What determines the location of crops in Von Thünen's agricultural land-use model?

• A. Transport costs to the market
• B. Soil fertility
• C. Government subsidies
• D. Proximity to water

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that where crops are grown is decided by how much it costs to transport them to the market. Von Thünen imagines a single market surrounded by concentric rings of land use, and each ring represents the type of crop chosen to minimize transport expenses given how far it is from the market. Perishable or bulky, high-value items are kept closer to the city to reduce costly shipments, while less perishable or lighter crops can be grown farther away, where land is cheaper and transport costs per unit are lower relative to the product’s value. That gradient in transport costs shapes the distinct zones and why different crops appear at different distances. Other factors like soil fertility, subsidies, or proximity to water aren’t the primary drivers in this model; it treats land as uniform aside from distance to the market, focusing on transport costs as the key determinant.