AGSY102 Lectures 2 & 3 – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering major concepts from AGSY102 Lectures 2 & 3, including global agricultural evolution, the Green Revolution, contemporary challenges, and historical as well as modern developments in Australian agriculture.

Agricultural Beginnings (~12,000 years ago)

The historic shift from nomadic foraging to settled farming communities, enabling population growth and social complexity.

Environmental Footprint of Agriculture

Combined impacts of farming on land clearing, greenhouse-gas emissions, and water use.

2050 Food Demand ("70 % more")

Projected need to raise global agricultural output by roughly 70 % to feed an estimated nine billion people by 2050.

Green Revolution (1966–1985)

Period of rapid yield growth driven by improved genetics, fertilisers, pesticides, irrigation, and supportive policies.

Green Revolution Outcomes

≈200–300 % rise in crop output while cropland expanded <1 %, cutting poverty and slowing deforestation.

Green Revolution Limitations

Diminishing marginal yield gains, lower R&D investment, and resource over-use now constrain further progress.

Green Revolution Enablers

High-yielding varieties, synthetic fertilisers, chemical pest control, large-scale irrigation, and market support.

Total Factor Productivity (TFP)

Ratio of total agricultural output to total inputs; now the main driver of output growth over area expansion.

Yield Gap

Difference between actual on-farm yields and potential yields achievable with existing technology.

Resource Constraints

Scarcity of arable land, water, and soil nutrients limiting future production growth.

Climate-Change Pressure

Increasing yield variability, extreme weather, and emission-reduction demands facing agriculture.

Biofuel Competition

Diversion of crop feedstocks to energy markets, tightening food supply.

Urbanisation Effects

Labour shifts away from farms and peri-urban land pressure due to expanding cities.

Supply-Chain Transformation

Rise of supermarkets and global value chains that squeeze farm-gate prices.

Fertiliser-Use Divergence

Regional differences in fertiliser application rates, showing that more inputs alone cannot close yield gaps.

Food Loss & Waste Halving

Could cut agricultural GHG emissions ~4 % and reduce undernourishment by ≈153 million by 2030.

Global Calorie Trade

About 20 % of the world’s food calories crossing borders, making open markets vital for food security.

Cultural Burning (Fire-Stick Farming)

Aboriginal practice of controlled burning to manage landscapes and enhance biodiversity.

Aboriginal Aquaculture

Sophisticated water-management systems such as eel and fish traps developed by First Nations peoples.

Murnong (Yam Daisy)

Native root crop cultivated and harvested by Aboriginal communities for food.

Seasonal Knowledge

Aboriginal understanding of environmental cues to guide sustainable resource use.

Oral Knowledge Transfer

Cultural governance method by which Aboriginal ecological practices are passed between generations.

Port Jackson Settlement

Initial colonial focus area (1788-1820s) chosen for its deep harbour and freshwater from the Tank Stream.

Tank Stream

Main freshwater source for early Sydney settlement influencing farm siting.

Spanish Merino Import (1796)

Introduction of fine-wool sheep breed that founded Australia’s wool industry.

De-Pasturing Licence (£10 in 1836)

Legal permit allowing graziers to occupy Crown land, extending the grazing frontier.

Wool Boom (1820s–1860s)

Rapid expansion of wool production and export that shaped Australian agriculture.

Gold-Rush Impacts

1850s-60s population surge that shifted labour demand and domestic food markets.

Droving

Long-distance movement of cattle, notably from Queensland to the NSW Riverina, to reach markets.

Bullock Trains

Teams of bullocks hauling wagons that transported grain and wool before railways.

Wolseley Shearing Machine

First successful mechanised sheep-shearing device (patented 1877, widespread by 1895).

Sunshine Harvester

Australian-made combined reaper-thresher that revolutionised grain harvesting in the late 19th century.

Freehold Tenure for Squatters

Policy change granting land ownership, encouraging infrastructure investment on pastoral runs.

Coastal Intensive Farming Belt

Higher-rainfall eastern seaboard zone where early settlers concentrated crop and dairy production.

Semi-Arid Grazing Interior

Vast inland area (~45 % native pasture) dominated by extensive sheep and cattle grazing.

Water-Security Challenge

Persistent difficulty in matching variable rainfall to agricultural water needs across Australia.

Soil Degradation

Decline in soil quality from erosion, salinity, or nutrient loss, often rooted in 19th-century land use.

Organic Agriculture (Australia)

Sector worth ≈A$851 million; supported by the world’s first organic society and Australian Organic Ltd.

Biological Farmers of Australia (1987)

Organisation (now Australian Organic Ltd) that certifies and promotes organic farming.

Holistic/Cell Grazing

Management system (Allan Savory) using short grazing periods and long rest to regenerate pastures.

Technograze

New Zealand dairy grazing technique using temporary electric fencing for precise pasture allocation.

AgTech

Application of digital and mechanical technologies to improve farm efficiency and resilience.

Rapid Population & Income Growth (India & SE Asia)

Drivers of dietary shifts toward more livestock products and fats, boosting regional food demand.

Agricultural GHG Emissions

Greenhouse gases arising from farming activities, targeted for reduction through efficiency gains.

Adaptive Resource Use

Core Aboriginal principle of modifying practices to suit environmental variability and ensure sustainability.