Agriculture refers to the production of food, fiber and other goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was a key development that led to the rise in civilization raising of domesticated animals. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. The related practice of gardening is studied in horticulture.
Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century a distinction has been made between sustainable agriculture and intensive farming. Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry such as intensive pig farming (and similar practices applied to the chicken) have similarly increased the output of meat. The more exotic varieties of agriculture include aquaculture and tree farming.
The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels, raw materials, pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs, and an assortment of ornamental or exotic products. In the 2000s, plants have been used to grow biofuels, biopharmaceuticals, bioplastics,[1] and pharmaceuticals.[2] Specific foods include cereals, vegetables, fruits, and meat. Fibers include cotton, wool, hemp, silk and flax. Raw materials include lumber and bamboo. Drugs include tobacco, alcohol, opium, cocaine,and digitalis. Other useful materials are produced by plants, such as resins. Biofuels include methane from biomass, ethanol, and biodiesel. Cut flowers, nursery plants, tropical fish and birds for the pet trade are some of the ornamental products.
In 2007, about one third of the world's workers were employed in agriculture. However, the relative significance of farming has dropped steadily since the beginning of industrialization, and in 2003 – for the first time in history – the services sector overtook agriculture as the economic sector employing the most people worldwide.[3] Despite the fact that agriculture employs over one-third of the world's population, agricultural production accounts for less than five percent of the gross world product (an aggregate of all gross domestic products).[4]
Contents
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* 1 Etymology
* 2 Overview
* 3 History
o 3.1 Ancient origins
o 3.2 Middle Ages
o 3.3 Modern era
* 4 Crop production systems
o 4.1 Crop statistics
* 5 Livestock production systems
* 6 Production practices
* 7 Processing, distribution, and marketing
* 8 Crop alteration and biotechnology
o 8.1 Genetic Engineering
o 8.2 Herbicide-tolerant GMO Crops
o 8.3 Insect-Resistant GMO Crops
o 8.4 Costs and Benefits of GMOs
* 9 Food Safety and Food Labeling Issues
* 10 Environmental impact
o 10.1 External costs
o 10.2 Land Transformation and Degradation
o 10.3 Eutrophication
o 10.4 Pesticides
o 10.5 Climate Change
* 11 Agriculture and petroleum
o 11.1 Mitigation of effects of petroleum shortages
* 12 Policy
* 13 Agriculture safety and health
o 13.1 United States
* 14 See also
o 14.1 Lists
* 15 References
o 15.1 Notes
o 15.2 Bibliography
o 15.3 External links
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Agriculture is one of the most important elements of our world economy. Daily updated articles and reports on agriculture and related subjects are included in this website. Articles from Europe, USA, Asia, North and South American are included.
If your country is not included below,, Please forward your enviro-climate press releases. (All ENVIRO-CLIMATE categories are accepted) to CEEI at PO 1778 Sun Valley Idaho. 83353 or ceei@cox.net. If there are photos, use JPEG. OR PHOTOSHOP. Need your name, e-mail address. title , country name. CROP ASSESSMENT REPORT's WOULD BE HELPFUL.. IF YOUR COUNTRY ISNT LISTED. PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR COUNTRY INFO. for listing. Input after subject on the e-mail form, The CEEI category on the left ( in blue). and then what the detail is about. ( CEEI will see it).
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Agriculture Weekly
MONDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2009 Last modified: Friday, February 2, 2007 3:47 PM CST
Idaho needs a wake-up call on energy !
By Ag Weekly editorial board
The Harvesting Clean Energy Conference in Boise this week was a real eye-opener. More than 80 speakers shared their expertise on renewable energy with more than 600 attendees.
We heard from officials and folks from the private sector about progressive programs and the challenges and successes in their states.
For example, Minnesota n a leader in renewable fuels n produced 550 million gallons of ethanol from 16 plants in 2006, netting an estimated $2.77 billion in total economic impacts and generating more than 10,321 jobs. What’s more, taking into account plants coming online and planned expansions at existing facilities, capacity is expected to reach 1 billion gallons of production by 2008. That would generate about $4.95 billion in economic impacts and 18,461 jobs.
This picture today compares with a 1990 starting point of 11 million gallons of production, $28.1 million in economic impacts and 166 jobs.
That’s a real success story. And even better, many of the facilities are farmer or community owned, which further supports the vitality of the rural community.
The good news is that Idaho has huge potential for a renewable energy industry, and a diverse one at that n wind, ethanol, biodiesel, geothermal, biogas, and biomass.
The bad news is, we’re lagging behind by a good 20 to 30 years, not just in the existence of facilities, but in legislative support, strategic planning and seeking out government funding.
The top point speakers drove home is that the first thing that must happen is the creation of markets. And that happens through legislative mandates and incentives. Idaho is woefully lacking in either when it comes to renewable energy. And we didn’t hear much from Sen. Kurt McKenzie, cochairman of the Idaho Interim Committee on Energy, Environment and Technology, to make us hopeful that anything is coming down the pike in the near future.
In fact, Idaho’s Legislature already shot down an attempt at a mandated renewable energy standard that would have required gasoline contain a percentage of ethanol. And the state’s energy plan is 25 years old. Granted the state is taking a look at updating it, but McKenzie was vague about what initiatives or legislation that update might encourage, saying the No.1 priority is conservation of energy.
The bottom line is renewable energy is the future, and Idaho desperately need to get up to speed in this growing sector. |
