What is the difference between agriculture

and farming?
Answer:
Agriculture is the science and practice of growing crops and rearing animals for human
consumption. Agriculture involves a community network of people involved in this field,
from food scientists to farm and machinery supply stores to the farmers and ranchers
themselves. Agriculture also involves a wide variety of methods, philosophies, operations
and practices of growing and rearing any and every kind of crop-plant and animal that can
be thought of being involved.

Farming is a more individual practice involving an area of land with buildings on it (as well as
fencing, water facilities, etc.), that is used to grow crops and/or rear animals for human
consumption. Each farm is its own entity with its own unique philosophies, methods,
practices and operations of raising crops and/or rearing animals according to the climate,
soil, terrain, and the farmer him/herself.

Agriculture vs Farming

Farming is a part of agriculture. Therefore, both of them have similarities as well as

differences. Agriculture comparatively covers a vast subject area than farming. Therefore,
discussion of the characteristic features of these two subject areas is important in
comparison.

Agriculture

Word agriculture is derived from two Latin words Agri (field) and cultura (cultivation).
Agriculture could be divided in to two major groups. They are farming and the husbandry.
Majority of the people in the world were engaged in agriculture until the industrial
revolution. Drastic development in agriculture occurred during the 20th century due to the
green revolution. Not only human being but also ants and termites practice agriculture.
Food, raw materials, fiber and fuel are the main produce of agriculture.

Mono-cropping or mono-culture is dominant in agriculture. Therefore, biodiversity is less in

agriculture. Also, it weakens the ecological succession. Environmental impacts are not
considered in the conventional agriculture, but it is considered in the modern agriculture.
Farming techniques are also applied in the agricultural practices.

Agriculture is covering a vast subject area; genetic engineering of crops, plant breeding,
production of resistant varieties etc. come under this section. It also includes research and
development part of agriculture.

Farming

The meaning of farming is derived from Latin noun of firma (fixed agreement or contract).
The place where farming is practiced is called to be farm. Farming covers the
implementation of agriculture. This could be either small scale, like cultivation only for
consumption, or large scale like intensive farming with mechanized environment. There are
different types of farming. They are collective farming, factory farming, intensive farming,
protected culture farming and organic farming. Farming techniques includes transplanting,
pruning, tilling, crop rotation, selective harvesting etc. A large farm is called plantation.
Some parts of horticulture, such as vineyards or orchards belong to farming category.
Farming is a significant economic sector in some countries. Most of the farms comprise with
buildings, which are called farm buildings. These buildings include farm house, silo, and
barns.

What is the difference between Agriculture and Farming?

• The meaning of agriculture is field cultivation; farming and

husbandry are two major divisions of agriculture.

• Agriculture is covering a vast area including production, research

and development, and farming is the process of the implementation
of agricultural activities.

• Research part of the agriculture covers genetic engineering, plant

breeding, and plant protection.

• Modern agriculture considers the sustainability of farming and the

safety measures.

• Mono-cropping or mono-culture is dominant in agriculture, but in

farming, it could be either mixed cropping or mono-cropping,
depending on the farming system.

• There are different types of farming. They are collective farming,

factory farming, intensive farming, protected culture farming, and
organic farming.

• Farming techniques and agriculture techniques are used

interchangeably.

Protected farming is the farming or agriculture carried out under cover. Read the
following info.

Greenhouses are just one step in the continuum for protected cultivation. They just so
happen to be at the top of the heap.

Let’s back up a bit.

Crops have been grown outside for thousands of years (perhaps 10,000 years, beginning in
the Fertile Crescent, according to theories). But growing outside includes exposure to
whatever perils nature throws at the field — torrential rains, parching droughts, scorching
heat, and frigid cold, to name just a few Therefore, the concept of trying to protect the crop
from some of the most extreme weather fluctuations was conceived.
Protected agriculture has many applications. However, the primary purpose is economic. If a
producer can extend the growing season, even just a little earlier or a little later, the value
of the crop goes up.

