In exploring the story of food, you’ll encounter a rich lexicon relevant to food, farming, and sustainability. Terms in italics can be found elsewhere in the glossary.
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GMO (genetically modified organism) | a plant or animal whose genetic code has been intentionally modified by laboratory methods | ||
Grain-fed | describes cattle raised on a diet of corn, soybeans, or other byproducts; in contrast to Grass-fed | ||
Grass-fed | describes cattle that graze on a natural diet of grass in a pasture; in contrast to Grain-fed | ||
Green | describes environment-friendly products or actions | ||
Heirloom |
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Herbicide | a pesticide that is used to kill or inhibit unwanted plants, known as weeds | ||
Heritage | a term that usually describes endangered breeds of animals, in the way that heirloom describes plants | ||
High-fructose corn syrup | a liquid sweetener made from corn that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert its glucose into fructose | ||
Hormones | substances that control growth and other functions in living organisms; artificial hormones may be administered to cattle to increase growth or milk production; see rGBH | ||
Hormone-free | see No Hormones Administered | ||
Hydroponics | a method of cultivating plants in nutrient-rich water, in the absence of soil | ||
Industrial agriculture | modern farming that is heavily reliant on machines and emphasizes high production | ||
Industrial food system | a system of large-scale, mechanized food production focused on efficiency and profit | ||
Input | in agriculture, refers to water, energy, labor, money, and other materials and resources required to sustain a farm | ||
Integrated farming | farming the mimics natural systems, often integrating livestock and crop production | ||
Intensive farming | a method of farming that uses high inputs of money, labor, and resources relative to the land area, including pesticides and fertilizers; in contrast to Extensive farming | ||
Junk food |
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Labor rights | see Workers’ rights | ||
Local food | food grown, processed, and distributed within a certain radius (often defined as within 150 miles) of one’s home | ||
Local food system | a system of small-scale food production focused on growing and selling food locally, sustaining local economies and ecosystems | ||
Locavore | a person who tries to eat only locally grown and produced food | ||
Monocrop/ monoculture | the practice of growing a single crop on the same piece of land year after year, without crop rotation; in contrast to Polyculture |
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Sources: CUESA, Merriam-Webster, Nourish Curriculum Guide, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Sustainable Table, The Nibble, Wikipedia