Final answer:
In Vander Thünen's model, livestock farmers are located at the outer edge to minimize transportation costs given that livestock is less perishable. These farmers can afford the greater distance from the market due to the nature of their products. The model shows how agriculture land use is influenced by transportation costs and product perishability.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Von Thünen model, livestock farmers are located at the outer edge of the model primarily due to the cost of transporting agricultural products. Since livestock such as cattle and hogs are less perishable and can be transported over longer distances without spoiling, they are situated further from the central market. This positioning reduces the transportation costs for products that do not need to reach the market as quickly as perishable goods like dairy and vegetables, which are located in closer proximity to the city.
The transportation costs and perishability of products dictate their location in the concentric rings surrounding a central market. Livestock farming, requiring extensive land for grazing and being a less perishable product, becomes the most cost-effective and profitable at the periphery of the model. Vander Thünen's model emphasizes that farmers will use land in ways that maximize profit, factoring in the distance to markets and the associated costs of transportation.