This document outlines several approaches to agricultural geography: 1. The empirical (inductive) approach attempts to describe existing agricultural patterns by making generalizations based on numerous studies. 2. The normative (deductive) approach leads to the derivation and testing of hypotheses to develop ideal models of agricultural location. 3. Other approaches discussed include the environmental, commodity, economic, regional, systematic, system analysis, ecological, and behavioral approaches. Each looks at agricultural activities through a different analytical lens.

1. Approaches of Agricultural Geography
Kamrul Islam Karim

2. Agricultural Geography
“Agriculture is defined as the purposeful tending of crops &
livestock.” (M. Carty & Limberg)
Agricultural geography is a sub discipline of human geography is
concerned with the spatial variations, distribution and location
of agricultural activities on the earth's surface and the factors
responsible for them.

3. Approaches of agricultural geography
Two major approaches to the subject matter can be
detected (Ilbery, 1979):
Approaches of
agricultural geography
Empirical
(Inductive)
Approach
Normative
(Deductive)
Approach

4. Approaches of agricultural geography
Empirical (Inductive) Approach:
The empirical approach attempts to describe what actually exists in the
agricultural landscape.
It gives special privilege to empirical observations
 In this approach explanation of the patterns is sought by inductive methods and
generalizations are made on the basis of results from numerous studies.

5. Normative (Deductive) Approach
This approach leads to the derivation and testing of hypotheses and, theoretically, to
the development of an ideal model of agricultural location.
The model of von Thunen in which have been made is based on deductive approach.

6. Approaches of agricultural geography
1. Environmental or deterministic approach
2. Commodity approach
3. Economic approach
4. Regional approach
5. Systematic approach
6. System analysis approach
7. Ecological approach
8. Behavioral approach

7. Environmental or deterministic approach
The view that the environment controls the course of human action is known as
deterministic approach.
To elements of physical environment act in a deterministic manner and control the
cultivation of crops and all the decision making processes of the farmers about
agricultural activities.
The essence of determinism is that the history, society, economy, agriculture and
geopolitics are exclusively controlled by the physical environment.

8. Environmental or deterministic approach
The main weakness of this approach is that it is overly simplistic as it ignores the
cultural factors and their influence on agricultural activities.
To similar geographical locations may not necessarily result into similar cropping
patterns.
Man with his technological advancement has successfully diffused crops in new areas
away from their traditional regions.
criticism

9. Commodity Approach
It focuses on the point that any phenomenon of agriculture should be examined and
explained in totality and not in parts to ascertain the ground reality about the decision
making process of the farmers.
The commodity approach is a colonial legacy
The focus of this approach remained to identify the regions which are more efficient in
the production of certain crops.

10. Economic Approach
The economic approach developed as a categorical rejection of the environmental
deterministic approach.
 The economic approach assumes that the farmer who takes decision about agricultural
activity and the sowing crops in a given season/year is a rational or economic person.
The relationships between physical environment and farmers are neither simple nor
constant (Sayer, 1979).
The farmers consciously discard one crop and adopt a new one to optimize their profits.

11. Economic Approach
To rationality of the farmers and their full knowledge of the environment, technology
and forces of market.
Many of the decisions are constrained by the availability of workforce, capital and
costly inputs.
Sometimes the disposal, marketing and storage facilities come in the way of adoption
of a new crop
criticism

12. Regional Approach
The concept of ‘region’ developed in the eighteenth century is still a basic notion of
geography.
A country or an area is delineated into agricultural activity regions with the help of
certain relevant agricultural indicators.
The micro regions constitute the micro regions which in turn become the components
of macro region.
It provides an organized, systematic and reliable explanation of the agricultural
phenomena spatially arranged over the earth surface.

13. Systematic Approach
Also known as the ‘general’ or ‘universal’ approach.
 To concerned with the formulation of general laws, theories and generic concepts.
 It is in contrast to regional geography in which models are designed with the help of
certain assumptions.
An agricultural phenomenon (crop etc.) is examined and explained at the world level
and then some generalizations are made.
 The systematic and regional approaches to agricultural geography are however not
opposed but complementary to each other.

14. System Analysis Approach
A system may be defined as a unit (agriculture, an industry, a business, a state, etc.)
which functions as a whole because of the interdependence of its parts. (James)
A system consists of a set of entities with specifications of the relationship between
them and their environment.
 It provides a framework to examine and explain the agricultural activities at the field,
village, local, regional, national and global levels.

15. Ecological Approach
This process has been termed as ‘natural selection’.
It deals with the interrelationships of plants and animals (including man) with each other
as well as with the elements of their non living environment.
It focuses on the interrelationship of the biotic and abiotic environment and takes
ecosystem as the home of man.
The domestication of plants, their diffusion pattern and disappearance from some of the
gene centres may be explained with the help of ecological approach.

16. Behavioral Approach
The behavioral approach has been adopted by some of the geographers to explain the
agricultural activities and the decision making process of the farmers at the various
levels.
It became more popular after 1960 in geography.
The behaviouralists argued that environment has a dual character
(i) As an objective environment—the world of actuality; and
(ii) As a behavioural environment—the world of the mind.
In the real world, a farmer takes decision on the basis of his perceived environment.
The decision making process has been explained bellow

17. Thank You