What are the effects of transport technology changes and developments in the agriculture world.
Both direct and indirect please
Thanks!
Effects of transport technology changes in Agriculture?
Do you have a specific time or means in mind?
Transport tech includes horse and wagon, hand cart, train, trucks, air, ship, etc.
So think about it, how far away from your market can you be with your farm or ranch, and be able to sell your goods at a profit after you consider the costs of raising, and transport?
In modern times, it has created additional demand for products as we are used to having items once considered seasonal, year round if we want them.
It has also induced artificial economics for others beyond the farmers and growers. Oranges are raised in Florida, but marketing has told them for FRESH oranges, they should eat California oranges, and vice-versa. As a result the cost of oranges for eating, or juicing have skyrocketed to the end consumer as the storage, trucks/trains and all those extra people have to get paid.
Consumers are starting to react to this happening by the use of farmers markets for their shopping, and buying items produced locally. People are actually looking at the labels to see where things are grown or produced
Another aspect that I see in my area, is that lower transportation costs allow the urban dwellers to afford the commute from more sub-urban areas and rural locations. This results in prime agriculture land being turned into houses and apartments, meaning the farms get pushed further away form the shipping centers, and the costs to transport go even higher. This of course means the cost of your food goes up even more..
