Studied by 26 people
agriculture
the purposeful cultivation of crops and livestock in order to produce food and fiber for survival
agribusiness
large-scale system that includes the production, processing, & distribution of agricultural products & equipment....agriculture conducted on commercial principles, especially using advanced technology and mechanization. The industrialization of agriculture
agricultural sector
Primary sector of the economy concerned with food production. LDCs usually have large numbers/percent of people in this sector, MDCs have fewer
commercial farming
growing large quantities of crops or livestock in order to sell them for a profit. Usually entails using technology and is on a large scale. Mostly done in MDCs or on plantation farms in LDCs.
subsistence farming
farming in which only enough food to feed one's family or community is produced. Usually labor-intensive, manual tools, and small in scale. Mostly done in LDCs.
ranching
a form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area. Usually requires large amounts of (open) land.
intensive farming
farming that requires much labor, capital, inputs to produce as much yield possible from the land.
extensive farming
agriculture in which little inputs & investment in labour (but often large machinery) & money is used to work farms.
terraced farming
the system of planting crops on ridge tops to lower production costs and conserve soil quality
arable land
land suited for agriculture
sustainable agriculture
Long-term productive farming methods that are environmentally safe.
plant and animal hearths
Place where plants and/or animals were first domesticated for human use or consumption
domestication
The conscious manipulation of plant and animal species by humans in order to sustain themselves, whether to be used as food, for protection, or companionship.
climate
Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
shifting cultivation
a form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another. Systematic, moving from one field to another. Uses up mineral resources in soil.
slash & burn/swidden
farming technique where forests cut and burned to put nutrients in soil. Also known as "swidden"
terrace
A flat strip of ground on a hillside used for growing crops
pastoral nomadism
A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals.
transhumance
The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures.
over-grazing
When cattle/animals eat grass in one spot for too long can lead to desertification
deforestation
the loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming
desertification
soil deteriorates to a desertlike condition....the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert. Particularly bad in Africa just south of the Sahara (The Sahel)
crop rotation
the system of growing a different crop in a field each year to preserve the fertility of the land
seed plow
Plow invented by Jethro Tull during the 1700's that sped up planting and made it more uniform.
Neolithic Revolution
when humans went from being nomad/hunter gatherers to settling in one place and farming (1st Agricultural Revolution)
Columbian Exchange
The global transfer of foods, plants, animals, diseases between the Americas, Europe, & Africa
Enclosure Movement
The fencing of pasture land in England beginning prior to the Industrial Revolution. Forced small peasant farmers to move to cities as rich landowners bought their land (which had been commonly owned)for enclosures; increased crop production and scale of agriculture. Laws were passed in England to allow this.
high-yield seed
created during the Green Revolution by Norman Borlaug to combat drought and pests. Huge impact on Mexico and India, other LDCs.
herbicide/pesticide
chemicals used to kill or control weeds and pests. Extensively used in commercial agriculture; not used in organic farming.
Second Agricultural Revolution
included improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage of farm produce. Took place at the same time as the Industrial Revolution
Third Agricultural Revolution
began in the mid 20th century and is still going on today in the form of industrial agriculture. Also known as the Green Revolution. Characterized by mechanization, chemical farming, and food manufacturing, GMOs.
Green Revolution
movement that began in the 1950s-1960s in which scientist used knowlede of genetics to develop new high yield strains of grain crops... which then led to Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers, more productive agricultural techniques during the 1970s and 1980s. Really started in Latin America, then spread to South & East Asia.
Norman Borlaug
Founder of Green Revolution: Increased wheat and maize yield worldwide, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize.
mixed crop
also known as inter-cropping, or co-cultivation, is a type of agriculture that involves planting two or more of plants simultaneously in the same field. Mixed Crop Livestock in which both crops & livestock are raised for profit
plantation agriculture
is a form of industrialized agriculture used primarily in tropical developing countries. A type of agriculture in which cash crops / luxury crops are grown on large estates
Mediterranean agriculture
specialized farming that occurs only in areas where the dry-summer Mediterranean climate prevails. (along Southern Europe, Southern California, Southern Chile)
cash crop
a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower...export crop
luxury crop
Non-subsistence crops such as tea, cacao, coffee, and tobacco
truck farming
commercial gardening and fruit farming in the US to grow vegetables and fruits for local markets
horticulture
the growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers
suitcase farm
when someone owns and operates a farm, but lives somewhere else; usually a crops only farm
market gardening
farming devoted to specialized fruit, vegetable, or vine crops for sale rather than consumption
milk shed
the area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied
Von Thunen
Amatuer economist who suggested that certain crops are grown based on distance to market or perishability. Created model that says that perishable goods are located near market area as well as heavy items
organic gardening
Gardening that grows food without the use of any fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.
local food movement
Buying locally grown foods for various reasons, including economic support of local growers and the percieved health advantages.
aquaculture
the rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plants for food....Blue Revolution
GMO
genetically modified organism crops that carry new traits that have been inserted through advanced genetic engineering methods
urban agriculture
establishment or performance of agricultural practices in or near an urban or city-like setting
food desert
an area in a developed country where healthy food is difficult to obtain an area characterized by a lack of affordable, fresh, and nutritious foods
biodiversity
the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)
fair trade
trade in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries. Products are made with standards to protect workers and small businesses in periphery exporters, most notably agriculture products.
commodity chains
a network of people, information, processes, & resources that work together to produce, handle, & distribute a commodity or product.....a chain of activities from the manufacturing to the distribution of a product
clustered settlement
settlements that group together in a particular area.
dispersed settlement
A rural settlement pattern characterized by isolated farms rather than clustered villages.
linear settlement
a pattern of settlements in which homes and other buildings form along a line that usually follows a land feature (river) or transportation route (roads, railroads)
long lots
thin lots that give river access
metes and bounds
a method of describing real estate, using boundary lines with terminal points and angles uses feet and natural markers as monuments when describing land
township range
Land Ordinance of 1787 established the regular, checker-board pattern of systematically surveying land into equal sized plots.
bid rent
theory that describes the relationship between land value, commercial location, & transportation. Used to determine how much land cost....changing cost of "rent" as one moves away from the CBD.
feed lots
type of animal feeding operation to fatten up animals which is used in intensive animal farming, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter.
CAFO
concentrated animal feeding operation which is a large feedlot to fatten animals before slaughter
subsidy
a government payment that supports a business or market
agricultural trends
current movements and trends in agriculture: sustainability, non-GMO, "free range", grass-fed, ethical animal treatment, etc.
Food insecurity
the disruption of food intake because of poor access to food
Value-added specialty crops
"value added" goods have some other product in them or item attached to them to make them unique and able to sell at higher price.
Community Supported Agriculture
network between agricultural producers and consumers whereby consumers pledge support to a farming operation in order to receive a share of the output from the farming operation
irrigation
The process of supplying water to areas of land to make them suitable for growing crops.
salinzation
Process that occurs when soils in arid areas are brought under cultivation through irrigation. In arid climates, water evaporates quickly off the ground surface, leaving salty residues that render the soil infertile.
economies of scale
long-run average total cost falls as the quantity of output increases (it cost less to make more)
Monocropping
cultivation of one or two crops that are rotated seasonally
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