Global System of Agriculture (College Board AP® Human Geography)
Study Guide
Written by: Kristin Tassin
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Agriculture & the Global Supply Chain
The global supply chain connects agricultural products in many ways
The links in the supply chain connect a crop’s production to its:
storage
transport
processing
packaging
sale
Crops are grown in one location and then processed and distributed through supply chains to locations around the world
Dependence on Exports
An export commodity is a product sent from one country to another for sale on the global market
Some countries have become highly dependent on one or more exports to support their economy
Less developed countries (LDCs) often become dependent on the export of agricultural products, often grown using plantation agriculture
This focus on the production of agricultural products for sale on the global market is known as export-oriented agriculture
Reliance on exports can pose problems for a country’s economy because:
the country will be vulnerable to price fluctuations in the global market
the country will lack diversification in its economy
Examples of export commodities include:
tea from Sri Lanka
sugar from Cuba
coffee from Haiti
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The dependence of less developed countries on cash crops, often produced using plantation agriculture, is connected to their history of colonization. Colonizing countries often required their colonies to produce specific raw materials in high demand in the mother country. For example, the Dutch demanded large quantities of rubber from Indonesia. Plantation systems produced these crops for export. Even after independence, these countries have remained economically dependent on cash crops. This often means that food needs to be imported because agricultural production focuses on crops for export. In addition, the hyperfocus on cash crops results in economies that do not develop or diversify.
Global Food Distribution Networks
Global food distribution refers to the systems that facilitate the movement of agricultural products from the location of their production to the location of their consumption.
The systems include:
the system of trade policies
infrastructure systems
socioeconomic conditions
agricultural practices
The smooth distribution of global agricultural products relies on transportation infrastructure, such as:
trucking
shipping
air freight that moves food across long distances
Trade agreements between countries and international treaties that govern tariffs, trade, and safety standards have significant effects on the movement and distribution of agricultural products
Global supply and demand determine food prices and patterns of distribution
Food is unevenly distributed across the world due to economic differences between more developed countries (MDCs) and less developed countries (LDCs)
Individuals living in MDCs have greater access to food and consume a disproportionately large amount of world food production
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