APHG Unit 5 Agriculture Vocabulary

Agribusiness

highly mechanized, large-scale farming, usually under corporate ownership.

Aquaculture

the cultivation of aquatic organisms (as fish or shellfish) especially for food

Commercial agriculture

 term used to describe large scale farming and ranching operations that employ vast land bases, large mechanized equipment, factory-type labor forces, and the latest technology.

Commodity Chain

A series of links connecting a commodity’s many places of production, distribution, and consumption

Intensive agriculture

expenditure of much labor and capital on a piece of land to increase its productivity.

Extensive agriculture

 use of little labor and capital to increase agricultural productivity.

Green Revolution

the recent introduction of high-yield hybrid crops and chemical fertilizers and pesticides into traditional Asian agricultural systems, most notably paddy rice farming, with attendant increases in production and ecological damage

Subsistence Agriculture

farming to supply the minimum food and materials necessary to survive.

Long-lot Survey System

Distinct regional approach to land surveying found in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Louisiana, and Texas whereby land is divided into narrow parcels stretching back from rivers, roads, and canals.

Truck farming

commercial gardening and fruit farming, so named because the word was a Middle English word meaning bartering or the exchange of commodities

Food (in)Security

Physical, social, and economic access at all times to safe and nutritious food sufficient to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

A living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of biotechnology

Bid-Rent Theory

 price of land decreases as its distances from the central business district increases

Capital Expenditures

Assets that cost money, such as land, machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, and feed

Central Business District (CBD)

A dense cluster of offices and shops located at a city’s most accessible point, usually the center

Cool Chain

system of refrigeration and food-freezing technologies to keep farm produce fresh in climate-controlled environments at every stage of transport

Food deserts

area with limited access to fresh, nutritious food.

Fair Trade

 A certification program that supports good crop prices for farmers and environmentally sound farming practices