agrarian geography It is a branch of geographic knowledge that is dedicated to the study of the rural environment and the ways in which human beings act on it. Being part of Human Geography and a strand of Economic Geography, agrarian geography analyzes the process of formation and reproduction of the agrarian space, as well as the economic and social relations in the environment rural.
A agricultural activity, the modernization of the countryside and the model of agricultural production are some of the topics covered by agrarian geography. Important for a better understanding of the complex relationship between human beings and the environment, agrarian geography is a recurrent subject in tests and entrance exams such as the Enem.
Read too: Agrarian issue in Brazil — what problems does the Brazilian countryside face today?
Summary on agrarian geography
Agrarian geography is a branch of geographic science that studies the process of formation and transformation of the rural environment by the action of human beings.
It is dedicated to topics such as the evolution of agricultural production, the modernization of the countryside, the different ways of life in rural areas and the environmental impacts of these activities.
Agricultural systems and different types of agriculture are among the main axes of analysis in agrarian geography.
It is an important field of geographic knowledge because it allows us to better understand the relationship between human beings and the rural environment and the soil.
Given the importance of the topics studied by agrarian geography for society, it is often asked in tests and entrance exams, such as the Enem.
What does agrarian geography study?
Agrarian geography is a branch of geographical science dedicated to the study of relations between human beings and the rural environment, which comprises economic activities, notably agricultural production, the way of life and the production and reproduction process of geographic space in this spatial cut.
In addition, agrarian geography is also concerned with the impacts that different forms of land use produce on the environment. The land, as a natural resource, and yours ways of use they are, therefore, the main objects of study of agrarian geography.
The studies of agrarian geography are inserted in the great area of Human Geography. In this context, it presents itself as a sub-area of Economic Geography, considering that its main focus is on the development of productive activities in the field.
Important themes in agrarian geography
→ Agricultural systems
They are called agricultural systems you sets of techniques and practices used for soil cultivation and for the development of economic and subsistence practices in the countryside. Each agricultural system has a particular set of characteristics that is based on elements such as the set of technologies used, productivity and the type of labor employed.
The main agricultural systems are classified into:
Intensive agricultural system: also called intensive agriculture, is characterized by the wide use of modern technologies from the Green Revolution and capital. The production process has high-tech machinery, pesticides, fertilizers, soil correction techniques and selected seeds, often genetically modified, which provide greater crop productivity. The intensive system employs a small but highly qualified workforce. Furthermore, the production is intended for export or for domestic industry in the form of raw material.
Extensive farming system: also known as extensive agriculture, is characterized by the use of traditional soil management and cultivation techniques, which rely on manual work and auxiliary tools. Unlike the previous system, in extensive agriculture the application of modern technologies and pesticides is less or null, and both the productive capital employed in farming and its productivity are more restricted than in agriculture intensive. The crops are intended for subsistence and local commercialization. The workforce, in turn, is numerous and has low qualification.
→ types of agriculture
A agricultural activity can be categorized according to the main characteristics of the production that is developed. The main types of agriculture are:
Modern agriculture: activity practiced with the application of modern technologies and the productive techniques arising from the scientific advances provided by the Green Revolution. Inserted in the extensive system, modern agriculture is aimed at exports and industry, being linked to agribusiness. It presents a high level of productivity, not being subject to weather and natural aspects.
Traditional agriculture: activity practiced through the use of traditional soil preparation, cultivation and harvesting techniques. The work is mostly performed manually, and tools come in as auxiliaries, not as substitutes for human labor.
Family farming: activity practiced in small rural properties where the labor force employed is mostly composed of people from the same family group. The rural property is also managed by members of the same family. To learn more about this topic, click here.
Subsistence farming: activity commonly practiced in small rural properties with the purpose of ensure the livelihood of farmers and their families. To learn more about this topic, click here.
Gardening farming: activity typical of the asian continent, in the areas affected by monsoon winds, is practiced with the aid of traditional techniques and aims at subsistence. Developed on terraces and flooded plains.
Permaculture: development of permanent and sustainable crops combining modern technologies and traditional agricultural techniques.
Sustainable Agriculture: activity practiced in such a way as to generate less harmful impacts on the environment and, thus, guarantee a more sustainable production and in balance with nature. Among the measures adopted are, for example, the use of pesticides and the development of alternative planting methods.
See too: Rural environmental problems — the result of overexploitation of natural resources
What is the importance of agrarian geography?
As with the other subareas of Human Geography, agrarian geography is important because through it we can deepen our knowledge about the relationship between human beings and geographic space, but, in this case, we can further analyze how this link is established in the countryside.
The studies of agrarian geography are fundamental to understanding how soil cultivation and animal husbandry evolved in the course of time, becoming basic economic activities of many national economies around the planet. It helps us to analyze human and economic relations in the countryside, as well as the way each people and each culture interacts with the land.
With the agrarian geography we understand the main agents of transformation in the rural environment, in addition to the processes of modernization and dynamization of agricultural activity in the context of the scientific and technological revolution. This field of geographic knowledge dialogues with other areas of Geography and natural sciences, especially Economic Geography and the environment.
