The study of spatial patterns in agricultural activity. ‘Agriculture is an integral part of a wider food and fibre production system, encompassing input supply, farming, food processing, wholesaling and retailing’ (G. Robinson 2004). Rural land-use patterns, cultural landscapes, and encroachment of urban sprawl continue to inform work in rural geography; see, for example, Hart (2003) Geogr. Rev. 93.

Antle and Stoorvogel in N. Heerink et al., eds (2001) discuss models of an agricultural system; see also Antle and Stoorvogel (2006) Env. & Dev. Econ. 11. Other agricultural geographers are concerned with the relationship of agricultural systems and economic development; see Tsakok and Gardner (2007) Am. J. Ag. Econ. 89, 5, but see also Evans et al. (2002) PHG 26, 3.