Agriculture Lecture Review

Flashcards covering the basics of agriculture, the Green and Blue Revolutions, commercial versus subsistence farming, agribusiness, and environmental impacts.

Primary sector

The extractive sector of the economy that includes agriculture, mining, fishing, and forestry.

Subsistence farming

A labor-intensive form of agriculture typically found in poor countries, characterized by mixed crops, shifting cultivation, and a lack of surplus.

Agricultural Revolution

A historical shift that occurred 10,000 years ago leading to early civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Nile River Valley, and the Indus River Valley.

Green Revolution

A shift toward industrial agriculture starting approximately 75 years ago (~1950) involving pesticides, fertilizer, and technology.

N. Borlaug

The individual associated with the development of hybrid seeds during the Green Revolution.

Monoculture

The agricultural practice of growing a single crop species, a hallmark of industrial specialization.

Cash crops

Crops grown specifically for export, such as rubber, tea, and tobacco, which can lead to undernourishment in the producing country.

Commercial Agriculture

Large, efficient farming operations in advanced countries where most of the food produced is used for animal feed.

Negative multiplier

An economic consequence associated with the depopulation of rural areas as small farms are lost.

Eutrophication

An environmental problem in water systems caused by excessive chemical inputs from commercial agriculture.

Three major crops

The dominant crops in global agriculture: corn, wheat, and rice.

Blue Revolution

The rapid expansion of aquaculture intended to provide relief for existing fish stocks.

Agribusiness

A consolidated industry encompassing multiple sectors including meat, seeds, chemicals, drugs, machinery, and distribution.

Product differentiation

A market concept that agriculture often lacks (e.g., "corn is corn is corn"), contributing to its status as a market failure.

Farm Bill

Legislation started during the Depression that today provides approximately $100 \text{ Billion}$ annually in assistance.

SNAP

A program within the Farm Bill that provides food assistance to low-income Americans and is used to attract urban political support.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms)

Crops, such as corn and soy, created by tweaking the genetic code to achieve specific traits like herbicide resistance.

Agriculture Greenhouse Gas (GhG) contribution

Agriculture is responsible for $25\%$ of Greenhouse Gas emissions through direct and indirect sources.

Externalities

Unintended consequences of agriculture, such as the inhibition of ecosystem services like water cycling and seed dispersal.

Sustainable Agriculture

A method of farming focusing on sensitive land management, integration of plants and animals, and limited use of chemical inputs.

Primary tool for environmental care

According to the lecture, focusing on what you eat specifically by eating less meat.