Chapter 13 Food Equity, Sustainability, and Quality

food insecurity

unreliable access to a sufficient supply of nourishing food

famine

a severe food shortage affecting a large percentage of the population in a limited geographic area at a particular time

overpopulation

condition in which a region’s available resources are insufficient to support the number of people living there

cash crops

crops grown to be sold rather than eaten such as cotton or tobacco

global warming

the increase of about 1.5F degrees in temperature that has occurred near the Earth’s surface over the past century

Climate change

any significant change in the measures of climate such as temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, that occurs over several decades or longer

sustainability

the ability to meet or satisfy basic economic, social, and security needs now and in the future without undermining the natural resource base and environmental quality on which life depends

green revolution

the tremendous increase in global productivity between 1944 and 2000 due to selective cross-breeding or hybridization to produce high-yield grains and industrial farming techniques

high-yield varieties

semi-dwarf varieties of plants that are unlikely to fall over in wind and heavy rains and thus can carry larger amounts of seeds, greatly increasing the yield per acre

food diversity

the variety of different species of food crops available

monoculture

a single crop species cultivated over a large area

sustainable agriculture

term referring to techniques of food production that preserve the environment indefinitely

crop rotation

the practice of alternating crops in a particular field to prevent nutrient depletion and erosion of the soil. and to help with control of crop specific pests

fair trade

a trading partnership promoting equity in international trading relationships and contributing to sustainable development by securing the rights of marginalized producers and workers