Unit 5 - Agriculture

Agribusiness

Commercial agriculture characterized by integration of different steps in the food processing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations

Agricultural Revolution

The time when humans first domesticated plants and animals and no longer relied on entirely hunting and gathering

Second agriculture revolution

Improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage of farm produce

Green revolution

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

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

Aquaculture

The cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions

Fishing

Capture of wild fish and other seafood living in waters(subsistence or commercial8

Commercial Agriculture

Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm

Subsistence Agriculture

Agriculture designed primarily to provide food for direct consumption by the farmer and the farmers family

Extensive Agriculture

Covering or affecting a large area. “An extensive garden” obtaining a relatively small crop from a large area or with minimum attention and expense.

Intensive agriculture

Concentrated on a single area or into a short time; very thorough or vigorous. Large amount of labor and capital

Extensive subsistence agriculture

The cultivation of large area of land. Minimum labor input. Both product per land and population densities are low. Ex:Pastoral Nomadism, Shifting cultivation

Intensive subsistence agriculture

The cultivation of small parcels of land; high amounts of labor per acre. Yields per unit area and population densities are high. Ex: wet rice dominant, non rice dominant

Extensive commercial agriculture

Cultivation of low amounts of labor/per unit of land area and is practiced further from markets on less expensive land. Ex: grain, ranching

Intensive commercial agriculture

Cultivation of an area where large amount of capital (machinery, fertilizer, technology) and/or labor per unit of land are used; smaller areas of land. Ex: Mixed crop livestock, dairying, mediterranean, commercial gardening, plantation

Von Thunen

Success focused on the relationship between cost of land and cost of transportation for farmers. Make most profit. Assumptions: 1. All land is flat 2. soil & environment is the same everywhere, 3. No barriers to transportation to market(rivers, mountains) 4. Farmers are using oxcarts to transport goods to market - there are no roads

Crop rotation

The practice of rotating use of diff ent fields from crop to crop each year to avoid exhausting the soil

Desertification

The process where farmland becomes more desert like, losing its ability to produce crops; occurs primarily in semi-arid bioclimatic zones

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture where people rely on the herding of domesticated animals and migrate in search of pasture and water.

Shifting cultivation

A form of subsistence agriculture where land is cleared and cultivated for a few years before being abandoned for a new plot; involves rotating fields to maintain soil fertility.

Intensive subsistence wet rice dominant

A type of agriculture where small parcels of land are intensively cultivated to produce a high yield of wet rice, often involving significant labor.

Non-wet Rice Dominant

A type of intensive subsistence agriculture characterized by the cultivation of crops other than wet rice, which may include wheat, barley, or millet, often in drier environments.

Dairying

The branch of agriculture that involves the production of milk and the processing of dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.

Ranching

A form of extensive agriculture based on the raising of livestock, particularly cattle, in large, open spaces.

Mediterranean Farming

A type of agriculture practiced in regions with a Mediterranean climate, characterized by the cultivation of olives, grapes, and citrus fruits, alongside the raising of livestock. This farming system relies heavily on seasonal rainfall and is often located on hilly or mountainous terrain.

Food Deserts

Areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, often resulting in higher rates of diet-related diseases.

Food Security

The state in which all people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.