AP HUG U5 (Agriculture)

organic farming

the use of natural substances rather than chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enrich the soil and grow crops

primary economic activity

economic activity concerned with the direct extraction of natural resources from the environment-- such as mining, fishing, lumbering, and especially agriculture

secondary economic activity

economic activity involving the processing of raw materials and their transformation into finished industrial products; the manufacturing sector

tertiary economic activity

Service jobs - high level: bankers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, low level: retail, fast food,

quaternary economic activity

Service sector industries concerned with the collection, processing, and manipulation of information and capital. Examples include finance, administration, insurance, and legal services.

quinary economic activity

Service sector industries that require a high level of specialized knowledge or technical skill. Examples include scientific research and high-level management.

Second Agricultural Revolution

tools and equipment were modified, methods of soil preparation, fertilization, crop rotation, and harvesting improved the general organization of agriculture made more efficient

Third Agricultural Revolution

currently in progress, development of genetically modified organisms

Green Revolution

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

shifting cultivation (slash and burn)

cultivation of crops in tropical forest clearings in which the forest vegetation has been removed by cutting and burning. the clearings are usually abandoned after a few years in favor of newly cleared forest land. Also known as slash-and-burn agriculture.

subsistence farming

farming in which only enough food to feed one's family is produced

Von Thunen Model

An agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activity in terms of rent. Activities that require intensive cultivation and cannot be transported over great distances pay higher rent to be close to the market. Conversely, activities that are more extensive , with goods that are easy to transport, are located farther from the market where rent is less.

Enclosure Acts

a series of United Kingdom Acts of Parliament which enclosed open fields and common land in the country, creating legal property rights to land that was previously considered common.

Genetic modified organisms (GMOs)

organism whose genetic code has been altered by artificial means such as interspecies gene transfer; genetic engineering

township and range system

property lines in grid pattern, one square mile sections that display uniformity

longlot survey system

distinct regional approach to land surveying found in the Canadian Maritimes, parts of Quebec, Louisiana, and Texas whereby land is divided into narrow parcels stretching back from rivers, roads, or canals

rectangular survey system

A system used to divide public domain lands in the United States in which land is divided into 6-mile square townships and subdivided into sections, portions of sections, or irregular lots. Also referred to as Public Land Survey System.

Metes and Bounds Survey

When natural features are used to set the boundaries of an amount of land

commercial farming

growing large quantities of crops or livestock in order to sell them for a profit

food desert

An area in a developed country where healthy food is difficult to obtain

Monoculture

the cultivation of a single crop in a given area.

Milk shed

The area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied.

plantation agriculture

Production system based on a large estate owned by an individual, family, or corporation and organized to produce a cash crop. Almost all plantations were established within the tropics; in recent decades, many have been divided into smaller holdings or reorganized as cooperatives

luxury crops

Non-subsistence crops such as tea, cacao, coffee, and tobacco

livestock ranching

The raising of domesticated animals for the production of meat and other byproducts such as leather and wool.

Mediterranean agriculture

specialized farming that occurs only in areas where the dry-summer Mediterranean climate prevails

Agribusiness

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

Aquaculture

Raising marine and freshwater fish in ponds and underwater cages

Dairying

An agricultural activity involving the raising of livestock, most commonly cows and goats, for dairy products such as milk, cheese, and butter.

intensive agriculture

A form of subsistence agriculture in which farmers must expend a relatively large amount of effort to produce the maximum feasible yield from a parcel of land.

extensive agriculture

a crop or livestock system characterized by low inputs of labor per unit area of land.

Market Gardening (Truck Farming)

The small scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as cash crops sold directly to local consumers.

fair trade movement

an alternative method of international trade which promotes environmentalism, fair wages, alleviation of global poverty and a fair price for growers

root crops

crops that are reproduced by cultivating either the roots or cuttings from the plants (cassava, yams, potatoes)

seed crops

crop that is reproduced by cultivating the seeds of the plants (Wheat)

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.

plant domestication

deliberately planted and tended by humans that is genetically distinct from its wild ancestors as a result of selective breeding.

animal domestication

When animals are tamed and used for food and profit.

First Agricultural Revolution

Dating back 10,000 years, the First Agricultural Revolution achieved plant domestication and animal domestication

Commercial Agriculture

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

Biorevolution /Biotechnology

the genetic engineering of plants and animals with the potential to exceed the productivity of the Green Revolution

value-added crops

are agricultural products transformed (processed, packaged, or branded) to increase their worth and profit margin for farmers, moving beyond raw commodities to items like cheese from milk, jams from fruit, or artisan bread from grain, often tied to niche markets, organic/local food movements, and supporting farm income against economic pressures

value added farming

involves transforming raw farm products (like milk to cheese, grapes to wine) into higher-value goods (jams, sauces, specialty items) to increase farmer profit, meet consumer demand for unique/local foods, and add complexity to the food commodity chain

cool chains

An unbroken series of refrigerated production, storage, and distribution activities that maintain a specific low-temperature range for sensitive products.

slash and burn farming

a farming method in which people clear fields by cutting and burning trees and grasses, the ashes of which serve to fertilize the soil