Ch 13 - Agricultural Regions
commodity chain
A chain of activities from the manufacturing to the distribution of a product
neocolonialism
A postcolonial system that perpetuates Western economic exploitation in former colonial territories.
market gardening
farming devoted to specialized fruit, vegetable, or vine crops for sale rather than consumption; growing vegetables or flowers for market
subsistence agriculture
farming in which food is produced by a family just for its own needs
monoculture
farming strategy in which large fields are planted with a single crop, year after year
intensive farming
farming that requires a lot of labor to produce food
feed lots
fixed areas for cattle to graze in to fatten up for slaughter
dairy
food made from milk
extensive farming
large farms which are highly mechanized; large land, minimal labor per hectare, low yield, low pop density
transhumance
seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pasture areas
Mediterranean agriculture
specialized farming that occurs only in areas where the dry-summer Mediterranean climate prevails; mostly horticulture
infrastructure
the basic framework of a building or a system
milk shed
the circle around a dairy farm in which its products can be sold without spoiling; area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied
pastoral nomadism
the entire group moves with the animals throughout the year; form of subsistence agriculture based on the herding of domesticated animals
horticulture
the growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers
ranching
the practice of raising domesticated livestock for meat, leather, wool, and other products; a form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area
cool chains
the refrigeration and transport technologies that allow for the distribution of perishables
double-cropping
to grow two or more crops on the same land in the same season or at the same time
fair trade movement
trade regulated by international agreements outlawing unfair business practices; products are made with standards to protect workers and small businesses
winter wheat
wheat planted in the autumn and harvested in the early summer
spring wheat
wheat planted in the spring and harvested in the late summer
suitcase farm
when someone owns and operates a farm, but lives somewhere else; usually a crops only farm
shifting cultivation
a form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; farmers aim to maintain soil fertility by rotating the fields they cultivate
subsidy
a government payment that supports a business or market; monetary assistance to encourage or protect a certain economic activity
supply chain
a sequence of activities and organizations involved in producing and delivering a good or service
intercropping
a soil conservation method in which two or more crops are planted in one field
plantation
an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas); enslaved people or hired workers used to grow and harvest crops
truck farming
commercial gardening and fruit farming in the United States
agribusiness
corporate farming; agriculture conducted on commercial principles, especially using advanced technology.
luxury crops
crops that are considered nonessential but are enjoyed by those with means to purchase them - cocao, coffee, tea, tobacco
