple) cropping is planting and harvesting a crop two (or three) times per year 
on the same piece of land. Another technique, intercropping, also known as 
multicropping, is when farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously on 
the same field. For example, a farmer might plant a legume crop alongside a 
cereal crop to add nitrogen to the soil and guard against soil erosion.
The opposite of multicropping is monoculture, in which only one 
crop is grown or one type of animal is raised per season on a piece of land. 
Monocropping, or continuous monoculture, is only growing one type of crop 
or raising one type of animal year after year. As a result, these farmers purchase 
very specific equipment, irrigation systems, fertilizers, and pesticides designed 
for their one crop or animal to maximize efficiency. 
310 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AP
®
 EDITION
Large scale monocropping farms can be thousands of acres of just wheat, 
corn, rice, coffee, cacao, etc. This can result in lower per-unit cost of production, 
higher yields, and more profits. Negative impacts include soil depletion, 
decreased yields over time, increased reliance on chemical fertilizers and 
pesticides, and increased risk since all of the farmer’s resources are invested in 
one crop. 
The Meat Industry 
The economic structure of livestock raising has changed in the past few 
decades. Global consumption of meat increased over 50 percent between 1998 
and 2018, mostly because of population growth. Growing demand accelerated 
the trend toward factory farms and centralized processing centers.
Today, cattle are less likely to graze on large expanses of land, but instead 
are raised in feedlots, which are confined spaces in which cattle and hogs have 
limited movement, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations 
(CAFOs). The animals grow bigger in a shorter period of time because of their 
reduced movement. This new practice maximizes the use of space and prepares 
the animal for slaughter quickly, thus maximizing profit.
The global expansion of fast-food operations and the increased demand 
for meat has led to larger ranching operations in the United States and South 
America. In the United States, the competition for space, desire for larger 
animals, and reduced raising time have led to an increased use of feedlots. 
Some agricultural products combine extensive and intensive phases. 
Raising cattle in Wyoming is an example of extensive farming. The cattle roam 
and feed on grass in large ranches that average nearly six square miles in size. 
As the cattle reach maturity, the intensive phase begins. Farmers transport the 
cattle to feedlots in northern Colorado to fatten the animals quickly before 
being processed into meat for market. 
REFLECT ON THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Essential Question: How do economic forces influence agricultural practices?
Economic Factor Influence of Economic Factor
KEY TERMS 
bid-rent theory 
capital intensive 
labor intensive 
factory farming 
aquaculture (aquafarming) 
double cropping
intercropping (multicropping)
monoculture
monocropping
feedlots
Page 5


307 CHAPTER 13: SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 13
Spatial Arrangement of 
Agriculture
Topics 5.6–5.9
Topic 5.6 Agricultural Production Regions
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.7 Spatial Organization of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain how economic forces influence agricultural  
practices. (PSO-5.C)
Topic 5.8 Von Thünen Model
Learning Objective: Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain  
patterns of agricultural production at various scales. (PSO-5.D)
Topic 5.9 The Global System of Agriculture
Learning Objective: Explain the interdependence among regions of agricultural 
production and consumption. (PSO-5.E)
Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, 
banks, university, church, or army. Agriculture is the foundation 
of civilization and any stable economy.
—Allan Savory, biologist and farmer, Zimbabwe
Source: Getty Images
High-density cattle feedlots often 
contain a mill to produce feed 
which increases the efficiency 
of beef production. (See Topic 
5.6 for how feedlots and other 
agricultural practices are shaped 
by economic factors.)
308 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AP
®
 EDITION
5.6
Agricultural Production Regions
Essential Question: How do economic forces influence agricultural 
practices?
Residents of every continent, except Antarctica, practice agriculture. There 
are differences in agricultural practices in various regions of the world, and 
even within individual continents. These differences include the crops or 
animals raised, level of technology, methods for production, percentage of the 
population working in agriculture, importance of agriculture to the economy, 
and gender roles in farming. These variables are important considerations in 
farmers’ decisions about agricultural practices and land use.
