vocab

Food Security

Physical, social, economic access to safe and nutritious food sufficient to meet dietary needs.

Food Insecurity

Lack of physical, social, economic access to safe and nutritious food.

Food Deserts

Areas where people lack access to healthy food, relying on convenience stores or fast food.

Food Swamps

Communities where unhealthy food is highly accessible, leading to poor health outcomes.

Hunter and Gatherers

Humans living as nomadic hunters and gatherers prior to agriculture.

First Agricultural Revolution

Began approx. 10,000 years ago with the cultivation of plants and domestication of animals.

Human Environment Interaction

Study of how humans depend on, adapt to, and modify their environment.

Terrace Farming

Growing crops on the side of hills or mountains using terraces.

Vegetation Agriculture

Type of cultivation involving the reproduction of plants by cloning.

Seed Agriculture

Type of cultivation involving the reproduction of seeds.

Agriculture

Modification of Earth's surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals.

Global System of Agriculture

Complex network of factors influencing agriculture production and distribution.

Global Supply Chain

System of organizations and resources involved in moving products from supplier to customer.

Domestication

Process of taming plants or animals for human use.

Second Agricultural Revolution

Increased productivity through improved crop rotation and livestock breeding.

Agricultural Hearth

Origin points of agriculture around the world, independently developed.

Fertile Crescent

One of the first hearths of agriculture and early civilization.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, culture, and technology between the Americas and Europe.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farmers produce goods primarily for their own consumption.

Commercial Agriculture

Production of food for sale in free markets.

Cash Crops

Crops raised for sale rather than for the producer's own use.

Extensive Agriculture

Crop cultivation using minimal labor and capital relative to land area.

Carrying Capacity

Number of people a region can support without environmental degradation.

Clustered Settlement

Homes located in close proximity to each other.

Dispersed Settlement

Farmers living throughout the countryside in scattered homes.

Linear Settlement

Buildings arranged in a straight line.

Metes and Bounds Survey

Boundaries based on physical landmarks.

Township and Range Survey

Survey method dividing land into rectangular parcels.

Long Lot

Narrow parcels of land connecting to waterways.

Intensive Agriculture

Maximizing output from smaller plots of land with high inputs.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

Farmers expend a large amount of effort to maximize yield.

Nomadic Herding

Form of subsistence agriculture focusing on herding domesticated animals.

Transhumance

Seasonal movement of livestock between pastures.

Shifting Cultivation

Subsistence agriculture where farmers frequently move fields.

Slash and Burn Agriculture

Farmers clear land by slashing and burning vegetation.

Frequent Relocation

People moving repeatedly for job opportunities.

Plantation Agriculture

Large commercial farms specializing in one or two crops.

Aquaculture

Deliberate cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions.

Overfishing

Capturing fish faster than they can reproduce.

Agribusiness

System of commercial farming prevalent in developed countries.

Double Cropping

Harvesting two crops in a single year from the same land.

Crop Rotation

Using different fields for crops each year to avoid soil exhaustion.

Wet-Rice Farming

Rice planted in nurseries and moved to flooded fields.

Monocropping

Growing the same single crop year after year.

Monoculture

Cultivation of only one crop in a large area.

Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming

Integration of crops and livestock.

Ranching

Commercial grazing of livestock over extensive areas.

Feedlots

Controlled environments for fattening livestock.

Dairy Farm

Farms specializing in milk and dairy product production.

Milkshed

Area surrounding a city that provides milk without spoiling.

Commodity Chain

Linked processes for producing and distributing commodities.

Commercial Gardening

Agriculture predominant in southeastern US focused on high-value crops.

Truck Farming

Farming that focuses on producing crops for processing and distribution.

Local Food Movements

Trend of consuming food produced within one’s region.

Mediterranean Agriculture

Farming on lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Mediterranean Climate

Hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Tropical Climate

Climate zone with consistently high temperatures year-round.

Horticulture

Growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers among Mediterranean crops.

Von Thunen Model

Explains the importance of proximity to market in agriculture.

Pasture

Land grown with grass for feeding livestock.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming methods preserving land productivity and minimizing pollution.

Desertification

Land deteriorating to desert-like conditions due to human actions.

Multi-Cropping

Using fields multiple times a year without leaving them fallow.

Fallow

Leaving arable land uncultivated for a period to recover.

Economies of Scale

Cost advantage from large-scale production.

The Bid Rent Theory

Land's rental price is influenced by its location to the market.

Enclosure Movement

Consolidation of small farms into larger estates with hedges.

Soil Salinization

Accumulation of salts in soil affecting crop growth.

Irrigation

Moving water from one location to another for farming needs.

Deforestation

Clearing a geographic area of trees and vegetation.

Urban Farming

Small-scale farming in urban areas, like community gardens.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Farmers sell shares of produce directly to consumers.

Value Added Specialty Crops

Processed agricultural products that increase overall value.

Fair Trade Movement

Ensures fair prices for producers in developing countries.

Fair Trade Products

Products purchased directly from producers, ensuring fair pricing.

Third Agricultural Revolution

Introduction of high-yield seeds and expanded fertilizers.

GMO

Genetically modified organisms created through biotechnology.

Organic Farming

Farming using organic methods, prohibiting synthetic substances.

Soil Erosion

Wearing away of topsoil due to human activities.

Herbicides

Chemicals used to kill unwanted plants in crops.

Pesticides

Chemicals used to control insect pests damaging crops.

Intertillage

Cultivation of different crop varieties within a single field.

Conservative Tillage

Soil cultivation method reducing erosion and runoff.

No Tillage

Leaving soil undisturbed, preserving residue from previous harvests.

Ridge Tillage

Planting on ridges created by tillage process.

Hibernization

Adaptation allowing animals to escape cold weather.