AP Human Geography — food systems and agricultural challenges

The second half of Unit 5 of AP Human Geography turns from how farming began to how food reaches our plates today, and at what cost. This material covers topics 5.7 and 5.9 to 5.12 of the course framework: the spatial organization of agriculture, the global food system, the consequences of agricultural practices, the challenges of contemporary agriculture and women in agriculture.

You start with agribusiness: why large commercial operations and vertically integrated firms have replaced many small family farms, and how economies of scale and technology changed the carrying capacity of the land. You then follow commodity chains across the world, from Ethiopian coffee growers to a cafe in Chicago, and see why countries that rely on a few export crops, such as cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, are exposed to price swings. Political relationships, infrastructure and trade patterns explain why food moves along some routes and not others.

The environmental block asks you to explain desertification in the Sahel as the product of drought and human pressure, soil salinization under irrigation, fertilizer runoff and land cover change. The debates of modern agriculture come next: genetically modified crops and aquaculture, and the movements shaped by individual food choice, including fair trade, organic farming, community-supported agriculture, local food and urban farming. You also examine food insecurity and food deserts in American cities, the loss of farmland to suburbs, rising meat consumption as incomes grow, and the varied and often unequal roles of women in producing, selling and preparing food.

Four formats are offered. The quiz has twelve questions, several set in real places, with an explanation for every answer. The flashcards cover key terms from agribusiness to food insecurity. The written work contains eight open questions modeled on free-response tasks, to be answered by hand and checked against a reference answer and key points. In the oral exam an examiner asks one question at a time, asks you to weigh arguments on both sides of debates such as GMOs, and to link local choices to global patterns, then gives precise feedback.

This is practice material written by Zestly, based on the published AP Human Geography course framework; it is not produced or endorsed by the College Board.

• Explain how agribusiness, vertical integration and economies of scale have reshaped farming
• Trace a commodity chain and explain the risks of dependence on export crops
• Explain how politics, infrastructure and trade affect global food distribution
• Explain the causes of desertification and soil salinization and responses to them
• Evaluate debates over GMOs and aquaculture and describe food-choice movements such as fair trade and community-supported agriculture
• Explain food deserts, food insecurity, dietary change and women's roles in food systems

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the College Board AP Human Geography Course and Exam Description (course framework effective fall 2020), Unit 5, topics 5.7 and 5.9 to 5.12.