"Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry for food and non-food products."
The science of cultivating crops and raising livestock.
Crop Production: Study of techniques for growing crops, including selection of plants, soil management, crop rotation, planting, and harvesting.
Animal Husbandry: Rearing of farm animals for milk, meat, wool or other products, including selection, breeding, nutrition, housing, health, and care management.
Agroforestry: Integration of trees, crops, and livestock in a single farming system, including methods for maximizing benefits like soil preservation, climate resilience, and resource-use efficiency.
Soil Science: Study of the composition, structure, properties, and fertility of soil, including classification, analysis, management, and conservation.
Agricultural Economics: Application of economic principles and models to agriculture, including analysis of markets, production, consumption, and policies related to agriculture and food systems.
Agribusiness Management: Management and operation of commercial enterprises involved in agriculture, including planning, organization, marketing, finance, and supply chain management.
Agricultural Engineering: Application of engineering principles to agricultural systems, including design, development, testing, and optimization of equipment, structures, and processes related to farming and food production.
Food Science: Study of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of food, including analysis, processing, preservation, and safety.
Agroecology: Study of ecological principles and practices for sustainable agriculture, including analysis of interactions between crops, livestock, soils, water, and biodiversity.
Agricultural Extension: Delivery of education, training, and advisory services to farmers, rural communities, and agribusinesses, including outreach, communication, and technology transfer.
"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."