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agrobiodiversity
The genetic variety of plant and animal species used on farms to produce food. Compare biodiversity.
chronic malnutrition
faulty nutrition, caused by a diet that does not supply an individual with enough protein, essential fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for good health. Compare overnutrition, chronic undernutrition.
chronic undernutrition (hunger)
Condition suffered by people who cannot grow or buy enough food to meet their basic energy needs. Compare overnutrition, chronic malnutrition.
desertification
conversion of rangeland, rain-fed cropland, or irrigated cropland to desert-like land, with a drop in agricultural productivity of 10% or more. It is usually caused by a combination of overgrazing, soil erosion, prolonged drought, and climate change.
famine
Widespread malnutrition and starvation in a particular area because of a shortage of food, usually caused by drought, war, flood, earthquake, or other catastrophic event that disrupts food production and distribution.
farm subsidies
money paid to farmers to supplement the cost of production of crops and livestock in order to influence the market price and supply of food commodities.
fishery
Concentration of particular aquatic species suitable for commercial harvesting in a given ocean area or inland body of water.
food security
conditions under which every person in a given area has dally access to enough nutritious food to have an active and healthy life.
genetically modified organisms
organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to pests or improved nutritional content.
genetic engineering
The manipulation of an organism's DNA to achieve desired traits or characteristics, often involving the transfer of genes between species.
green revolution
Popular term for the introduction of scientifically bred or selected varieties of grain (rice, wheat, maize) that, with adequate inputs of fertilizer and water, can greatly increase crop yields.
industrialized agriculture
Production of large quantities of crops and livestock for domestic and foreign sale; involves use of large inputs of energy from fossil fuels (especially oil and natural gas), water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Compare subsistence farming.
integrated pest management (IPM)
Combined use of biological, chemical, and cultivation methods in proper sequence and timing to keep the size of a pest population below the level that causes economically unacceptable loss of a crop or livestock.
irrigation
Mix of methods used to supply water to crops by artificial means.
organic agriculture
Growing crops with limited or no use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetically modified crops; raising livestock without use of synthetic growth regulators and feed additives; and using organic fertilizer (manure, legumes, compost) and natural pest controls (bugs that eat harmful bugs, plants that repel bugs, and environmental controls such as crop rotation). See sustainable agriculture.
organic fertilizer
organic materials such as animal manure, green manure, and compost applied to cropland as a source of plant nutrients. Compare inorganic fertilizer.
pest
Unwanted organism that directly or indirectly interferes with food production and other human activities.
plantation agriculture
Growing specialized crops such as bananas, coffee, and cacao in tropical developing countries, primarily for sale to developed countries.
polyculture
Complex form of intercropping in which a large number of different plants maturing at different times are planted together. See also intercropping. Compare monoculture.
soil conservation
Methods used to reduce soil erosion, prevent depletion of soil nutrients, and restore nutrients previously lost by erosion, leaching, and excessive crop harvesting.
soil erosion
movement of soil components, especially topsoil, from one place to another, usually by wind, flowing water, or both. This natural process can be greatly accelerated by human activities that remove vegetation from soil. See soil conservation
soil salinization
Gradual accumulation of salts in upper layers of soil that can stunt crop growth, lower crop yields, and eventually kill plants and ruin the land.
synthetic fertilizer
commercially prepared mixture of inorganic plant nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and potassium applied to the soil to restore fertility and increase crop yields.
synthetic pesticides
any chemical designed to kill or inhibit the growth of an organism that people consider undesirable.
topsoil
Uppermost layer of soil as a soil’s A-horizon layer. It contains the organic and inorganic nutrients that plants need for their growth and development.
traditional intensive agriculture
Production of enough food for a farm family’s survival and a surplus that can be sold. This type of agriculture uses higher inputs of labor, fertilizer, and water than traditional subsistence agriculture.
traditional subsistence agriculture
Production of enough crops or livestock for a farm family’s survival.
waterlogging
Saturation of soil with irrigation water or excessive precipitation so that the water table rises close to the surface.
