Agriculture
Agriculture is an art of science that consists of farming, machinery, animals, economic gains, and satisfying human needs. It is the practice of raising livestock and growing crops to provide food, employment opportunities, and food security.
Farming
Farming is a prevalent role in the agricultural industry. A farm is a business, which the operation includes raising livestock and producing crops for human and animal consumption.[1]
Organic farming
Organic farming is one form of agriculture that is reliant on techniques to naturally enhance fertility of a farm. This includes crop rotation, pest control, manure management, and compost. As climate change intensifies, organic farming may soon be the route a farmer aims for rather than conventional farming. In conditions such as drought, organic farming can have positive potential for higher yields due to the organically farmed soils.[2]
Environmental impact
Unsustainable farming practices that contribute to negative environmental impacts include habitat loss, inefficient water consumption, soil erosion, and pollution. When sustainable agricultural techniques are utilized, environmental impacts will be minimized.[3][4]
Pesticides
Pesticides are chemicals used by farmers to protect crops by preventing damage caused by insects, rodents, weeds, fungi, and bacteria. The utilization of pesticides is crucial to many farmers because it facilitates higher crop yields and lower production costs, however, it is important to find a balance between the benefits of using pesticides and the associated risks, which include genetic resistance, threats to human health and wildlife, as well as, environmental impacts like food, air and water contamination.[5][6]
See also
Other closely related articles in this wiki include:
References
- ↑ Agriculture and Farming. (2016). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/a/agriculture/index.html
- ↑ Geiling, N. (2016, February 11). With Climate Change, Organic Agriculture Could Outperform Conventional Agriculture. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/11/3748642/organic-agriculture-climate-change-study/
- ↑ Good Agricultural Practices (Farm Food Safety). (2016). Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://extension.psu.edu/food/safety/farm/gaps
- ↑ U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2016, February 1). Retrieved February 1, 2016, from http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome
- ↑ The Problem with Pesticides | Toxics Action Center. (2015). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.toxicsaction.org/problems-and-solutions/pesticides
- ↑ Jorge Fernandez- Cornejo, Richard Nehring, Craig Osteen, Seth Wechsler, Andrew Martin, Alex Vialou.May 2014. Pesticide Use in U.S. Agriculture: 21 Selected Crops, 1960-2008. United States Department of Agriculture. zotero://attachment/60/
External links
Relevant online sources to this wiki article include:
Vertical gardens Importance of bees to agriculture Food security Food waste and hunger
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7. ConneXion Livestock | Livestock Market (2018). Livestock Market Report 2022, from https://connexionlivestock.com/