The grower with the earliest tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, etc. is the one who rakes in the big
bucks in those extra weeks of harvest. Likewise with end of season, and harvesting after the
competition’s crops have bitten the frozen dust and turned to mush.

Check Out Your Options

We have a whole continuum of options for protecting our crops. Each allows the grower to
shield the crop to some extent from extremes in temperature, light, or water, and perhaps
offer some protection from insects, diseases, weeds, and air pollutants, as well.

Note that as we move up the ladder and get better protection, the cost of the materials
and/or structure goes up sharply. However, the point of this article is that the returns go up
even faster.

At the bottom end, mulching the crop is well-known to help with early season warming of
the soil, resulting in faster growth of young transplants in early spring, and an earlier first
harvest. The most common implementation is black polyethylene mulch, and we can see
miles of these 3- to 5-foot-wide plastic ribbons on fields all over the world. It’s cheap, it
works, and it brings in the early harvest premium.

Next, row covers, either supported with hoops or floating over the crop, give one more layer
of protection. These can be used with or without mulch underneath, but the combination
has been clearly shown to increase the benefits of either system alone. These are used
worldwide, just like mulch.

Tall Tunnels

The third step would be high tunnels. These are tall enough to walk inside of, and sure look
a lot like greenhouses. But they have no utilities, which means no fans, no heat, and no
lights.

Sometimes referred to as the “poor man’s greenhouse,” they have found a growing niche
with vegetable growers in the U.S. and many other countries. These inexpensive structures
can be used for extra-early or extra-late season vegetable, fruit, or flower production. They
give more protection than mulch or row covers, and even longer periods of harvest, with
resulting better returns. We are seeing more and more of these around the country.

And of course the fourth and top step of the ladder is the bona fide greenhouse. Complete
with a heating system, some type of active or passive ventilation, automated fertigation,
and often shade cloth and horizontal air flow fans, they provide the best chance for making
the environment optimum for vegetable production.

The season extension capabilities are so good that in many parts of the country they are
used year-round. This is the Cadillac of protected culture, costs far more than the other
systems, but helps producers grow the highest value crops when they cannot be grown
outside in the same area. Locally grown vegetables in the winter — that’s what it’s all about.

Back in the Fertile Crescent days, early forms of wheat, barley, flax, peas, lentils, vetch, and
chickpeas were the main crops planted in the field. Although important crops even today,
compared to modern day horticultural crops, these are very low value on a per acre basis.
They are not suitable for greenhouses, row covers, or even mulch.

As you go up the protected culture ladder, the value of the crops selected should go up as
well. Vegetable crops are a perfect choice for every rung — their value can be magnified
with each step of the continuum. Which season extender will you use next season?

SMALL-SCALE FARMING WITH

ENORMOUS REWARDS:
Biointensive Agroecology on a
Community Farm in California, USA

Subsistence farming and

agroecological research go hand-in-
hand in this partnership between a
cooperative community and a local
non-profit environmental
organization. Farming practices are
Overview principally "biointensive," which
fosters healthy soils, conserves
space, and requires low input, while
maximizing yields and increasing
sustainability and overall health of
this small-scale food production
system.
subsistence farm, organization,
Scale
collective, valley
South of Willets, Mendocino County,
Location
California, USA (123°W/E, 39°N/S)
Elevation Approx. 305 meters
 Marine West Coast (Cfb, Cfc, cool
Climate
summer)
B, livestock ranching; H,
Agricultural Region
Mediterranean Agriculture
Population Density 10-25 persons / square kilometer
Corn (Zea mays), squash (Cucurbita
sp.), broccoli (Brassica), onion
(Allium cepa), garlic (Allium
sativum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa),
chard (Beta vulgaris), spinach
(Spinacia oleracea), beet (Beta
Principal Crops
vulgaris), tomato (Lycopersicum
esculentum), strawberry (Fragaria
chiloensis), raspberry (Rubus
odoratus), sorghum (Sorghum
bicolor), barley (Hordeum vulgare),
wheat (Triticum aestivum).
Cows graze in the valley distant from
the farm, but their manure is
Domestic Animals
brought in for compost in some
beds.
Soils Ultic Haploxeralfs
Mixed: broadleaf deciduous and
Natural Vegetation
needleleaf evergreen trees (M).
Mediterranean Altitudinal Zone
Ecoregion
(H12).
Use Renewable Resources, Minimize
Toxics, Conserve Resources, Manage
Ecological Relationships, Adjust to
Basic Principles addressed Local Environments, Diversify,
Empower People, Manage Whole
Systems, Maximize Long-Term
Benefits, Value Health
Jessica Kaslow, 2001. Jessica would
like to extend gratitude to Ecology
Action and the ranch community
farmers, for their dedication and
Page Author and Date
positive energy, and especially to Bi-
Sek Hsiao and Jennifer Halpern for
their hospitality and
encouragement.
 SMALL-SCALE FARMING WITH
ENORMOUS REWARDS: Biointensive
Agroecology on a Community Farm
in California, USA

Subsistence farming and

agroecological research go hand-in-
hand in this partnership between a
cooperative community and a local
non-profit environmental
organization. Farming practices are
Overview principally "biointensive," which
fosters healthy soils, conserves
space, and requires low input, while
maximizing yields and increasing
sustainability and overall health of
this small-scale food production
system.
subsistence farm, organization,
Scale
collective, valley
South of Willets, Mendocino County,
Location
California, USA (123°W/E, 39°N/S)
Elevation Approx. 305 meters
Marine West Coast (Cfb, Cfc, cool
Climate
summer)
B, livestock ranching; H,
Agricultural Region
Mediterranean Agriculture
Population Density 10-25 persons / square kilometer
Principal Crops Corn (Zea mays), squash (Cucurbita
sp.), broccoli (Brassica), onion
(Allium cepa), garlic (Allium
 sativum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa),
chard (Beta vulgaris), spinach
(Spinacia oleracea), beet (Beta
vulgaris), tomato (Lycopersicum
esculentum), strawberry (Fragaria
chiloensis), raspberry (Rubus
odoratus), sorghum (Sorghum
bicolor), barley (Hordeum vulgare),
wheat (Triticum aestivum).
Cows graze in the valley distant from
the farm, but their manure is
Domestic Animals
brought in for compost in some
beds.
Soils Ultic Haploxeralfs
Mixed: broadleaf deciduous and
Natural Vegetation
needleleaf evergreen trees (M).
Mediterranean Altitudinal Zone
Ecoregion
(H12).
Use Renewable Resources, Minimize
Toxics, Conserve Resources, Manage
Ecological Relationships, Adjust to
Basic Principles addressed Local Environments, Diversify,
Empower People, Manage Whole
Systems, Maximize Long-Term
Benefits, Value Health
Jessica Kaslow, 2001. Jessica would
like to extend gratitude to Ecology
Action and the ranch community
farmers, for their dedication and
Page Author and Date
positive energy, and especially to Bi-
Sek Hsiao and Jennifer Halpern for
their hospitality and
encouragement.

Collective farming is where workers attend to land. While attending to the land the workers
get very small wages. Collective farming is usually used in countries with centrally planned
economies
Collective farming is when a group of farmers pool their land, domestic animals, and
agricultural implements, retaining as private property enough only for the members' own
requirements. The profits of the farm are divided among its members. In cooperative
farming, farmers retain private ownership of the land.
Collective farming was first developed in the USSR in 1917, where it became general after
1930. Stalin's collectivization drive 1929–33 wrecked a flourishing agricultural system and
alienated the Soviet peasants from the land: 15 million people were left homeless, 1 million
of whom were sent to labor camps and some 12 million deported to Siberia. In subsequent
years, millions of those peasants forced into collectives died. Collective farming is practiced
in other countries as well. It was adopted from 1953 in China, with results much like the
Soviets. Collective farming is an intricate part of Communism and has failed almost
everywhere it has been forced on farmers. Collective farming has been successful where it is
adopted as a choice in several countries. In Israel the kibbutz or collective farm has been
very successful and practiced for the protection of the farmers.

Workshop on eco-friendly farming

techniques held in Madurai
Nearly 1,000 women farmers from Southern districts of Tamil Nadu converged in Madurai
for a two-day conference to discuss about eco-friendly and collective farming techniques.

“We encourage women farmers to opt for diverse farming, where at least 35 varieties of
crops could be cultivated in one acre of land. Our prime objective is to ensure safe food
through adoption of natural methods and encourage growing of millet in dry land”, said
Sheelu, president of Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective, based in Chennai and an organiser of
the event.

At the conference organised by Women’s Collective and ‘Kalanjiyam Women Farmers

Association’, as many as 22 resolutions were passed.

“Though a large number of women are actively involved in agricultural activities, no proper
recognition has been given to them.

The women agriculturalists should be provided with farmer’s identification card’, said S.
Ponnuthayee, one of the members of Women’s Collective from Tirunelveli. According to
Ponnuthayee, collective farming technique has been tried in Tirunelveli district and has
produced good result.

L. Balamani, a farmer from Nilgiris district said most of the vegetables cultivated in the
district are exposed to chemicals. “After attending the conference I am aware of the
availability of a wide range of alternative natural fertilisers and pesticides. Now I know that
the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers amounts to slow poisoning, I am planning to
adopt eco friendly and natural farming methods in future”, she added.

The farmers also expressed their grievance on the skyrocketing price of seeds and fertilisers.
“The government should announce special incentives to help farmers instead of helping the
fertiliser firms. Aged farmers should be given pension”, read the resolutions passed in the
conference.
The farmers also urged the government to introduce sale of millets in Public Distribution
System. “The government should also consider providing healthy alternatives like millets to
school students under the noon meal scheme”, said A. Paunthai, a farmer from Usilampatti
in Madurai district.

The members insisted that uninterrupted power supply should be provided to farmers.

Intensive farming is found to be better than

organic methods for protecting the
environment
ORGANIC farming can be less effective at protecting wildlife than intensive methods,
according to research that undermines its claim to be the most environmentally friendly
form of agriculture.

Farming systems such as organic that seek to share land between crops and wildlife inflict
greater damage on biodiversity than conventional approaches that maximise crop yields, a
major study has revealed.

Such "land-sharing" methods typically deliver lower yields than intensive farming and they
require much more land to produce the same amount of food, scientists at the University of
Cambridge and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds found. This means that
important wilderness habitats must be destroyed to create extra farmland, which easily
outweighs any small benefits of making fields friendlier to wildlife.

The research, conducted in Ghana and India, found that most species of birds and trees,
common or rare, would have higher populations if farms were kept as small as possible and
managed to produce maximum yields. This strategy must be combined with measures to
protect wilderness habitats.

Scientists behind the study, which is published in the journal Science, said that organic
farming can play a part in land-sparing, provided it generates high yields. They also warned
that the findings may not apply to different parts of the world, and they have begun new
research in Poland to evaluate European conditions.

The findings, however, question claims that the organic method is the most sustainable
approach to farming, and that intensive systems are bad for biodiversity.

"Environmental benefit has been one of the selling points of organic farming, but frequently
what we see is lower yields, and benefits for wildlife that are not that great," said Ben
Phalan, who led the Ghanaian study.
"It sells the message that you can do both conservation and food production together, that
they can co-exist. But our research would suggest that this is probably optimistic and might
be wishful thinking."

His colleague Malvika Onial, who led the Indian research, said: "It would be nice to think
that we could conserve species and produce lots of food, all on the same land. But our data
from Ghana and India show that's not the best option for most species."

The findings could also have implications for European Union agricultural policies.

Martin Harper, conservation director of the RSPB, said: "The European Commission is
proposing to rebrand a third of farm subsidies in Europe as green payments. This paper in
Science suggests that unless the proposed green measures really deliver significant and
lasting environmental benefits it would be better to use this money directly on nature
reserves and saving threatened species."

He added, however, that there was still a strong case that resources should be used to help
farmers make space for wildlife in all farmed countryside: "Agri-environment schemes have
a good track record in saving farmland birds like the corncrake and cirl bunting and have the
potential to reverse the decline of the skylark."

How can I help stop intensive farming

practices?

Some of the ways you can act to help stop intensive farming practices are:

 learning more about intensive farming practices so that you have the facts right
before you act
 writing to the Australian Government minister for agriculture, your state or territory
agriculture (or primary industries) minister, your local MP or the newspapers,
expressing your opposition to cruel farming practices
 choosing to buy food products that are welfare friendly, such as RSPCA Approved
pork and eggs — if the demand for welfare-friendly products increases, producers
will have a greater incentive to adopt humane farming practices
 expressing your views to your local supermarket and asking them to stock welfare-
friendly products
  contributing to RSPCA campaigns (for example, signing petitions and writing letters)
 sending an e-card from the RSPCA website to friends and family to raise awareness
about the issue
 supporting the work of the RSPCA by buying RSPCA merchandise and donating to the
RSPCA
 supporting the work of other animal welfare organisations, in Australia and overseas,
that are working to change farming practices that cause suffering to animals.

Intensive farming can make food security worse for the world’s
hungry

The World Society Protection of Animals and Compassion in World Farming have come
together with a new research study showing that feeding livestock with cereal and other
crop-rich diets is likely to have negative effects on food security globally; particularly in Sub-
Saharan Africa, and parts of Asia and Latin America where food security is already
problematic.

The new independent report, written by a team led by Prof. Karlheinz Erb at the Institute of
Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria University in Vienna, challenges current thought saying that
intensification is the only way to feed the world. It goes on to show that it is possible to rear
livestock with good animal welfare standards and feed the world a healthy diet.

This is an important conclusion given that livestock production dominates resource use and
is further projected to grow:
 Over 30% of the global cereal harvest is used to feed farm animals, 60% in the EU
  Approximately 25% of the total world fish production was used for purposes other
than to feed people, in 2007. This fish was used to feed pigs and poultry, amongst
other uses
 Approximately 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the livestock
sector

Due to this WSPA and Compassion in World farming are urging governments,
intergovernmental organisations, the donor community and the food industry to take action
on the direction of livestock production from the following areas:

1. Develop humane-sustainable food security strategies, including farm animal welfare

in future food security assessments and policies.
2. Question the intensification of livestock farming.
3. Reduce the quantity of arable crops, especially cereals, fed to livestock.
4. Develop specific food and livestock policies to assist vulnerable sectors of the
population.
5. Promote sustainable, lower meat diets and address food losses and waste.
Read the briefing Food Security and Farm Animal Welfare and the full report commissioned
by Compassion in World Farming and funded by Compassion in World Farming, The Tubney
Charitable Trust and WSPA Impact of Industrial Grain Fed Livestock Production on Food
Security.

See how communities around the world are investing in food security and improved farm
animal welfare Enhancing Rural Livelihoods in India, Small Scale Milk Production in Kenya,
Innovative pig farming in Colombia and how animal welfare in Brazil is improving cattle
productivity.

Books to Purchase;
Book Details:
1. Kashyapiyakrishisukti: (A Treatise On Agriculture By Kashyapa),
2. Vrikshayurveda
3. Agriculture by Parashara