aphg unit 5

Transhumance

Transhumance

The seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures.

Arid climate

A climate characterized by low precipitation and high evaporation rates, leading to dry conditions.

Large corporate farms

Agricultural operations owned and operated by large companies such as Tyson Foods, characterized by extensive land holdings and mechanized production.

Agricultural hearth

The geographic origin of domestication of plants and animals, leading to the development of agriculture in specific regions.

Metes and bounds

A rural survey method that uses landmarks and physical features to define land boundaries, resulting in irregularly shaped plots.

Long Lot

A survey method where land parcels are long strips starting at a river or lake, providing equal access to resources, commonly used in French settlements.

Township and range

A survey system involving rectangular grids of land, typically 6 miles by 6 miles, used to track land sales and purchases in the U.S.

Domestication

The deliberate cultivation and breeding of plants and animals to adapt them to human use and control.

Agricultural revolution

Periods of significant change in agricultural practices, such as the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution marked by the domestication of plants and animals.

Green Revolution

A period of agricultural innovation in the mid-20th century focused on increasing crop yields through advancements in plant biology, machinery, and technology.

CAFOs

Confined Animal Feeding Operations, spaces where cattle have limited movement to maximize space and profit.

Agribusiness

Farms run as corporations for large-scale production involving research, processing, transportation, marketing, and retail.

Vertical Integration

Large corporate farms owning businesses involved in producing a product for more control and profits.

Economies of Scale

Efficiency increase to lower per-unit production cost, often seen in larger farming operations.

Commodity Chain

Process by corporations to gather resources, turn them into goods, and transport to consumers.

Von Thunen Model

Economic model showing the types of products farmers produce based on transportation cost, land cost, and perishability.

Bid-Rent Theory

Value of land influenced by its relationship to the market, determining land use relative to the market.

Neocolonialism

Use of economic, political, and social pressures to control former colonies, seen in global food distribution.

Fair Trade Movement

Promotes higher incomes for producers and sustainable farming practices.

Terrace Farming

Steps built into hillsides for water-intensive crops like rice, common in mountainous areas like China and India.

Slash and burn agriculture

A type of shifting cultivation that permanently alters the landscape by cutting and burning forests to create fields for cultivation, resulting in deforestation and soil erosion.

Pastoral nomadism

A form of subsistence farming practiced in semi-arid and arid climates where herders move animals seasonally to find grazing areas, leading to soil erosion and desertification.

Societal effects of agriculture

Includes the demand for meat, environmental impacts of increased meat consumption, and the role of women in agriculture, leading to the feminization of agriculture.

Economics of agriculture

Agriculture's contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and labor force percentages in different countries, influenced by technological advancements and consumer demands.

GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)

Plants modified by inserting genes from one species into another to enhance nutritional value, resistance, and shelf life, impacting farming practices and consumer health concerns.

Aquaculture

The practice of raising fish and sea creatures, known as the Blue Revolution, which faces challenges like disease spread, environmental harm, and social issues.

Environmental issues of agriculture

Concerns include water contamination, fossil fuel usage, loss of biodiversity, and soil erosion due to factors like overgrazing and monoculture farming.

Organic foods

Crops grown without GMOs or chemical pesticides, and animals raised without antibiotics or hormones, gaining popularity due to perceived health benefits.

Value-added crops and farming

Products consumers are willing to pay more for due to special qualities, leading farmers to process crops into higher-value goods like organic foods or specialty products.

Urban farming

Production of farm goods in urban areas, including community gardens and vertical farms, aiming to reduce the distance between producers and consumers and promote local food production.

Food insecurity

Lack of access to sufficient food due to economic, political, or environmental challenges, often affecting poor neighborhoods and homeless populations.

Food distribution system

The network of trade and transportation to deliver food from farms to consumers, influenced by local, regional, and global factors, including government regulations and infrastructure.

Climate change impacts on agriculture

Weather disasters, droughts, and storms affecting crop yields and livestock, with varying effects on different regions based on temperature changes.

Urbanization and farmland loss

Threats to agricultural land due to urban expansion and suburbanization, leading to the conversion of fertile land for urban development.

Food processing

Transformation of agricultural products into food items, influenced by infrastructure advancements and transportation improvements, impacting product quality and distribution efficiency.

Gender-specific obstacles

Discriminatory practices that hinder female farmers from achieving their full productivity potential.

Access to finance and capital

Denied to women, preventing them from affording machinery, chemicals, and modernization, thus limiting productivity.

Training and education

Denied to women, hindering their ability to learn new practices for improving productivity and safety on farms.

Property ownership

Denied to women, restricting their control over resources and decision-making on the farm.

Limited mobility

Women face restrictions on movement, making it challenging to access markets for selling/trading products or obtaining food.

Lack of political power

Women are seldom given leadership roles or involved in development projects, leading to plans that may not consider their valuable insights.

Crop gap

The productivity difference of 20-30% between male and female-run farms due to gender inequality.

Food insecurity

Particularly severe in periphery countries where gender-specific obstacles are prominent, hindering economic growth and food availability.