Agriculture (a term which encompasses farming) is the art, science or practice of producing food, feed, fiber and many other desired goods by the systematic raising of plants and animals. Agri is from Latin ager ("a field"), and culture is from Latin cultura, meaning "cultivation" in the strict sense of tillage of the soil. Thus a literal reading of the English word yields tillage of the soil of a field. In actual usage, Agriculture denotes a broad array of activities essential to food and material production, including all techniques for raising and processing livestock (see Animal husbandry) no less than those essential to crop planting and harvesting.

Continual improvement in agricultural methods from pre-history to the present has been the key factor in the extreme specialization of human activity during the historical epoch. Many of these specializations have nothing to do with food production, but when specialists such as scientists, inventors and mechanical and chemical engineers devote their efforts to the improvement of farming methods, resources and implements they too, along with those who work the fields and pens, are said to be "in agriculture".

42% (2002 estimate) of the world's population is employed in agriculture, making it by far the most common occupation, yet it accounts for only 4.4% (2005 estimate) of the Gross World Product (an aggregate of all Gross Domestic Products).^*

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Forbes.com: Wine News

Elite Street Eats
Rebecca Ruiz Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:00:00 -0000
Vendors in several U.S. cities are combining high-quality ingredients and ethnic inspiration to offer haute cuisine curbside.
Ten Sauvignon Blancs For A Lazy Labor Day
Eric Arnold Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:00:00 -0000
This weekend, put a French Sancerre to the test against a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
America's Most Endangered Foods
Allison Van Dusen Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:00:00 -0000
Foods that were once plentiful are disappearing or already gone. A dedicated few are working hard to bring them back.

NPR Topics: Food

Finding Answers To The School Lunch Test
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:50:00 -0400
It can be tough to find that happy middle ground between whole-grain pasta with veggies that won't get eaten, and marshmallow creme on white bread that will. But Betsy Block, mother of two school-age kids, has a plan for packed lunches.
'Glazed America:' For The Love Of Doughnuts
Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:01:00 -0400
Anthropologist Paul Mullins considers the history of the doughnut in his new book, Glazed America. Mullins uses the doughnut to trace America's consumer culture.
Homemade Marshmallows Are S'more Delicious
Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:59:00 -0400
Commentator and cookbook author Nancy Baggett says it's really not so hard to make marshmallows from scratch. More moist, more tender, and more flavorful than store-bought marshmallows, your S'mores, hot chocolate and Heavenly Hash will never be the same again.

NYT > World Business

Now Europeans Are Slower to Spend, and It Shows
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:23:19 -0000
For the first time in more than a decade, consumers in much of Europe are buying less than they did a year earlier, helping to slow economies that may have fallen into recession.
U.S. Unveils Takeover of Two Mortgage Giants
Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:53:09 -0000
The four-part rescue plan includes an open-ended guarantee to provide as much capital as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need to stave off insolvency.
Big Summer Sell-Off Hits the Russian Stock Market
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:21:00 -0000
Russia’s stock market is suffering its worst correction in nearly a decade as sliding oil prices, political attacks on private companies and instability after last month’s war in Georgia spook investors.

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