industrial agriculture
Large-scale crop production
Industrial agriculture is large-scale farming that emphasizes high yield, efficiency, and profit through mechanization, chemical inputs, and standardized practices.
Crops are grown in monocultures; livestock are raised in concentrated feeding operations.
The approach dominates food production in wealthy nations: Industrial agriculture has made food cheap but raised concerns about environmental damage and animal welfare.
Critics contrast it with sustainable or organic farming.
Substances enriching soil
- pesticidesChemicals destroying harmful organisms
- herbicidesChemicals that destroy unwanted plants
- phosphatesSalts of a certain acid
- insecticidesAgents that exterminate bugs
fungicides · chemical runoff · agrochemicals · Monsanto · growth hormones · antibiotics · glyphosate · nitrates
Intensive livestock production system
- feedlotsCattle finishing facilities
- poultry housesBuildings for domestic fowl
- cattle ranchingRaising bovines commercially
- slaughterhouseAnimal killing facility
meatpacking · battery cages · rendering · beef production · broiler chickens · vertical integration · Tyson · Smithfield
Decline of natural surroundings
- water pollutionHarmful substances in H2O
- soil erosionLoss of topsoil
- greenhouse emissionsHeat-trapping atmospheric gases
- dead zonesAreas lacking life or signal
habitat destruction · worker exploitation · antibiotic resistance · food safety · corporate consolidation · rural decline · animal welfare · carbon footprint
Agricultural pulling vehicle
- combine harvesterAll-in-one grain gatherer
- plowTool for turning soil
- seederAgricultural sowing apparatus
- tillageSoil preparation for planting
automation · robotics · GPS guidance · drones · sprayer · baler · cultivator · thresher
Produce or relinquish
- productivityOutput relative to input
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- optimizationMaximizing efficiency or performance
- cost reductionDecreasing expenditure amounts
economies of scale · vertical integration · supply chain · logistics · processing · standardization · resource management · throughput
Cereal grown on cobs
- soybeansProtein-rich Asian legume
- wheatCereal crop for flour
- cottonPlant fiber for textiles
- cash cropsPlants grown for profit
plantation · soil depletion · biodiversity loss · homogeneity · hybrid seeds · GMO · intensive farming · canola
fertilizers
Substances enriching soil
- pesticidesChemicals destroying harmful organisms
- herbicidesChemicals that destroy unwanted plants
- phosphatesSalts of a certain acid
insecticides · fungicides · chemical runoff · agrochemicals · Monsanto · growth hormones · antibiotics · glyphosate · nitrates
factory farming
Intensive livestock production system
- feedlotsCattle finishing facilities
- poultry housesBuildings for domestic fowl
- cattle ranchingRaising bovines commercially
slaughterhouse · meatpacking · battery cages · rendering · beef production · broiler chickens · vertical integration · Tyson · Smithfield
environmental degradation
Decline of natural surroundings
- water pollutionHarmful substances in H2O
- soil erosionLoss of topsoil
- greenhouse emissionsHeat-trapping atmospheric gases
dead zones · habitat destruction · worker exploitation · antibiotic resistance · food safety · corporate consolidation · rural decline · animal welfare · carbon footprint · eutrophication
tractor
Agricultural pulling vehicle
- combine harvesterAll-in-one grain gatherer
- plowTool for turning soil
- seederAgricultural sowing apparatus
tillage · automation · robotics · GPS guidance · drones · sprayer · baler · cultivator · thresher · grain elevator
yield
Produce or relinquish
- productivityOutput relative to input
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- optimizationMaximizing efficiency or performance
cost reduction · economies of scale · vertical integration · supply chain · logistics · processing · standardization · resource management · throughput · consolidation
corn
Cereal grown on cobs
cash crops · plantation · soil depletion · biodiversity loss · homogeneity · hybrid seeds · GMO · intensive farming · canola · palm oil
- farmingfarm, farms, farmer, farmers, crop
- Human Impacthuman impact, carbon footprint, ecological footprint, climate change, global warming
industrial agriculturesubsistence farming
Growing food for household
smallholder farming · small-scale farming · family farming · traditional farming · artisanal farming
industrial agricultureorganic farming
Cultivation without synthetic chemicals
permaculture · agroecology · sustainable agriculture · natural farming · polyculture
industrial, agriculture, industry, industries, industrious, industriously, industrialize, industrialized, industrialization