"Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry for food and non-food products."
Focuses on the development of sustainable food systems, including crop management, soil health, and animal welfare.
Soil Science: Understanding the properties and nutrients in soil is essential for agricultural production. It involves studying the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil, as well as analyzing soil samples.
Plant Science: This encompasses aspects of botany, plant genetics, and plant breeding. It involves studying plant growth, reproduction, and disease resistance, as well as techniques for crop breeding and genetic modification.
Animal Science: This field involves the study of animal nutrition, physiology, genetics, and behavior. It encompasses livestock production, animal husbandry, and animal welfare.
Economics of Agriculture: This includes the study of agricultural markets, trade, and financing. It involves analyzing supply and demand for agricultural products, pricing, and government policies that affect agriculture and food production.
Agroecology: This involves understanding the interactions between plants, animals, humans, and the environment in agricultural systems. It promotes ecological principles and biodiversity in farming practices.
Sustainable Agriculture: This approach focuses on using resources in an environmentally sound way while preserving the well-being of future generations. It emphasizes practices that maintain or enhance soil fertility, protect and conserve natural resources, and promote biodiversity.
Agricultural Policy: This involves analyzing government policies and regulations that impact agricultural production and trade, including subsidies, tariffs, and trade agreements.
Food Science: This field involves the study of food processing, packaging, and preservation. It includes food safety, quality control, and product development.
Crop Science: This includes studying the production, management, and cultivation of crops. It encompasses plant physiology, pest management, and plant breeding.
Farm Management: This encompasses business management practices in agriculture, such as budgeting, financial management, and labor management. It involves analyzing and strategizing ways to increase farm profitability and sustainability.
Agroforestry: The practice of integrating trees and shrubs into farming systems, in order to create a sustainable agricultural ecosystem.
Organic farming: A production system that avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), while emphasizing the use of renewable resources and natural processes.
Permaculture: A design philosophy that seeks to create self-sustaining ecosystems by mimicking the natural patterns and processes of nature.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A strategy that involves the use of a combination of biological, cultural, and chemical methods to control pests and ensure sustainable crop production.
Precision agriculture: A modern approach to farming that involves the use of technology and data-driven decision making to optimize crop yield and minimize waste.
Sustainable livestock production: A method of raising animals for food that prioritizes animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and economic viability.
Aquaculture: The farming of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic organisms in controlled environments, with the goal of achieving sustainable production and conservation of natural resources.
Agroecology: The study of the interactions between agriculture, ecosystems, and human society, in order to develop sustainable and equitable food systems.
Conservation farming: A set of practices that aim to reduce soil erosion, improve soil health, and increase productivity while minimizing the use of inputs and negative impacts on the environment.
Urban agriculture: The practice of growing food in urban areas, often using innovative techniques like hydroponics, vertical farming, and rooftop gardens to increase food security and promote community engagement.
"While humans started gathering grains at least 105,000 years ago..."
"...nascent farmers only began planting them around 11,500 years ago."
"Sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle were domesticated around 10,000 years ago."
"Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world."
"In the twentieth century, industrial agriculture based on large-scale monocultures came to dominate agricultural output."
"Today, small farms produce about a third of the world's food."
"Nearly 40 percent of agricultural land is found on farms larger than 1,000 hectares."
"However, five of every six farms in the world consist of less than two hectares..."
"The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials."
"Global agricultural production amounts to approximately 11 billion tonnes of food..."
"However, around 14 percent of the world's food is lost from production before reaching the retail level."
"Modern agronomy, plant breeding, agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, and technological developments have sharply increased crop yields..."
"Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal welfare and environmental damage."
"Environmental issues include contributions to climate change, depletion of aquifers, deforestation, antibiotic resistance, and other agricultural pollution."
"Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation, and climate change, all of which can cause decreases in crop yield."
"Genetically modified organisms are widely used..."
"...although some countries ban them."
"Agriculture encompasses... forestry for non-food products."
"Global agricultural production amounts to... 4 billion m3 of wood."