Key Determinants of Agricultural Activity and Productivity

Physical Determinants of Agricultural Activity

Relief and Topography

Altitude modifies temperatures, decreasing them by 0.6°C per 100m of ascent, and influences precipitation levels. Slope orientation affects the growth of cultivated plants, while uneven slopes can cause the erosion of fertile soil.

Climate Conditions

Sunshine hours, temperatures, and precipitation levels determine crop suitability. Furthermore, violent winds can damage flowers and fruit, leading to significant soil erosion.

Water, Vegetation, Fauna, and Soil

• Water: Surface or underground freshwater improves agricultural yields through irrigation. Rivers can either facilitate or hinder activity based on the regularity of their flow.
• Vegetation: Certain species improve soil humus, while others may degrade it.
• Fauna: Animals can damage crops and livestock by spreading pests, or they can benefit agriculture by facilitating pollination and providing organic matter to the soil.
• Soil: Soil provides essential nutrients for plants. Generally, deep valley soils are more fertile than those found on thin mountain slopes.

Human Factors in Agriculture

Social Factors

• Land Ownership: Private ownership grants the owner full rights, whereas collective ownership belongs to a community, tribe, municipality, or state.
• Tenure: Direct tenure involves the owner working the land personally or hiring employees. Indirect tenure occurs when the owner leases the land to others.
• Social Customs: Traditions such as hereditary land division, the veneration of cattle, or the social prestige associated with livestock in the African savanna significantly influence farming practices.

Economic Factors

• Subsistence Economy: Production is focused solely on meeting basic needs rather than selling products.
• Market Economy: This system creates surpluses for trade, leading to specialized landscapes and the adoption of modern techniques.

Political Factors

Land reforms are political actions aimed at improving the distribution of land property. Rural development policies, such as those pursued by the European Union, aim to curb the depopulation of underdeveloped agrarian areas.

Technological Factors

Farmers utilize either traditional or modern methods. Plant and animal species may be traditional or genetically altered for higher yields. Modifications to natural conditions include:

• Traditional: Terraced building, stables, use of fertilizers, irrigation, and fallow systems.
• Modern: Hydroponics and the use of advanced plant protection products (PPP).