Definition and Scope of Agriculture:
- Agriculture includes crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry.
- It involves using natural resources to produce food, fiber, and forest products.
- The word ‘agriculture’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘field’ and ‘cultivation.’
- Certain insects have been cultivating crops for millions of years.
- Agriculture can be divided into plant agriculture and animal agriculture.
Importance and Distribution of Farms:
- Small farms produce about one-third of the world’s food, while large farms are more common.
- The top one percent of farms operate over 70 percent of the world’s farmland.
- Farms larger than 1,000 hectares make up almost 40 percent of agricultural land.
- However, the majority of farms are less than two hectares and occupy only 12 percent of agricultural land.
- Farms and farming have a significant impact on rural economics and society.
Major Agricultural Products:
- Agricultural products include foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials.
- Food classes consist of cereals, vegetables, fruits, cooking oils, meat, milk, eggs, and fungi.
- Global agricultural production amounts to around 11 billion tonnes of food, 32 million tonnes of natural fibers, and 4 billion cubic meters of wood.
- However, approximately 14 percent of the world’s food is lost before reaching the retail level.
- Agriculture plays a crucial role in providing essential resources for human consumption and industrial purposes.
Historical Development of Agriculture:
- Agriculture was a key development in the establishment of sedentary human civilization.
- Humans started gathering grains around 105,000 years ago but began planting them only 11,500 years ago.
- Domestication of animals like sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle occurred approximately 10,000 years ago.
- Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world.
- Industrial agriculture based on large-scale monocultures became dominant in the twentieth century.
Environmental Impacts and Concerns:
- Modern agricultural practices have increased crop yields but also caused ecological and environmental damage.
- Agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers have contributed to environmental pollution.
- Animal husbandry practices have raised concerns about animal welfare and environmental damage.
- Agriculture is a significant contributor to climate change, deforestation, and depletion of aquifers.
- Genetically modified organisms are widely used in agriculture, although they are banned in some countries.
