{"id":11929,"date":"2023-10-25T23:06:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T22:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agriculturelore.com\/?p=11929"},"modified":"2023-10-25T23:06:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T22:06:06","slug":"how-big-is-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.agriculturelore.com\/how-big-is-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"How Big Is Agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Agriculture is one of the most significant economic activities in the world. It encompasses the production of food, feed, fuel, and fibers through farming, forestry, and fishing. The global market value of agricultural products is estimated to be around $3.2 trillion – a staggering number that represents 8 percent of the total world GDP. It has been estimated that agriculture employs 40 percent of the world’s population, ranging from large-scale farmers to smallholder subsistence farmers. What’s more, agriculture is the key to eliminating poverty. Agricultural growth has been shown to reduce poverty by 17 percent more than other sectors, such as manufacturing, health, and education.<\/p>\n

In highly developed countries, agriculture is a high-tech industry and a major component of both national and global economies. In the United States, for example, crop and livestock production is estimated to exceed $400 billion dollars. It is one of the country’s largest industries and accounts for around 17 percent of its GDP. The country is also a major food exporter to countries all over the world, importing and exporting over $50 billion of agricultural products each year.<\/p>\n

Agriculture is not just an economic activity. It touches every aspect of life, from providing affordable food to helping to preserve biodiversity. In addition, agricultural activities can affect the environment in both positive and negative ways. For example, maintaining healthy soils can reduce soil erosion, which is critical for sustaining the health of farmlands and water sources, while pesticides and fertilizer runoff can harm water quality or reduce biodiversity.<\/p>\n

In developing countries, food insecurity continues to be a major issue, with over 820 million people thought to be living with it. Agriculture is essential for improving food security, nutritional health, and reducing poverty in these countries. Programs to increase agricultural productivity, such as improved seeds and crops, better fertilizer, enhanced irrigation and improved infrastructure can have an immediate and long-term impact.<\/p>\n