Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Agribusiness

Large‑scale commercial agriculture controlled by corporations

Agriculture

Cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food and resources

Animal husbandry

Breeding and raising animals for food or labor

Aquaculture

Farming of fish, shellfish, or aquatic plantsof fish

Biotechnology

Use of genetic engineering and technology to improve crops and livestock

Capital‑intensive agriculture

Farming that uses machinery and technology more than labor

Commercial agricultural

Agriculture produced for sale rather than local consumption

Commodity chains

Linked steps in producing and distributing agricultural goods

Dairying

Agriculture focused on milk and dairy products

Desertification

Degradation of land into desert due to overuse or climate change

Domestication

Taming plants or animals for human use

Extensive agriculture

Farming using large areas of land with low labor input

Feedlots

Confined spaces where livestock are fattened before slaughter

Fertile Crescent

Region in the Middle East where agriculture first developed

Food security

Reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food

Genetically modified organisms

Organisms with altered DNA for desired traits

Green Revolution

Introduction of high‑yield crops and technology in the mid‑20th century

Horizontal integration

When companies merge with others at the same production stage

Hunting and gathering

Early human subsistence based on wild food collection

Industrial Revolution

Period of mechanization that transformed agriculture and industry

Intensive agriculture

Farming requiring large amounts of human labor

Livestock ranching

Raising animals on large tracts of land for meat production

Mechanization

Use of machines to replace human or animal labor

Mediterranean agriculture

Specialized farming in Mediterranean climates (olives, grapes, citrus)

Organic agriculture

Farming without synthetic chemicals or GMOs

Pastoralism

Herding animals across large areas for grazing

Pesticides

Chemicals used to kill pests harming crops

Planned agricultural economy

Government‑controlled agricultural production and distribution

Plantation

Large farm producing cash crops for export

Salinization

Build‑up of salt in soil from irrigation

Shifting cultivation

Rotating fields to allow soil recovery

Slash‑and‑burn agriculture

Clearing land by cutting and burning vegetation

Specialty crops

High‑value crops like fruits

Subsistence agriculture

Farming to meet the needs of the farmer’s family

Sustainability

Farming practices that preserve resources for future generations

Swidden

Cleared land created by slash‑and‑burn

Topsoil loss

Removal of fertile soil due to erosion

Transhumance

Seasonal movement of livestock between grazing areas

Urban sprawl

Spread of urban areas into rural land

Vertical integration

Control of multiple production stages by one company

Von Thünen model

Model explaining agricultural land use based on distance from markets