Agriculture has always played a crucial role in human civilization and its development. It is a practice of cultivating food & non-food products, rapid production of livestock as well as forestry & aquaculture for the advancements of the civilization.
However, it was in the later centuries that agricultural practices evolved and took the shape of commercial practices to cope with the rapid growth in the human population and demand for food production.
With agriculture, arises the need for farming. But does agriculture farming refer to the same thing? Let’s get deeper into this.
What is Agriculture?
Agriculture refers to a broader aspect encompassing the production & plantation of crops, food, and non-food products such as fiber for human use. Not only that, but it also refers to the raising of animals like cattle, cows, and more.
To develop Agriculture farming one needs to modify the environmental factors for better productivity. Managing natural resources properly, and preparing the lands beforehand with the help of various practices and techniques like irrigation, fertilization, pest control, harvesting, and post-harvesting activities all contribute to making the agricultural process successful.
As time passed, new technologies and methods have made agriculture farming practices more productive. Scientific research and other conventional harvesting practices like sustainable and organic farming, aquaculture, hydroponics, & agroforestry all contribute to boosting the production level of food crops and livestock.
Importance of Agriculture
- Agriculture farming practices ensure the production of food and dairy products to sustain human lives.
- A lot of industries are developed based on agriculture such as different types of apparatuses, hardware items, insecticides, etc.
- It makes good use of land and manures.
- It provides a lot of employment opportunities to rural people.
- It makes sure that the need for raw materials for usage in different industries is properly met such as sugar & more.
What is Farming?
Agriculture farming is a part of agriculture. It refers to all those activities that are conducted daily for the production of food crops and the rearing of animals. It involves activities like the plantation of food crops, sowing, harvesting, feeding the animals, etc.
Types of agriculture farming might vary depending on the location of the production area, market demands, and the operational mode. It can involve small-scale farming strategies as well as large-scale tactics for commercial purposes.
Livestock farming refers to raising animals to meet the market requirements for dairy products like milk, eggs, or wool & meat. It can include poultry farming as well as ship and pig farming or cattle ranching. With the innovation of advanced farming technologies livestock farmers can easily manage the processes of feeding the animals, their breeding, housing, and preventing diseases.
Importance of Farming
- Agriculture farming is considered to be the primary way to meet the daily nutritional requirements of food throughout the world. Without it, the cultivation of food crops and other food items like dairy products, meat, and fruits is not possible.
- Farming ensures that there is zero food shortage and price fluctuations by offering food security. To limit food crises at the time of natural disasters, having a strong farming base is always required for crisis management.
- It provides employment opportunities to people belonging to urban, semi-urban, and rural people. The production procedure, transportation of the items, and marketing require a strong base of human labour.
- It strengthens the country’s economy. Farming is a good source of foreign earnings through importation. It also provides different industrial sectors with raw materials. It boosts the economic stability of a particular country in many ways.
- Organic and sustainable agriculture farming practices can benefit the environment. Through the implementation of modern techniques, farmers can prevent soil erosion, omit the use of harmful chemicals, conserve natural water resources, and also enhance soil fertility. These farming techniques can help maintain the health of the ecosystem.
- The traditional agriculture farming knowledge can be passed on to the next generations. It also fosters a sense of responsibility and unity inside the community of expert farmers.
- New scientific researches are conducted regularly to discover new farming techniques and methods that can reshape traditional practices. This opens up new possibilities for further research opportunities that can benefit the farming industry as well as the world’s environment.
Agriculture Vs. Farming: A Detailed Overview
Agriculture and farming might sound similar, but these two are two different aspects, often cited together while referring to the practice of cultivation. Let’s understand what is agriculture and farming.
Understanding The Difference Between Agriculture And Farming
- The Scopes Involved:
Agriculture farming refers to an umbrella term denoting the production of crops and animal husbandry. However, farming is a segment of agriculture referring to the process of cultivation, rearing up the animals, and the activities for better production.
- Exploring Two Different Perspectives
Agriculture primarily focuses on the supply chain of crops and animal products starting from production, consumption, and marketing. Farming refers to the on-ground procedures involved in the production of food and rearing livestock.
