Agriculture Types » Agricultural Systems Around the World

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

Different types of agricultural systems around the world
Characteristics of subsistence and commercial farming
Intensive vs extensive agricultural practices
Traditional farming methods and their environmental impacts
Modern agricultural systems and sustainability challenges
Regional variations in farming practices and their causes

Introduction to Agricultural Systems Around the World

Agriculture is practised in almost every part of the world, but the methods, scale and purpose vary dramatically based on climate, culture, technology and economic factors. Understanding these different systems helps us analyse their environmental impacts and sustainability.

Key Definitions:

Agricultural system: The way in which crops are grown and livestock are raised, including the methods, inputs, outputs and purposes.
Subsistence farming: Farming primarily to feed the farmer's family with little or no surplus.
Commercial farming: Farming to produce crops or livestock for sale.
Intensive farming: Systems that maximise output from a small land area using high inputs.
Extensive farming: Systems that use large areas of land with relatively low inputs per unit area.

🌾 Subsistence Farming

Subsistence farming is practised by approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide. Farmers grow just enough food to feed their families with little surplus for sale. This type of farming is common in developing regions of Africa, Asia and parts of Latin America.

Key characteristics:

Small farm size (typically 1-2 hectares)
Labour-intensive methods using simple tools
Low use of external inputs like fertilisers
High crop diversity to ensure food security
Often uses traditional knowledge passed through generations

🌶 Commercial Farming

Commercial farming produces crops and livestock primarily for sale in markets. It dominates agricultural production in developed nations and is increasingly important in developing countries.

Key characteristics:

Larger farm sizes (can be hundreds or thousands of hectares)
Mechanisation reduces labour requirements
High use of inputs (fertilisers, pesticides, improved seeds)
Often specialises in fewer crops or livestock types
Profit-driven decision making

Traditional Agricultural Systems

Traditional farming systems have evolved over centuries to suit local environments and cultures. While often viewed as outdated, many contain sustainable practices that modern agriculture is now trying to reincorporate.

🌿 Shifting Cultivation

Also known as slash-and-burn agriculture, this system involves clearing forest land, burning the vegetation and growing crops for 2-3 years until soil fertility declines. The land is then left fallow for 10-20 years to recover.

Where practised: Amazon Basin, Central Africa, Southeast Asia

Environmental impact: Sustainable when population density is low and fallow periods are long enough, but can lead to deforestation when these conditions change.

🍉 Terrace Farming

Terraces are constructed on hillsides to create flat growing areas, prevent erosion and manage water. This ancient technique transforms steep slopes into productive farmland.

Where practised: Andes Mountains, Philippines, China, Mediterranean regions

Environmental impact: Highly sustainable system that prevents soil erosion and conserves water, though requires significant labour to maintain.

🐟 Integrated Rice-Fish Farming

Rice paddies are managed to also produce fish, creating a mutually beneficial system where fish eat pests and weeds while providing nutrients through their waste.

Where practised: China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia

Environmental impact: Reduces need for pesticides and fertilisers, increases biodiversity and provides multiple food sources from the same land.

Modern Agricultural Systems

Modern agricultural systems have developed to maximise production and profit, often using advanced technology and scientific approaches. These systems feed the majority of the world's population but can have significant environmental impacts.

🌽 Intensive Arable Farming

Intensive crop production aims to maximise yields through high inputs of fertilisers, pesticides, machinery and improved crop varieties. It dominates food production in developed countries.

Environmental impacts:

Soil degradation and erosion
Water pollution from fertiliser and pesticide runoff
Reduced biodiversity due to monoculture
High energy use and greenhouse gas emissions

Example: The wheat belt of Europe produces high yields through mechanisation, chemical inputs and improved varieties.

🐄 Intensive Livestock Systems

Factory farming or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) keep large numbers of animals in confined spaces to maximise production efficiency.

Environmental impacts:

High methane emissions contributing to climate change
Waste management challenges and water pollution
Antibiotic resistance from routine medication use
High water and feed requirements

Example: Industrial pig farms in North Carolina, USA, where thousands of animals are raised in climate-controlled buildings.

