Food, Agriculture & Geography

Flashcards covering terminology and key concepts from the lecture on food, agriculture, and geography.

Food Security

Defined by the United Nations as the physical, social, and economic access at all times to safe and nutritious food sufficient to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Undernourishment

Dietary energy consumption that is continuously below what is needed for a healthy life and light physical activity.

Agricultural Revolution

The process of domesticating plants and animals and transitioning from hunting and gathering to agriculture.

Cereal Grain

A grass that yields grain for food; the three leading cereal grains are wheat, rice, and corn.

Subsistence Agriculture

The production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer's family.

Commercial Agriculture

The production of food primarily for sale off the farm, often involving large-scale operations.

Shifting Cultivation

An agricultural practice where land is cleared for planting and left to fallow after a few years to allow soil recovery.

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on the herding of domesticated animals.

Plantation

A large commercial farm in a developing country that specializes in one or two crops.

Aquaculture

The cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions.

Horticulture

The growing of fruits, vegetables, and tree crops, forming the commercial base of Mediterranean farming.

Green Revolution

A period of agricultural transformation that involved new technologies, high-yield crops, and increased use of fertilizers to improve food production.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered for improved yield, disease resistance, or other beneficial traits.

Conservation Tillage

A method of soil cultivation that reduces soil erosion and runoff by leaving some previous harvest on the fields.

Von Thünen Model

A model that illustrates the importance of proximity to market in agricultural production decisions, based on concentric rings of land use.

Desertification

The process by which land deteriorates to a desert-like condition due to excessive crop cultivation, animal grazing, and deforestation.

Cash Crop

A crop grown for sale rather than for the farmer’s own use.

Biofuels

Crops that are used as fuel rather than food, impacting food prices and availability.

Intensive Subsistence Farming

A form of agriculture where farmers work intensively to produce enough food for their families on small plots of land.

Milkshed

The area surrounding a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling.