Hello World! Welcome Friends! Agriculture is a vast and complicated industry that touches nearly every aspect of our lives. It provides us with food, clothes, and shelter; but it also contributes to the economy in other ways: agriculture employs 1 out of 8 people on Earth and generates over $2 trillion annually. Yet despite its importance to humans around the world, many people know surprisingly little about how it works. That’s why we’re going to learn more about this essential industry today!
#1: We Need Agriculture to Survive
According to The World Bank, agriculture accounts for 1/3 of jobs and 10% of the world’s GDP. That’s an incredible contribution! Farmers feed us, clothe us, and shelter us. They also help take care of our natural resources when they grow crops without harming the environment. And when we invest in agriculture by providing farmers and groups like this farmer coop with proper equipment and training, it can strengthen communities and advance countries in social and economic ways.
That’s why we should always be mindful of how much we depend on this industry! So let’s take a look at some other facts about what people love — and maybe don’t know — about the agricultural industry…
Agriculture is a vital industry and we should always be grateful for the ways it makes our lives easier. Do you know what other factors contribute to the success of this sector?
#2: Technology Has Changed Agriculture For the Better
Technology has changed agriculture for the better, allowing us to increase food production around the world while keeping resources like water and energy consumption in mind. For example, we can improve crop yields by using GPS technology to track seeds! Programs such as the Redbud horticulture software offer the ability for collaborative work on growing schedules, it follows the philosophy of other industries in removing record keeping and admin tasks to allow farmers to focus on growing good quality crops rather than doing paperwork. Other technologies allow our inventors and farmers alike to grow crops more sustainably — including hydroponics, which uses 90% less water than traditional farms.
In fact, many of our agricultural crops are grown with hydroponics now.
In the future, we might use robots to harvest fields of vegetables or drones to deliver irrigation! And once farmers have harvested their crops, they can use GPS technology on farms to monitor and protect them from animal damage. Birds are a big problem, so farmers always need to find ways to reduce bird damage to rice, corn, and other crops. Farmers can also utilize new technologies for processing their crops as well — including 3-D printing edible food products using agricultural byproducts or leftover food! It will be exciting to see what new inventions come out of agriculture in the future…
#3: There Are So Many Different Types of Agriculture
All types of work related to the growth and distribution of plants and animals fall under the general definition of “agriculture.” Farming is just one example that involves growing crops, but there are many other types of agriculture that people might not know about. For example, there are fisheries, ranches, and forestry.
These aren’t the only types of agriculture either! If you take a closer look at what different people do in this industry, you’ll discover that they also cultivate algae for food or perform animal testing to find cures for diseases. And this industry doesn’t just provide humans with products — it feeds pets too! So whether you’re interested in farming or something completely different, there are plenty of ways to contribute to this industry.
#4: It Takes a Lot of Hard Work to Get Food on Our Tables
Would you believe that it takes an average of 2,000 hours to produce a ton of wheat? If we add up all the time required to cultivate crops and process them before they finally make their way onto our plates, one farmer needs to work basically two full years.
Many people try to offset this hard work when they go grocery shopping — we all want to make sure we see the best price, right? But keep in mind that farming is often a family-run operation. In other words, farming can be a family business because everyone has to pitch in! So when you go grocery shopping and save money on your favorite products, just remember that there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that you might not be aware of.
#5: Farmers Have to Stay Vigilant Against Natural Disasters
Natural disasters can have a devastating impact on farmers and their crops. Floods, droughts, and wildfires have the power to prevent people from accessing food — something we all depend on. In fact, there’s a saying in the agriculture industry that “you can’t eat money” because it’s so easy for natural disasters to destroy crops and have a negative impact on our lives.
As an example, wildfires in California in 2018 affected the entire state. This meant that food prices all around the US were higher, and some products weren’t available at all. And that’s not the only example of this happening. Many people know that Hurricane Katrina has had a long-lasting impact on New Orleans, but most people don’t realize that it also destroyed many crops in Mississippi and Alabama!
#6: We Need a Lot of People to Keep Agriculture Running!
This industry employs over 1 in 8 people worldwide. And many of the people who work in agriculture are self-employed family farmers. But there are other ways to contribute to this industry as well.
For example, there are scientists who research new types of plants that will grow better under different conditions. There are also engineers who design irrigation systems and robots that can do jobs like planting seeds or harvesting crops. And there are plenty of people who work as distributors and retailers to ensure that products from the agriculture industry get out into the world.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes in the agricultural industry. From producing food to distributing it or even working with natural resources, this is a complex economy that keeps us all alive. And to top it off, there are lots of different types of jobs in this industry! Jobs that help people grow food can be as unusual as fish farming or as common as delivering groceries to homes.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
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Toodles,
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