Importance of Agriculture

As the farmer who won the lottery said when asked what he was going to do with his winnings; "Keep farming until it is all gone." ~ Anonymous.

The most simple definition of agriculture is the production of foods and grains through farming. Now all of us know that farmers spend their whole day in fields looking and nurturing the fields. If you ask a common man about importance of agriculture, he would just give an answer with some simple words which include crops, rain, fertilizers and pesticides. Agriculture is a vital source of income for every nation that exists on this globe. Not only it provides us food for our daily survival, but mostly all the industries in the country are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. A country is considered economical and politically stable, if it has a fertile land.

Why is Agriculture Important?

Human civilization realizes the importance of agriculture, because it began with it. When our ancestors thought of settling and growing our own food, which includes grains and crops, organic farming was born and mankind was changed forever. Because of agriculture not only towns and cities flourished, but also knowledge and technology. No matter how sophisticated gadget freaks we have become, we cannot deny its importance in our daily lives. In recent times, agriculture has been overlooked because of the wrong belief that new modern technology produces food grains and crops that we eat. In last year's World Summit, the necessity of agriculture was the main of point of debate and discussion that was put forward by leading green scientists of the world.

Importance of Agriculture in the United States
America is considered as one of the most productive countries in terms of agriculture. Trade analysts say that the American food industry will surpass US$ 500 billion this year. With technology creating more problems that it can solve, US government is putting all its resources and plans to make sure that it makes itself more productive. The United States is the world's largest producer and exporter of agricultural products with a 21% share of world farm trade. In 1996 the export of farm products from the US was worth US$ 60 billion. As you know, exports are vital for any country's GDP in which agriculture contributes more than 7%. I think these astonishing figures are enough to prove how important agriculture is in America.

Agriculture combined with modern technology is known as intensive agriculture and is fast becoming one of the best technology sectors of the US. We must also take care of our farmers and make sure that their innovative basic methods are not compared with modern technology. The US believes in a science based regime and maintain the highest standards in food safety and environment programs. Much of the older cities in the US have begun their primary growth on the basis of agriculture. US farmers are trying hard to mix modern technologies that have come up with farming, to ensure a good production of their products which benefits their country as a whole. Almost all new business principles which are being used have their roots coming out of the humble practices of agriculture. The concept of bulk manufacturing and bulk storage was also born from agriculture, the practice of these two concepts have saved many cities from drought and destruction and laid the foundation of modern business procedures which ensures their stability.

Let me conclude this article by saying that the focus on agriculture is bigger than ever. Government of the United States and of various other countries are trying their best to ensure that agricultural percentage in the GDP of a country is encouraged at various levels and farmers are well aware about the advantages and disadvantages of intensive farming. They are introducing various plans for farmers, which will make them work better with modern technologies and ensure a surplus growth of crops, so that every person on this earth can be fed.