Case Study Focus: The Green Revolution

The Green Revolution transformed agriculture in developing countries during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in India, Mexico and the Philippines. It introduced high-yielding crop varieties, irrigation infrastructure, synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and modern management techniques.

Impacts:

Positive: Doubled or tripled yields in many regions, prevented predicted famines, reduced hunger and allowed developing countries to become food self-sufficient.
Negative: Increased dependency on external inputs, widened economic gaps between farmers who could afford new technologies and those who couldn't, depleted groundwater resources and reduced crop genetic diversity.

India's wheat production increased from 12 million tonnes in 1965 to 55 million tonnes by 1990, helping the country achieve food security despite rapid population growth.

Regional Agricultural Systems

Different regions have developed distinctive agricultural systems based on their climate, terrain, cultural traditions and economic development. Here are some notable examples:

🌱 Mediterranean Agriculture

Adapted to hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Focuses on drought-resistant crops like olives, grapes, citrus fruits and wheat. Often combines crop production with sheep or goat herding.

Sustainability features: Well-adapted to local climate, uses terracing to prevent erosion and many traditional practices conserve water.

🌲 Prairie Grain Farming

Large-scale, mechanised production of wheat, corn and other grains in the plains of North America, Argentina and Australia. Highly mechanised with minimal labour inputs per hectare.

Challenges: Soil erosion, water scarcity and vulnerability to climate change. No-till farming and precision agriculture are being adopted to address these issues.

🌴 Pastoral Nomadism

Mobile livestock herding following seasonal patterns of rainfall and vegetation growth. Common in arid and semi-arid regions where crop farming is difficult.

Sustainability: Allows sustainable use of marginal lands but faces challenges from climate change, land privatisation and political borders restricting movement.

Sustainable Agricultural Systems

As environmental concerns grow, more farmers are adopting sustainable practices that maintain productivity while reducing negative impacts. These approaches often combine traditional knowledge with modern science.

🌳 Agroecology

Agroecology applies ecological principles to agricultural systems. It focuses on working with natural processes rather than against them, creating farming systems that mimic natural ecosystems.

Key practices:

Intercropping and crop rotation to manage pests and maintain soil health
Integrating livestock and crops in complementary ways
Using natural predators for pest control
Minimising external inputs through recycling nutrients

Example: The push-pull system in East Africa uses companion planting to control pests in maize fields, increasing yields without pesticides.

🌍 Precision Farming

Precision agriculture uses technology to target resources precisely where and when they're needed, reducing waste and environmental impact while maintaining high productivity.

Key technologies:

GPS-guided tractors for precise planting and harvesting
Soil sensors and satellite imagery to monitor crop health
Variable rate application of water, fertilisers and pesticides
Data analytics to optimise farm management

Example: UK farmers using precision irrigation systems have reduced water use by up to 30% while maintaining or improving yields.

Case Study Focus: Conservation Agriculture in Zambia

Zambian farmers have increasingly adopted conservation agriculture practices to cope with climate change and soil degradation. The approach combines three key principles:

Minimal soil disturbance: Using no-till or reduced tillage methods
Permanent soil cover: Using cover crops or crop residues
Crop rotation: Including nitrogen-fixing legumes

Results: Farmers practising conservation agriculture have seen yields increase by 30-50% compared to conventional methods, especially during drought years. Soil health has improved and labour requirements have decreased. The approach has spread to over 200,000 smallholder farmers in Zambia, showing how sustainable practices can be adopted at scale when they provide clear benefits to farmers.

Conclusion

Agricultural systems around the world reflect a complex interplay of environmental conditions, cultural traditions, economic factors and technological development. As global challenges like climate change, population growth and resource depletion intensify, understanding these diverse systems becomes increasingly important. The most sustainable future will likely involve combining the best elements of traditional knowledge with appropriate modern technologies, adapted to local conditions and needs.

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