Unit 5 APHG

Agriculture

The practice of growing crops and raising animals for food, use, or sale.

Arable land

Land that is suitable for farming because it has good soil, water, and climate.

Subsistence agriculture

Farming where people grow food mainly to feed themselves and their family, not to sell.

Commercial agriculture

Farming done to produce crops or animals to sell in the market for profit.

Shifting cultivation

A type of farming where land is cleared by cutting and burning, used for a few years, then abandoned for new land.

Plantation agriculture

A large scale farm that grows one main crop for sale, usually in tropical areas.

Pastoral nomadism

A type of farming where people move from place to place with animals to find food and water.

Ranching

A type of farming where livestock are raised on large areas of land and sold for profit.

Mixed crop and livestock farming

A farming system where crops are grown and animals are raised on the same farm.

Dairy farming

A type of farming that focuses on producing milk and other dairy products.

Intensive agriculture

Farming that uses a lot of labor and resources on a small area of land to produce high yields.

Extensive agriculture

Farming that uses large areas of land with less labor and fewer resources.

Market gardening

Small-scale farming that grows fruits and vegetables near cities for sale.

Green Revolution

A period of increased food production due to new technology, improved seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation.

Double cropping

Growing and harvesting two crops on the same land in one year.

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

A plant or animal whose genes are changed using science to improve traits like growth or resistance.

Environmental possibilism

The idea that humans can adapt and change the environment using technology.

Irrigation

The artificial supply of water to crops to help them grow.

Fertilizer

A natural or chemical substance added to soil to improve plant growth.

Terrace farming

A farming method where steps are built into hills or mountains to create flat land for farming.

Metes and bounds

A land survey system that uses natural features to create irregular land boundaries.

Long lot system

A land division system where land is divided into long, narrow strips along a river.

Township and range system

A land division system that creates a grid of square plots.

Clustered settlement

A settlement where houses are grouped closely together.

Dispersed settlement

A settlement where houses are spread out over a large area.

Agribusiness

Large-scale farming and related businesses that produce, process, and sell food.

Commodity chain

The steps involved in producing, processing, and distributing a product.

Vertical integration

When one company controls multiple stages of production and distribution.

Horizontal integration

When a company controls many farms or businesses at the same stage.

Subsidy

Money given by the government to support farmers and reduce costs.

CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation)

A large farm where many animals are kept in a small space to increase production.

Feedlot

A place where animals are fed and fattened before being sold for meat.

Food desert

An area where people have little or no access to healthy and affordable food.

Food swamp

An area where unhealthy food options are more available than healthy food.

Supply chain

The system of producing, transporting, and selling food from farm to consumer.

Globalization (food)

The process where food production and distribution are connected across countries.

Neocolonialism

When powerful countries influence or control weaker countries through economic or political pressure.

Cash crop

A crop grown mainly to be sold for profit.

Luxury crop

A high value crop grown for wealthy consumers, not basic needs.

Value added product

A product that has been changed or processed to increase its value.

Biotechnology

The use of science to improve plants and animals for farming.

Aquaculture

The farming of fish and other water organisms for food.

Local food movement

A movement where people buy food grown close to where they live.

Organic farming

Farming without using synthetic chemicals like pesticides or fertilizers.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

A system where people support farms by buying shares of their produce in advance.

Women in agriculture

Women who play a major role in farming and food production, especially in developing regions.

Challenges for women in agriculture

Women often have less access to land, money, education, and resources than men.

Von Thünen Model

A model that explains how types of farming are arranged around a city based on distance, cost, and land value.

Intercropping

growing 2 or more crops together at the same time in one field

Monocropping

Growing only 1 crop in a field over and over

Crop rotation

Changing crops each seasons on the same land