Zusammenfassung
Employing nearly half of the world's workforce, agriculture is clearly of great economic and social importance. An incredible variety of methods are used globally; the Western world has the latest scientific and industrial advancements at its disposal, yet in the Thrid World a living is made using tools that have hardly changed in two thousand years. An Introduction to Agricultural Geography provides an extensive guide through this diverse and increaslingly important geographical subject, aiming to show that a wide range of factors explain how agricultural practices differ from place to place. Dealing with the physical environment, economic behaviour and demands, institutional and social influences and the impact of farming upon the environment, the author has produced an important introductory text that is topical, incisive and ultimately essential to reach an understanding of the remarkable diversity of the world's major industry.

Inhalt

1 Introduction 2 The biology of agriculture 3 Climate and crops 4 Soils and the farmer 5 Slopes, altitude and agriculture 6 The demand for agricultural products 7 The economic behaviour of farmers 8 The modernization of agriculture9 The state and the farmer 10 Markets and transport 11 Agriculture in peri-urban regions 12 Population, labour supply and agriculture 13 Farm size and landownership 14 The diffusion of agricultural innovations 15 The cultural framework of farming 16 Agriculture and the environment 17 Conclusions