What is The Importance of Studying Agriculture?
This question was recently posted on quora by someone in search of answers and while we gave a detailed answer to this question there, we decided to seize the opportunity to expound on and explore the topic a bit more. So it is now a permanent fixture in our blogs. So, assuming that you or someone you know is interested in the study of agriculture, read on as we delve into this intriguing question.
What is agriculture?
According to dictionary.com, agriculture is, “the science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming.” It doesn’t stop there; agriculture itself can further be broken down into a number of specialized fields which all occupy a space within this all-encompassing term. Some of these include: agricultural business, economics, equipment and management; agronomy (the science of soil management and crop production); fishery; food science; forestry; tropical agriculture; veterinary science; and water science.
Furthermore, I’m guessing that you know that some of these fields can become, well, more specialized. Fortunately, that’s not what this post is about so without further delay, let’s begin to look at what brought us here.
It greatly contributes to the livelihood of individuals and economies across the world.
The importance of agriculture across the world is paramount, with many nations, economies and individuals relying on it for their own sustenance, others, working within the field, contribute to the overall dependence on agriculture by the rest of the world. For example, we in the Caribbean, for decades, have been exporters of crops such as sugar cane, cocoa, bananas, mangoes and avocados. This has been a catalyst for economic and individual growth amongst many of our islands so by studying agriculture you definitely stand to make worthy contributions to your own region. Also, keep in mind that this is not just limited to crops since agriculture encompasses areas relating to soil, water and animal studies.
It has an array of benefits to mankind and these apply directly and indirectly to the areas of: clothing, medicine and much more.
We have explored the benefits to be had in terms of food production and consumption but we, as humans, also see many other benefits coming out of the study of agriculture. Some of these may not have been naturally linked to each other but the study of agriculture is more closely linked to the clothing, medicine and other sectors more than you may have imagined.
As you may or may not know, the raw material used in our clothing, unless it is synthetic, is a product of agriculture. If it wasn’t for the studies and advancements in agriculture we would not have gotten to the point of using crops such as cotton, hemp, ramie and flax in the production of textile. Thanks to these crops and agriculture we enjoy a wealth of versatility and comfort in the textile industry that probably wouldn’t exist without it.
Furthermore, other areas such as medicine are not to be left out from the list of industries that benefit from agriculture. For instance, today, modern science has turned to ancient herbal medicines for remedies to a vast array of illnesses we face. Crops like turmeric, ginger, garlic and ashwaganda are now being hailed as modern day heroes in the treatment of a number of ailments from inflammation to arthritis as well as a prevention for diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart, kidney and liver disease. These are only slight examples of how in depth agriculture and medicine are linked.
Some industries which stand to directly and indirectly benefit from studies, advancements and the upkeep of agriculture include: banks and insurance companies, biotechnology as well as the equipment and chemical industries.
There just may be an abundance of professions to explore.
If we haven’t been screaming it loud enough thus far, let’s get more focused on this one. Agriculture has an abundance of professions to explore and the good thing is that you don’t actually need to get your hands dirty, unless you actually want to. A short diverse list of some of these professions includes the following: entrepreneurship, farming, journalism, data analysis, sales and marketing, environmental conservation, social research, transportation and many more.
Conclusion…
Whatever your motivations for that interest in studying agriculture know that you’ll become apart of an industry that is fast paced, quickly becoming more high tech and necessary but it just may be worth it since you would be contributing to food production, science, reduction in world hunger and economic growth amongst other things. Like anything worth having, some basic rules follow. These would be dedication, hard work and a planned trajectory. Also, be sure to sprinkle a bit of passion and all will be well.
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