Agrarian geography and agribusiness
Agribusiness is a agricultural production modality that emerged in the mid-1950s, having gained momentum from the Green Revolution that took place a few decades later. also called agrobusiness, agribusiness encompasses commercial production and the productive spatial circuit linked to agricultural activity, which comprises from the development of inputs and machinery, passing through crops and animal husbandry to transport and commercialization logistics of production.
Developed on large land properties, agribusiness has a connection with the agroindustry and the practice of modern agriculture. This activity is one of the main responsible, today, for supplying the international market with commodities agricultural and livestock, which are used mainly as raw material in industry.
Despite its importance, agribusiness is responsible for deepening socioeconomic inequalities in the countryside, since the its emergence increased competitiveness in rural areas and culminated in a movement towards greater concentration of land and the departure of small producers from their properties. In addition, criticisms of agribusiness focus on the environmental impacts it causes, such as deforestation to open new areas and pollution of soil and water. To learn more about agribusiness, click here.
Agrarian Geography in Enem
Agrarian geography is a subject frequently addressed in Enem tests, appearing among the issues of Human Sciences and Their Natures. Following the traditional model of this exam, the questions that address this theme are interdisciplinary with other areas of human knowledge (in particular History and Sociology), bringing many graphs and maps for analysis and reflection. It may also contain current issues that are in evidence in the media.
See which topics of agrarian geography are charged in the Enem:
agricultural production in Brazil and the world;
expansion of the agricultural frontier in Brazil;
Green Revolution and rural modernization;
agricultural systems;
conflicts in the field;
Brazilian land structure;
agribusiness;
commercialization of agricultural commodities;
environmental impacts caused by agricultural activity.
Agrarian Geography of Brazil
Agricultural activity and animal husbandry are the two economic activities that form the basis of Brazil's economy, in addition to being responsible for the process of interiorization of the occupation of the Brazilian territory and for the transformations promoted in the spatial ordering of the country.
With its roots in the colonization process, the Brazilian agriculture develops on a land structure concentrated and which reinforces social inequalities in the countryside, where small producers, settlers and squatters share space with large farmers and agribusiness production chains.
The modernization of the countryside and the expansion of the agricultural frontier from the 1970s provided Brazil with the greatest internationalization of agricultural production, making the country gain a prominent position on the world stage as one of the largest producers and exporters of agricultural commodities, such as soybeans and corn. However, these processes also intensified conflicts in the countryside and environmental problems in rural areas.
These are themes that have been extensively studied by the agrarian geography developed in Brazil, having grown and perfected itself while discipline from the second half of the 20th century and today being an important field of study of Geography practiced in the country.
Know more: Environmental impacts of agribusiness on Brazilian soil
History of agrarian geography
The history of humanity is intertwined with the history of the formation and transformation of geographic space and the rural environment, since Humans have always derived their sustenance from nature.. The cultivation of the soil and the domestication of animals, which began in the Neolithic period, was fundamental for the development of all the ancient civilizations that we know, and the improvement of work tools and techniques were the key to the transformation of rural space and to the establishment of new and complex relationships between human beings and nature. nature.
Processes such as industrialization, which began in the 19th century, made farming and the countryside subordinate to the urban environment, especially in developed countries. However, the technical and scientific advancement provided by globalization and the Green Revolution, from mid-twentieth century, made this relationship more horizontal, creating a new, more complex and dynamic.
Agrarian geography is a field of geographic knowledge that has always accompanied thats changes caused in the world agrarian space, which happened in consonance with the transformations in the international economy and in the set of predominant techniques.
Solved exercises on agrarian geography
question 1
(Enem 2020) The world demand for food production increases progressively at very high rates. Currently, in most countries, continents and regions, the water consumed in agriculture is about 70% of the total availability.
TUNDISI, J. G. Water resources in the future: problems and solutions. Advanced Studies, no. 63, 2008 (adapted).
In order to reduce the pressure on the aforementioned natural resource, the expansion of agriculture requires improvements in (a):
a) chemical fertilization of the soil.
b) ground water runoff.
c) maintenance of artesian wells.
d) efficiency of irrigation techniques.
e) speed of harvesting machines.
Resolution:
Alternative D. Agricultural activity is one of the largest consumers of water in the world. In order to reduce the pressure on water resources, it is essential to adopt more efficient irrigation techniques.
question 2
(Enem 2021) In regions previously considered peripheral, such as the Midwest, under the impetus of technique, there are conditions for activities with a high level of capital, technology and organization, giving rise to phenomena of decentralization selective. Although command activities tend to remain concentrated, the network of more modern productive activities tends to expand territorially.
BERNARDES, J. A. Capital strategies in the soybean complex. In CASTRO, I. I, GOMES, P. W. C., CORREA, R. L. (Org.). Brazil: current issues of territorial reorganization. Rio de Janeiro: Bertrand Brazil, 2008 (adapted).
The characteristic process of the rural space responsible for the described form of productive occupation in the Brazilian Midwest was (a):
a) diffusion of extensive systems.
b) propagation of shifting cultivation.
c) introduction of ecological practices.
d) strengthening of family work.
e) development of the agro-industrial sector.
Resolution:
E alternative. The development of the agro-industrial sector and the expansion of agricultural frontiers towards the interior of the Brazilian territory, providing by government incentives and technological advances in the agricultural sector, provided the productive occupation of regions such as Midwest. This region is, today, the largest producer of agricultural commodities in Brazil.
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/geografia-agraria.htm
