Global Economic Factors and Agricultural Systems Analysis

Production Factors

There are three main types of production factors:

• Natural Resources: These are all elements that nature provides for economic use (e.g., arable land).
• Labor: This refers to the physical and intellectual effort performed by human beings to obtain goods and services.
• Capital: These are goods already produced and accumulated, which serve to produce other goods. There are several types: financial capital, physical capital, human capital, and technological capital.

Global Energy Sources and Consumption

Energy is the fundamental basis for the realization of all human activities. There are great contrasts in the level of energy consumption, which are related to economic development and the living conditions of the population. The energy consumed is extracted from different sources. Approximately 39% of the energy produced is obtained from petroleum.

Petroleum: Formation and Economic Importance

Oil (petroleum) is a hydrocarbon, formed from organic matter of vegetal origin, which exists accumulated in distinct, deep pockets. Today, its economic importance is vast, applying even to clothing manufacturing.

From the beginning, the control of petroleum was restricted to a few large companies. In 1960, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded.

Diversity of Agricultural Systems

In developed societies, approximately 10% of the labor force works in the agricultural sector, while in underdeveloped societies, this figure exceeds 50%.

Agricultural areas can be classified based on several criteria:

• Type of Property: Large estates or smallholdings.
• Land Use: How the land is utilized.
• Soil Utilization: The method of soil exploitation.
• Cropping System.
• Organization of the Holdings.
• Investment Grade.

Explanatory Factors in Agriculture

The diversity of agricultural systems is influenced by:

• Natural conditions.
• High natural densities.
• Historical evolution.
• Agricultural policies.
• Economic potential.

Types of Agricultural Exploitation

Itinerant Agriculture

Found in regions of rainforest (Amazon, Africa, and South Asia) with limited human resources. The process involves Tala-burning-seed-fallow (slash-and-burn). Sometimes, communities migrate because cultivated areas fail.

Sedentary Dryland Agriculture and Nomadic Pastoralism

Includes plant rotation systems in tropical savannas, as well as cultivation in desert oases and nomadic pastoralism.

Intensive Irrigated Agriculture

Common in densely populated regions of Southern and Eastern Asia, often utilizing paddy fields constructed on terraces.

Plantation Agriculture

A result of colonization, this involved the creation of large agricultural exploitations owned by Europeans, initially in America, Africa, and Asia. They were specialized in a single product (e.g., cocoa, coffee, banana, tobacco).

Mediterranean Polyculture

A system of polyculture practiced since antiquity, featuring vineyards and olive groves. This sector has undergone modernization. Irrigated areas producing fruits and vegetables predominate.

Intensive Agriculture in Enclosures

Highly intensive farming involving crops grown in greenhouses under glass or plastic. A prime location for this is the Netherlands.

Mechanized Cereal Monocultures

Found in Central Europe, Russia, Canada, USA, Australia, and Argentina. This is a highly mechanized monoculture system requiring low labor input. It features high productivity and often relies on agricultural subsidies.