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Historically, agriculture was
the fundamental development which gave rise to
civilizations along with husbandries of domesticated
animals and crops generating more food. This eventually
led way to more stratified and heavily populated
societies. Agriculture involves both farming and
forestry and the study of agriculture is termed
as agricultural science. The application of soil
and plant sciences in order to increase crop productions
is called agronomy. Even though, the field of
agricultural employs more than one-third of world’s
population, it only contributes less than five
percent to the gross world product.
The field of agriculture covers a wide range
of techniques and specializations including numerous
ways to make lands suitable for farming through
digging of canals and channels for irrigation.
The essentials of agriculture include the cultivation
of crops on productive lands and livestock herding
on rangeland or pastoral lands. In the previous
century, a clear differentiation is established
between intensive farming including industrial
agriculture and the field of sustainable agriculture
including organic agriculture.
The sharp increases in yields of cultivated crops
have been largely due to modern day advancements
in the field of agronomy, pesticides, plant breeding
and various technological progresses. However,
these advancements also have caused far-flung
damage ecologically as well as to human health.
For instance, selective breeding in animal husbandries
like that of intensive pig farming have produced
more meat but at the same time have caused health
implications of the growth hormones, antibiotics
and other associated chemicals in meat production.
Such modern practices have also raised concerns
regarding animal cruelty and animal rights violations.
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