Food and Agriculture

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key concepts from the 'Food and Agriculture' chapter.

Agriculture

The deliberate effort to modify a portion of Earth's surface through the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenance or economic gain.

Subsistence Agriculture

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

Commercial Agriculture

Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm.

Green Revolution

Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers.

Pastoral Nomadism

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

Shifting Cultivation

A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for crops for a few years and then left fallow for a long time.

Aquaculture

The cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)

A living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through biotechnology.

Food Security

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

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

A form of subsistence agriculture characterized by farmers working intensively to produce maximum yield from a small area.

Double Cropping

Harvesting twice a year from the same field.

Dairy Farm

A type of commercial agriculture that specializes in producing milk and other dairy products.

Organic Farming

Farming that does not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and emphasizes environmental health.

Desertification

The degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions.

Cereal Grain

A grass that yields grain for food.

Dietary Energy Consumption

The amount of food that an individual consumes, measured in kilocalories.

Coca Plant

The plant from which cocaine is derived, primarily cultivated in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia.

Opium Poppy

The plant from which heroin is derived, predominantly grown in Afghanistan.

Sustainability Challenges

Issues faced by agriculture concerning the need to produce food while protecting and sustaining natural resources.

Commercial Gardening

Production of fruits and vegetables for sale, often located near large urban areas.