Influence of Economic Forces
Among the many factors that influence farmers’ decisions are available capital 
and the relative costs of land and labor. Because of these different costs, farmers 
balance the use of their resources differently. If land is plentiful and costs little, 
they use it extensively. If land is scarce and expensive, they use it intensely. In 
reality, not every farm fits perfectly into one of these two categories. 
Geographers often refer to the bid-rent theory when discussing land 
costs for different types of agricultural activities. There is usually a distance-
decay relationship between proximity to the urban market and the value of the 
land, meaning the closer the land is to an urban center, the more valuable it 
is. The farmer willing to pay the highest price will gain possession of the land. 
Consequently, the farmer must use intensive agricultural practices to turn a 
profit on the land closest to market. (See Topic 5.8 for more about bid-rent and 
von Thünen’s model.)
Intensive land-use agriculture involves greater inputs of capital and paid 
labor relative to the space used. (See T opic 5.1 for more on intensive agriculture.) 
Intensive practices are used in various regions and conditions:
• Paddy rice farming in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia is very 
labor intensive. Commonly used terraced fields makes using machinery 
difficult.
• Truck farming in California, Texas, Florida, and near large cities is 
sometimes capital intensive because it uses expensive machinery and 
other inputs. In addition to being capital intensive, it is nearly always 
labor intensive. These large farms produce very large quantities of 
vegetables and fruit, often relying on many low-paid migrant workers, to 
tend and harvest crops. 
309 5.6: AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION REGIONS
• Factory farming is a capital-intensive livestock operation in which 
many animals are kept in close quarters, and bred and fed in a controlled 
environment. The term comes from these operations running like a 
factory. Instead of cars or computers moving along an assembly line, it is 
the animals that progress from one end of the “factory” to the other end, 
where they are eventually processed into meat products.
• Aquaculture (aquafarming) is a type of intensive farming. Rather 
than raising typical farm animals in close quarters with a controlled 
environment, fish, shellfish, or water plants are raised in netted areas in 
the sea, tanks, or other bodies of water. (See Topic 5.11.)
Extensive land-use agriculture uses fewer inputs of capital and paid labor 
relative to the amount of space used. Extensive practices, such as shifting 
cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching (see Topic 5.1) can be found 
throughout the world and across the entire spectrum of economic development. 
Increasing Intensity 
Regions of the world that traditionally relied on extensive agricultural 
techniques are under pressure because of local increases in demand for 
food, regional population growth, and global competition to use land more 
intensely. These demographic and economic forces have placed more stress on 
the land because they have pushed farmers to use land continuously, rather 
than allowing land to lie fallow and recover. This shift increases demand for 
expensive inputs such as irrigation, chemicals fertilizers, and improved seeds. 
Those who rely on shifting cultivation have found it more difficult to 
continue these methods as global demand for tropical cash crops, such as 
coffee, tea, and cacao, compete for more land use. The timber industry has 
also put an economic strain on shifting cultivation. For subsistence farmers, 
increasing population and competition—for space to grow timber, rubber, 
cotton, or products that are not eaten but used in industry—have resulted in 
food security issues, most noticeably in Africa.
Methods of Planting 
Different methods of planting increase the intensity of land use. Double (or 
triple) cropping is planting and harvesting a crop two (or three) times per year 
on the same piece of land. Another technique, intercropping, also known as 
multicropping, is when farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously on 
the same field. For example, a farmer might plant a legume crop alongside a 
cereal crop to add nitrogen to the soil and guard against soil erosion.
The opposite of multicropping is monoculture, in which only one 
crop is grown or one type of animal is raised per season on a piece of land. 
Monocropping, or continuous monoculture, is only growing one type of crop 
or raising one type of animal year after year. As a result, these farmers purchase 
very specific equipment, irrigation systems, fertilizers, and pesticides designed 
for their one crop or animal to maximize efficiency. 
