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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| Natural | connotes minimally processed food that does not contain additives or preservatives; however, “natural” does not necessarily mean organic or sustainable, as no legal standards exist | ||
| No Hormones Administered | a label describing cattle raised without added growth hormones (the USDA does not permit the use of artificial hormones in pigs and poultry, or in organic-certified foods); also known as “No Added Hormones” | ||
| Nutrient | a substance that provides nutrition and promotes growth | ||
| Obesity | a medical condition defined by excessive body fat, having an adverse effect on health | ||
| Obesity epidemic | widespread obesity; global epidemic status was formally recognized by the World Health Organization in 1997 | ||
| Organic |
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| Organic certified | meeting the organic standards of the USDA and verified by an independent organization | ||
| Overfishing | fishing so much of a particular type of fish that the population cannot naturally recover | ||
| Overweight | having more body fat than is optimal for health | ||
| Pasture-raised | describes cattle raised on forage, such as grass or legumes; also Grass-fed | ||
| Pesticide-free | describes food that has not been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides but may not be organic certified | ||
| Pesticide | a substance used to kill pests, like insects or rodents | ||
| Photosynthesis |
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| Pollination | the transfer of pollen from one plant flower to another by organisms (such as bees or hummingbirds) or wind | ||
| Polyculture | growing a variety of crops on the same piece of land to mimic the biodiversity of nature; in contrast to Monoculture | ||
| Preservative | a natural or synthetic substance added to a food to prevent spoilage | ||
| Processed food | food that has been altered from its natural state by drying, freezing, boiling, canning, or other procedures | ||
| RDI (Recommended Daily Intake) | the amount of a particular nutrient or calories that most people need to stay healthy per day | ||
| Regional food system | the system of relationships between food producers and customers that supports the health and long-term needs of a particular area | ||
| rGBH (bovine growth hormone) | a hormone administered to cows to stimulate milk production; also known as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) | ||
| Runoff | excess water that washes away once soil has been fully irrigated; runoff can include pesticides, petroleum, and other waste that pollutes the surrounding land and water, especially in industrial agriculture |
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Sources: CUESA, Merriam-Webster, Nourish Curriculum Guide, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Sustainable Table, The Nibble, Wikipedia
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