AP Human Geography Unit 5- Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use

Agribusiness

Large-scale industrial agriculture run by corporations.

Agriculture

Growing crops and raising animals for food.

Aquaculture

Farming fish or other aquatic organisms.

Biotechnology

Using science to modify plants or animals.

Boserup Hypothesis

Population growth causes food production to increase.

Carl Sauer

Geographer who believed agriculture began through experimentation.

Cash Crop

Crop grown to be sold for profit.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between Old and New Worlds.

Commercial Agriculture

Farming mainly to sell goods.

Commodity Chain

Steps a product takes from production to consumption.

Crop Rotation

Planting different crops each season to maintain soil fertility.

Dairying

Production of milk and dairy products.

Domestication

Taming plants or animals for human use.

Double-Cropping

Growing two crops on the same land in one year.

Extensive Subsistence Agriculture

Low labor, large land, low yield farming.

Fair Trade

Trade system that pays farmers fair wages.

Free Trade

Trade without government restrictions.

Feedlot

Small area where livestock are fattened.

GMO

Genetically modified organism.

Green Revolution

Increase in food production using new technology.

Horticulture

Cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and plants.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

High labor, small land, high yields.

Intercropping

Growing multiple crops together.

Livestock Ranching

Raising animals on large areas of land.

Luxury Crops

Crops not necessary for survival.

Market Gardening

Growing fruits/vegetables for nearby markets.

Mediterranean Agriculture

Farming adapted to dry summers and wet winters.

Milkshed

Area around a city supplying milk.

Organic Farming

Farming without synthetic chemicals.

Neolithic Revolution

Shift from hunting-gathering to farming.

Pastoral Nomadism

Moving with livestock for grazing.

Plantation

Large estate growing cash crops with laborers.

Ranching

Raising livestock on open land.

Ridge-Tilling

Planting crops on raised ridges to reduce erosion.

Shifting Cultivation

Farming that moves to new land after soil loss.

Slash-and-Burn (Swidden)

Clearing land by burning vegetation.

Subsidy

Government payment to support farmers.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming for personal consumption.

Survey Patterns

Way farmland is divided.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming that protects the environment long-term.

Thomas Malthus

Scholar who believed population grows faster than food.

Transhumance

Seasonal movement of livestock.

Truck Farm

Farm producing crops for city markets.

Vertical Integration

Company controls all production steps.

Von Thünen's Model

Model showing farming patterns around cities.