agribusiness
Industrial food sector
Agribusiness is farming and related industries treated as a large-scale commercial enterprise rather than a traditional way of life.
The term encompasses not just growing crops and raising livestock, but the entire network of seed companies, equipment manufacturers, food processors, and distributors: Family farms struggle to compete with agribusiness.
The word often carries connotations of industrial scale and corporate ownership.
Single-crop agricultural system
- agrochemicalsChemicals for agriculture
- GMOsGene-altered life forms
- confinementState of being restricted
- feedlotsCattle finishing facilities
pesticides · herbicides · antibiotics · inputs · runoff · overgrazing · concentrated · high-yield
Fostering growth through care
- harvestGathering mature crops
- sowingPlanting for cultivation
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- fertilizingAdding nutrients to soil
tillage · livestock · dairy · poultry · horticulture · aquaculture · pasture · husbandry
Engineering using living systems
- agritechFarm-focused technological solutions
- genomicsStudy of entire genetic sequences
- hydroponicsPlant cultivation in nutrient water
- dronesUnmanned aerial vehicles
automation · AI · sensors · GIS · CRISPR · aeroponics · IoT · bioinformatics
Converting to machine operation
- machineryCollective mechanical equipment
- processingSystematic operation on data
- storageSpace for keeping goods
- distributionAllocation across recipients
supply-chain · packaging · transportation · slaughterhouse · feedlot · silo · tractor · logistics
Corporation spanning many industries
- multinationalOperating across multiple countries
- corporationLegally separate business entity
- shareholdersOwners of company stock
- mergerCorporate combination
acquisition · headquarters · franchise · executive · profit · dividend · lobbying · branding
Tradeable raw materials
- exportForeign-bound sale
- subsidiesFinancial aid from government
- tariffsTaxes on imports
- tradeExchange of commodities
supply · demand · futures · speculation · pricing · import · quota · WTO
Large-scale woodland elimination
- land-useHow property gets utilized
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- erosionGradual wearing away
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
From living matter
- permacultureSustainable ecosystem design method
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- regenerativeAble to renew itself
- agroforestryTrees integrated with farming
monoculture
Single-crop agricultural system
- agrochemicalsChemicals for agriculture
- GMOsGene-altered life forms
- confinementState of being restricted
feedlots · pesticides · herbicides · antibiotics · inputs · runoff · overgrazing · concentrated · high-yield · mass-production
cultivation
Fostering growth through care
- harvestGathering mature crops
- sowingPlanting for cultivation
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
fertilizing · tillage · livestock · dairy · poultry · horticulture · aquaculture · pasture · husbandry · beekeeping
biotechnology
Engineering using living systems
- agritechFarm-focused technological solutions
- genomicsStudy of entire genetic sequences
- hydroponicsPlant cultivation in nutrient water
drones · automation · AI · sensors · GIS · CRISPR · aeroponics · IoT · bioinformatics
mechanization
Converting to machine operation
- machineryCollective mechanical equipment
- processingSystematic operation on data
- storageSpace for keeping goods
distribution · supply-chain · packaging · transportation · slaughterhouse · feedlot · silo · tractor · logistics · warehouse
conglomerate
Corporation spanning many industries
- multinationalOperating across multiple countries
- corporationLegally separate business entity
- shareholdersOwners of company stock
merger · acquisition · headquarters · franchise · executive · profit · dividend · lobbying · branding · Monsanto
commodities
Tradeable raw materials
trade · supply · demand · futures · speculation · pricing · import · quota · WTO · NAFTA
deforestation
Large-scale woodland elimination
- land-useHow property gets utilized
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- erosionGradual wearing away
organic
From living matter
- permacultureSustainable ecosystem design method
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- regenerativeAble to renew itself
agroforestry · eco-certification · no-till · polyculture · composting
- agriculturefarms, crops, farm, farmers, farming
- American Farmingfamily farms, corn, wheat, hay, farmsteads
- BrazilRio, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Amazon River
- agribusinessfarm, farms, corporate farms, factory farming, factory farms
- African economydiamond mining, gold mining, copper mining, safari tourism, mobile banking
- Brazilian economycoffee production, coffee exports, soybeans, sugar cane, iron ore
agribusinesssubsistence farming
Growing food for household
family farm · smallholder farming · peasant farming · smallholding · homesteading
agribusinessorganic farming
Cultivation without synthetic chemicals
sustainable agriculture · permaculture · agroecology · traditional farming · natural farming
agribusinessmanufacturing
Industrial product creation
service industry · heavy industry · tech industry · service sector