- Analyzing The Production Scales
The agricultural practices are mostly operational on small-scale, large-scale, and commercial scales. Farming is individual or collective attempts that are operational on a specific land area.
- Area of Specializations
The scope associated with agriculture farming is broader because it also refers to modern scientific advancements, research, policies, and marketing techniques. But farming is the practical aspect of livestock rearing and food production.
Are Both Agriculture & Farming the Same?
Though both the terms agriculture farming are strongly connected to each other, they slightly differ from one another.
Both of these terms are connected to harvesting food crops and animal rearing; but agriculture focuses not only on the cultivation process itself but also, on other scopes and aspects like the management system, marketing policies, and development procedures including research works.
However, the farming process deals solely with the on-site activities ensuring the right production level and caring for the animals.
Agriculture Lands & Its High Market Demands
Agricultural lands refer to those lands that are utilized for growing crops and animal grazing. Depending upon the duration of utilization, agricultural or farmlands can be classified into three different categories.
Types of Farm Land:
- Arable: Arable lands are those where annual replantation takes place. It can be fallow lands or pastures as well where food crops need annual replantation within a year or five year’s time period.
- Permanent Cropland: These lands do not require annual replantation. It produces crops like tea and coffee but does not plant trees to supply raw materials to wood industries.
- Permanent Pastures: These are shrublands or plain grasslands where animals can feed on and roam around.
Agriculture Land Area with Respect to the World’s Total Land
According to the latest reports of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO in 2011, only 34.8% of land in the world’s total land area can be considered to be agriculture farming land.
68.4% of the total agricultural land area is permanent pastures that is 26.3%of the total world area. So, the total arable lands constitute only 28.4% of the agricultural lands and 10.9% of the total land area of the world.
Permanent croplands like vineyards or orchards are only 3.1% of the total agricultural land and 1.2% of the total world area.
While Asia has the largest share of croplands in the world, America stands in the second position with a 24% share in the world’s total cropland area.
Decreasing Pastures Resulting in Increasing Croplands in America:
According to a report by Lark et al. in the year 2015, the USA’s cropland has seen a significant growth of 2.98 million acres in terms of cropland area between the years 2008 and 2012.
Also, due to flourishing sectors of agriculture, 7.34 million land acres were converted to agricultural lands. The decreasing pastures and the conversion of agricultural agriculture farm land & cultivable lands where crops can be sown show the popularity and increased demand for agricultural production in the nation.
Higher Market Demands Causing Price Hike
Due to the rapid decline in the area of pastures and high demands for agricultural lands to meet the needs of the increasing population, the market prices for these lands are getting higher. Let’s look into the types of agricultural lands in detail.
Also, when there is market demand for agriculture farm, landowners tend to come up with more markets for sale which leads to higher prices.
Agriculture Farming Shaping The Harvesting & Husbandry Industry
With the help of modern technology and recent research findings, the process of natural agriculture farming is getting developed with each passing day.
There are numerous forms of farming that not only cut down the risks of food shortage but also provide the daily nutritional requirements & boost the economy while maintaining the environmental balance.
In the future, we might expect to see rapid transformation in terms of organic farming for sustainable agriculture and agriculture processes leading to better productivity and market supply.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Ans: Agricultural methods might vary depending on the location of harvesting and the operational scales & market demands. Cover cropping, fertilizer management, crop rotation, and better drainage systems all can contribute to better agricultural production.
Ans: Lack of capital investments and better infrastructure can be considered as two major inconveniences in agriculture. Also, the market price and lack of a better transportation system might cause some issues. However, studies and research are conducted to bring revolutionary changes to the agricultural system.
Ans: Modern farming is a technology-driven approach to farming to ensure higher yielding rates. However, modern farming includes some harmful practices like using pesticides or insecticides for pest control.
Ans: Organic farming is a sustainable approach to farming where the farmers organically grow crops without using any harmful chemicals. It prevents issues like soil erosion and also helps in balancing the environment. In countries like the United States, using harmful insecticides or pesticides is strictly prohibited in farming and that is why, organic farming is more popular in countries like this.