Agribusiness
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 6.1.4
The Trend Towards Agribusiness
Farming is becoming more industrial. Unlike the olden days when people were subsistence farmers who ate their own crops, now it is a professional business happening on a large scale.
Increasing farm size
- Now that expensive machinery has automated farming, it is more efficient to have a few enormous farms, rather than lots of small farms.
- In the UK, a few farms will produce almost half of the UK's carrots.
Increased use of chemicals and GM
- As farming becomes more professional and more of a business, more chemicals are used to increase crop yields and the amount of food produced.
- Chemical fertilisers and chemical pesticides can encourage growth and kill pests.
- Many genetically modified (GM) crops exist. They have been engineered to have the following characteristics:
- Resistance to diseases, insects, or herbicides.
- Production of larger or ‘better’ fruits.
Vertical farming
- Vertical farming is one way of reducing food miles.
- This involves growing food on shelves in warehouses, close to where it will be consumed.
- This looks like it will be the next stage of agribusiness.
Test yourself on Agribusiness
What have been the consequences of industrialisation of farming?