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Definition
| The ability of individuals to obtain sufficient food on a day-to-day basis. |
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| Acute food shortages characterized by large-scale loss of life, social disruption, and economic chaos. |
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| A nutritional imbalance caused by lack of specific dietary components or inability to absorb or utilize essential nutrients. |
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| Pathologically overweight, having a body mass greater than 30 kg/m2, or roughly 30 pounds above normal for an average person. |
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| Confined Animal Feeding Operation |
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Definition
| Feeding large numbers of livestock at a high density in pens or barns. |
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| The A horizon in a soil profile; the soil just below the litter layer. |
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| A layer of soil beneath the topsoil that has lower organic content and higher concentrations of fine minerals particles; often contains soluble compounds and clay particles carried down by percolating water. |
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Definition
| Peeling off thin layers of soil from the land surface; accomplished primarily by wind and water. |
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Definition
| The removing of thin layers of soil as little rivulets of running water gather and cut small channels in the soil. |
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Definition
| Removal of layer of soil, creating channels or ravines too large to be removed by normal tillage operations. |
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Definition
| Denuding and degrading a once fertile land, initiation a desert-producing cycle that feeds on itself and causes long-term changes in soil, climate, and biota of an area. |
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| Water saturation of soil that fills all air spaces and causes plant roots to die from lack of oxygen; a result of overirrigation. |
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| A process in which mineral salts accumulate in the soil, killing plants; occurs when soils in dry climates are irrigated profusely. |
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Definition
| Organic molecules to which a phosphate group is attached. A group of highly toxic pesticides that are primarily neurotoxin. |
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Definition
| Hydrocarbon molecules to which chlorine atoms are attached. Often used as pesticides and are both highly toxic and long-lasting in the environment. |
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Definition
| Dramatically increased agricultural production brought about by "miracle" strains of grain; usually requires high inputs of water, plant nutrients, and pesticides. |
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Definition
| Laboratory manipulation of genetic material using molecular biology. |
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Term
| Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) |
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Definition
| Organisms created by combining natural or synthetic genes using the techniques of molecular biology. |
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Term
| Sustainable Agriculture (Regenerative Farming) |
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Definition
| Ecological sound, economically viable, socially just agricultural system. Stewardship, soil conservation, and integrated pest management are essential for sustainability. |
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Term
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Definition
| Farming techniques and land stewardship that restore the health and productivity of the soil by rotating crops, planting ground cover, protecting the surface with crop residue, and reducing synthetic chemical inputs and mechanical compaction. |
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Definition
| Plowing along hill contours; reduces erosion. |
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Definition
| Planting different kinds of crops in alternating strips along land contours; when one crop is harvested, the other crop remains to protect the soil and prevent water from running straight down a hill. |
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Definition
| Shaping the land to create level shelves of earth to hold water and soil; requires extensive hand labor or expensive machinery, but it enables farmers to farm very steep hillsides. |
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Definition
| Plants, such as rye, alfalfa, or clover, that can be planted immediately after harvest to hold and protect the soil. |
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Definition
| Farming methods that preserve soil and save energy and water through reduced cultivation; includes minimum till, conserve-till, and no-till systems. |
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