5.9-5.12 APHuG

Interdependent

When two things, people, organizations, or countries are dependent on one another

• The actions or conditions of one entity have an effect on the actions or conditions of the other

Commodity Dependence

When a country has more than 60% of its total exports made up of just commodities

government subsidies

A financial incentive or payment that is given by the government to support a specific industry, company, or individual

• Goal is to promote the production of certain products or promote certain practices

specialization

The process of focusing on a specific task, product, or service

The global system of agriculture

the complex network of economic, social, and environmental factors that shape the production, distribution, and consumption of agricultural goods around the world.

Desertification

The process by which the land loses fertility and becomes a desert

Pastoral Nomads

A type of Agriculture where herders migrate with livestock

As livestock graze as they move, they remove vegetation

• Allows Desert to slowly spread

Deforestation

The process of clearing a wide geographic area if trees and other vegetation

Slash and Burn Agriculture

Rainforest is cut and burned in order to grow crops

• Puts more CO2 in the atmosphere

• Destroy unique ecosystems

Soil Salinization

The process of salt accumulating in the soil making it difficult for crops and plants to grow

• Cause more water runoff and lead to soil erosion

Soil Erosion

The wearing away and displacement of the upper layer of soil due to human activities, water, wind, or other natural forces

• Reduces arable land

• Allows water pollution to impact more bodies of water

(Destruction of) Wetlands

An area of land that is saturated with water, often consisting of marshes, swamps, or bogs

• Destroyed/Drained often for settlements or for crops

• Easier for water containing pollutants to enter more bodies of water

Irrigation

The movement of water from one place to another to help grow vegetation, or meet agricultural landscaping needs

• Great for producing more crops and planting crops in areas with limited access to freshwater

• Depletes freshwater sources from other areas

• Lead to increased water pollution

  • Chemicals and Manure get in water and runoff to local bodies of water

Terrace Farming and Changes in Environment

A method of agriculture that involves growing crops on the side of hills or mountains by creating terraces tat are built into the slope

• Often found in SE Asia

• Intensive to create

• Found in areas where maximization of arable land is required

• Transform natural landscape

• If done correctly, decreased runoff and increased food production

Aquaculture

practice of cultivating/ rearing aquatic organisms, such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants, in controlled environments.

NAFTA

An agreement signed by Canada, United States, and Mexico that eliminated tariffs and trade barriers between the different countries

• Made it cheaper to import

  • Imports from United States to Mexico increased significantly after 1992

• US Policies made it cheaper for costs of production for certain agricultural products

• Mexico had an increased import dependency

  • Put many farmers out of work

  • Migration to US

Food Desert

An urban or rural community that lacks access to affordable, healthy, and fresh food

• People typically have to travel long distances to reach a grocery store, lack their own personal vehicle, live in impoverished community, and often rely on fast food restaurants and convenience stores for food)

• Problems with obesity and diabetes

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

A system of farming where consumers directly support local farmers by purchasing shares or subscriptions from the farmer in advance of the growing season

• Supports local farmers and reduce food miles

  • Reduced uncertainty and pollution

Food Miles

The distance food is transported from the producer to the consumer

Urban Farming

Small scale farms located in urban and/or suburban areas that cultivate different agricultural products

• Fresh food for urban areas, counter food deserts, create green spaces, and offer recreational activities

Organic Farming

Farming that focuses on producing food with natural methods without different fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, or GMOs

• Seek to produce food in environmentally friendly manner

• Less soil, water, and air pollution

Fair Trade Practices and Products

Allow consumers to directly purchase from the people who created the product or the farmer who produced the food

• More profit toward the farmer rather than company

• Better treatment of workers

Value-Added Crops

Agricultural products that have been processed in a way that increases their overall value

• Different crops and agricultural products that come together to create a product that is more valuable than their ingredients

• Packaging, branding, preservatives, and other ingredients and materials create a new product