310 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AP
®
 EDITION
Large scale monocropping farms can be thousands of acres of just wheat, 
corn, rice, coffee, cacao, etc. This can result in lower per-unit cost of production, 
higher yields, and more profits. Negative impacts include soil depletion, 
decreased yields over time, increased reliance on chemical fertilizers and 
pesticides, and increased risk since all of the farmer’s resources are invested in 
one crop. 
The Meat Industry 
The economic structure of livestock raising has changed in the past few 
decades. Global consumption of meat increased over 50 percent between 1998 
and 2018, mostly because of population growth. Growing demand accelerated 
the trend toward factory farms and centralized processing centers.
Today, cattle are less likely to graze on large expanses of land, but instead 
are raised in feedlots, which are confined spaces in which cattle and hogs have 
limited movement, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations 
(CAFOs). The animals grow bigger in a shorter period of time because of their 
reduced movement. This new practice maximizes the use of space and prepares 
the animal for slaughter quickly, thus maximizing profit.
The global expansion of fast-food operations and the increased demand 
for meat has led to larger ranching operations in the United States and South 
America. In the United States, the competition for space, desire for larger 
animals, and reduced raising time have led to an increased use of feedlots. 
Some agricultural products combine extensive and intensive phases. 
Raising cattle in Wyoming is an example of extensive farming. The cattle roam 
and feed on grass in large ranches that average nearly six square miles in size. 
As the cattle reach maturity, the intensive phase begins. Farmers transport the 
cattle to feedlots in northern Colorado to fatten the animals quickly before 
being processed into meat for market. 
REFLECT ON THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Essential Question: How do economic forces influence agricultural practices?
Economic Factor Influence of Economic Factor
KEY TERMS 
bid-rent theory 
capital intensive 
labor intensive 
factory farming 
aquaculture (aquafarming) 
double cropping
intercropping (multicropping)
monoculture
monocropping
feedlots
5.7: SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF AGRICULTURE 311
5.7
Spatial Organization of Agriculture 
Essential Question: How do economic forces influence agricultural 
practices?
A number of agricultural trends have changed the agricultural landscape 
over the past several decades. The most obvious changes involve the decline 
in small family farms, the development of much larger corporate farms, and 
the expansion of farmland into what was previously forested or wetland 
areas. The agricultural landscape has also been altered by the reduction in the 
variety of crops and the introduction of new crops to a region. Reasons for the 
evolving agricultural landscape are the growth of agribusiness, farms run as 
corporations, and the globalization of agriculture. 
Commercial Agriculture and Agribusiness
Agribusiness involves the integration of various steps of production in the 
food-processing industry such as research and development, processing 
and production, transportation, marketing, and retail of agricultural goods. 
Given the enormity of this system, the largest agribusinesses are owned by 
transnational corporations, or those that operate in many countries. These 
large-scale operations are commercial, highly mechanized, and often use 
chemicals and biotechnology in raising crops and animals. The following chart 
compares farming at the scale of a homeowner and an agribusiness.
VEGETABLE FARMING ON TWO SCALES
Activity Homeowner Scale Agribusiness Scale
Growing food Raising vegetables in a backyard 
garden
Owning farms of thousands of 
acres that are worked by a large 
staff of employees
Processing 
food
Eating fresh, home-grown 
vegetables for dinner and 
preserving vegetables for  
future use
Canning and freezing products 
in factories that are often located 
near the fields
Selling food Selling vegetables at a local 
market
Selling products to wholesale 
distributors who ship them 
regionally and globally
Financing the 
food industry
Giving some vegetables to a 
neighbor in exchange for using 
some of their land for a garden
Borrowing money from banks and 
selling stock to raise money for 
operating expenses
Researching 
food options
Growing different varieties of 
tomatoes to see which grow best
Investing in research and 
development of new seeds, 
fertilizers, and pesticides