Glossary of Agricultural, Livestock, and Land Use Terminology
Agricultural and Land Use Definitions
Extensive Agriculture Definition
Extensive agriculture is that which is practiced in regions with low population density. It requires low labor input, is minimally mechanized, and utilizes large spaces for growing various products.
Intensive Agriculture Characteristics
Intensive agriculture produces huge quantities of products continuously in reduced spaces. It is characterized because it increases productivity in a short time, using irrigation, fertilizers, and chemicals. It requires energy and machinery, providing high yields.
Irrigated Agriculture and Infrastructure
Irrigated agriculture involves the supply of large quantities of water to crops through various artificial methods of irrigation. This type of agriculture requires huge financial investments and careful water infrastructure.
Maritime Zones and Coastal State Rights (Waters)
The term Waters refers to the maritime zone adjacent to the coast. This includes:
- The area up to 12 nautical miles where states exert their full sovereignty.
- The maritime zone reaching 200 miles from the coast, where international law recognizes the rights of coastal states regarding the exploitation, conservation, and management of natural resources (often referred to as the Exclusive Economic Zone).
Sharecropping: Land Tenure and Profit Sharing
Sharecropping is a form of tenure of agricultural holdings. The owner grants temporary use and enjoyment of the land in exchange for a share in the profits generated by its exploitation, with the income proportional to the product obtained. Typically, the owner provides the land, machinery, and seed, and pays the taxes, while the tenant provides the labor.
Fallow Land: Soil Recovery and Fertility
Fallow refers to land not sown for one or more vegetation cycles. The purpose is to allow the soil to recover between crops and store organic material so that its fertility increases.
Industrial Crops for Non-Food Products
Industrial crops are those which need to be transformed by an industry and are intended for use in obtaining non-food products.
Rural Exodus: Migration from Countryside to City
Rural Exodus is the process of emigration from the countryside to the city.
Sustainable Development Principles
Sustainable development is an economic model that advocates the need to develop an economy while preserving natural resources and the environment, ensuring future generations can maximize their options in the use of these resources and increase their welfare.
Definition of a Farm
A farm means all land and means of production governed by a single operator, who can be the owner or a lessor.
Livestock, Settlement, and Economic Terms
Extensive Livestock Farming
Extensive livestock farming involves the breeding and care of animals for human use on farms, normally open and outdoors, where the animals obtain their own food.
Intensive Livestock Farming and Industrial Production
Intensive livestock farming involves the breeding and care of animals for human use in small, enclosed, highly mechanized facilities. It is characterized by the selection of species and an artificial diet based on abundant feed for fattening, governed by the laws of industrial production.
Concentrated Rural Settlement Pattern
A concentrated rural settlement is one in which dwellings are arranged side by side, forming villages, while farms occupy the surrounding area. This pattern is characteristic of flat regions.
Dispersed Rural Settlement Pattern
A dispersed rural settlement is one in which homes or farms are scattered throughout the space, where each family farm is cultivated, being more or less distant and isolated from each other. This pattern is characteristic of humid and mountainous areas.
Latifundio: Large Rural Estate
A Latifundio is a large rural estate, typically more than 100 hectares, where monoculture is common practice.
Raw Material Definition
A Raw Material is a crude product extracted from nature to be used and transformed during the production process.
Minifundio: Small Subsistence Farm
A Minifundio is a small rural estate. It is usually not viable for cultivation by itself under market conditions and is typically used for subsistence farming.
CAP: Common Agricultural Policy Objectives
The CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), dating back to the mid-20th century, was intended to promote improved agricultural productivity so that consumers had a stable food supply at secure prices. A radical reform of the CAP was agreed upon in 2003.
Agricultural Plot Definition (Plot Cropping)
An Agricultural Plot is a small portion of land, considered the technical and economic unit of the farm and defined by a common edge.
Deep Sea Fishing Operations
Deep sea fishing is performed on fishing grounds far away from the coast, usually lasting weeks or months. The boats used are modern and capable.
Inshore Fishing Operations
Inshore fishing takes place using small boats near the coast. The trips tend to be almost daily.
Irrigated Land (vs. Rainfed)
Irrigation refers to land devoted to crops which are supplied with artificial irrigation and not just with rainwater.
Crop Rotation Benefits
Crop rotation involves alternating crops in order to avoid soil depletion. This practice can replace fallow periods, thereby increasing food production for livestock and for agriculture-based industries.
Transhumance: Seasonal Livestock Movement
Transhumance is the seasonal movement of livestock through valleys in order to access natural pastures for feeding in areas experiencing summer rainfall shortage.