Agriculture and the World We Live In

You will learn about the world’s population and the crucial role of agriculture in feeding the steadily increasing number of people. You will then see how climate and soils dictate the types of farms we see in different regions and countries.
You will then “drill down” and look at individual farms around the world. We will talk about how the farmers manage these farms, and why they do what they do. We will finish off with a look at the exciting new technologies that are transforming agriculture and the sustainability issues that farmers are dealing with in the 21st century.

What will I learn?

• The size of the world’s population and how quickly it is growing
• Whether more people live in cities than in rural areas and why this is important
• The quantities and types of food we produce around the world
• How food production is becoming globalised and the implications of this for farmers and consumers
• How climate, soils and fertilisers affect the way we farm
• The crucial role of soil biology in our farming systems
• How different cropping farms operate and the role of crop rotations
• The big differences between pasture based and feedlot systems of animal production
• Some of the issues associated with the intensive production of animals such as pigs and poultry
• The arguments for and against organic farming and the use of genetically modified plants and animals in agriculture.
• The vast array of businesses that are associated with agriculture
• The new information technologies that are transforming the way we farm
• How agriculture can have adverse effects on the environment
• The challenges that might be posed by global climate change

Where could this lead me?

If you're wondering what your future could look like in this area, here are some potential careers you could head towards.

• Agricultural consultant
• Farmer
• Rural banker
• Stock and station agent

MODULE 1: GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION     MODULE 2: HOW FARMS WORK     MODULE 3: THE BUSINESS OF FARMING     MODULE 4: AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY