Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
AGRICULTURE AND SOCIETY
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AGRICULTURE AND SOCIETY
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Agriculture
Class: SHS 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 3
Grade code: 3.1.1.LI.3
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 3.1.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 3.1.1.LI.3
Theme: CONCEPT OF AGRICULTURE IN AN INDUSTRIALIZING SOCIETY
Subtheme: AGRICULTURE AND SOCIETY
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Welcome, students. Today, we are discussing one of the most critical topics for the future of Ghana: Sustainable Resource Use in Agriculture. As our nation continues to industrialize, the pressure on our natural resources—our land, water, and forests—is increasing. From the cocoa farms in the Ahafo Region to the vegetable gardens along the White Volta, how we manage these resources today will determine our food security, environmental health, and economic stability for generations to come. This lesson will explore why using our resources wisely is not just a good idea, but a necessity for our survival and prosperity.
A. What are Agricultural Resources?
In agriculture, a resource is anything we use to produce crops or raise animals. These are the gifts of nature that farming depends on. We can classify them into two main types: Renewable Resources: These are resources that can replenish themselves over time, provided we manage them carefully. Examples: Water (through the water cycle), sunlight, wind, and soil fertility (which can be rebuilt). Ghanaian Context: The water in the Volta Lake is renewable, but if we pollute it faster than it can be cleaned naturally, or dam it irresponsibly, it becomes degraded. Soil is renewable, but it can take hundreds of years to form a few centimetres of topsoil; if we allow erosion to wash it away, it is effectively lost for our lifetime. Non-Renewable Resources: These are resources that exist in a fixed amount and cannot be replaced once they are used up. Examples: Fossil fuels (used for tractors and machinery), phosphate rock (for fertilizer), and most importantly, the land space itself. Ghanaian Context: The land cleared for a new housing estate in the Greater Accra Region cannot be returned to its original fertile state. The topsoil lost to galamsey operations is gone forever. B. Understanding Sustainability
The most famous definition of sustainability is: *"Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."*
In simple terms for a farmer, it means: "How can I farm my land today to feed my family and make a profit, while ensuring that my children and grandchildren can also farm this same land successfully in the future?"