Agriculture Review Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing agriculture concepts.

Agribusiness

Group of industries dealing with agricultural produce and services required in farming

Agriculture

Farming

1st Agricultural/Neolithic Revolution

Human shift from hunting/gathering to farming

Second Agricultural Revolution

More modernization of agriculture

3rd Agricultural Revolution

Mechanization in farming

Domestication

Process of domesticating wild plants or animals

Fertile Crescent

Region in SW Asia; hearth of agriculture

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, diseases, between Europe & the Americas

Terracing

Cutting steps into hillside to create farmland

Irrigation

Bringing water to crops by artificial means

Deforestation

Cutting down trees to use land

Draining wetlands

Clearing natural swamp areas to create fields

Pesticide

Substance used to destroy insects

Fertilizer

Substance added to soil to increase fertility

Enclosure System

Communal lands were replaced by farms owned by individuals; land was restricted to the owner or tenants

Mediterranean agriculture

Ex.: Farming olives, figs, citrus fruits, grapes

Pastoral nomadism

Subsistence ag; based on herding animals

Subsistence cultivation /agriculture

Farming just to feed yourself/your family

Commercial agriculture

Farming a surplus for profit

Intensive agriculture

Farming that uses lots of capital on little land

Extensive agriculture

Farming that uses few resources & more land

Fair trade

Provides farmers in periphery countries a fair price for their products; more equitable trading

Livestock

Animals raised on farms for profit

Commodity chain

Process used to gather resources, transform them into goods and sell them to consumers

Von Thünen Model

Theory: Pattern of agriculture land use

Dairy farming

Ex.: Milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream

Horticulture

The art & science of growing plants

Monocropping

Growing a single crop

Desertification

When fertile land becomes arid over time

Bid -Rent Theory

Land value determines how a farmer will use the land - intensively or extensively

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Plants/animals with DNA altered by humans

Organic farming

Farming that does not use chemicals or GMOs

Aquaculture

Farming of marine life

Sustainable agriculture

Farm practices that protect the environment

Local-food movements

Commitment to eating food produced nearby

Value added crops

Ex. yogurt, ground coffee, jams

Economies of scale

Cost advantages when production is efficient and costs can be spread over a larger amount of goods

Food desert

Urban area with no grocery store nearby

Market gardening

Produces fruits, vegetables, flowers that serves a specific urban area

Grain farming

Growing crops like wheat, rye,corn

Mixed crop and livestock systems

Both crops and livestock are raised for profit

Shifting cultivation

Growing crops or grazing animals on a piece of land and then moving to a new piece of land

Slash and burn

Clearing land then burning it to get more nutrient rich soil; then moving to a new piece of land

Ranching

Breeding cattle; commercial herding of animals; extensive agriculture

Pastoral nomadism

Animals are moved seasonally; requires lots of land

Plantation farming

Large scale farms that often crop one crop (ex. cotton, coffee)

Food Insecurity

The possibility of not having available food.

Suburbanization

Residences on the outskirts of a city

Biotechnology

Using living organisms to develop different products.

Hybrid

The offspring of two plants or animals of different species.

Tariff

Tax on imported goods.

Farm subsidies

Government payments to farmers.

Infrastructure

Examples: roads, bridges, ports, power supply.

Desertification

Fertile land becomes very dry; occuring in African Sahel.