Agriculture – primary production of food and fiber at the farm level, including crops and/or livestock production, as well as apiculture, aquaculture, mushrooms and other non-plant and non-animal products, and intentionally planted (and managed) forests. Agro-forestry – a production that integrates tree species with production of other agricultural products, into a multi-story system. Biodegradable – ability of a material to break down through naturally occurring biological decomposition into components that are normally found in the natural environment. Biodiversity – the range of species and varieties of organisms in any given ecosystem. Biodiversity contains and must be considered on both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Buyer – an entity that purchases a product from another entity in a given value chain. Consumer – the buyer or user of a given product. The end consumer is the party that is the last to buy or obtain a product from a value chain. Culture – the collective way of life built over generations by an identified group or society. Defining features of a culture include one or more of the following: language, food, clothing, religion, philosophy, arts, music, architecture, agriculture, business structures, governance structures, celebrations, rituals, and other social interactions and customs. Development – In terms of sustainability, development refers to positive changes made to any system leading to regeneration and greater health with enhanced capacity for sustaining greater quantity and quality of life. Discrimination – biased practice with respect to hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement that is based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation. Eco-intensification (ecological intensification) – optimization of the performance of ecosystem services. These services include pest and disease regulation, water holding and drainage, soil building, soil biology and fertility, nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis and carbon sequestration, multiple agricultural crop and animal species, pollination and others. Edge effect – a phenomenon in which a relatively greater number of biodiversity interactions are occurring at the interface of wild and farmed areas, compared to those occurring wholly within the farmed area.
Equity - the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness; impartiality. Exotic – originating from another ecosystem. Externalities – or negative impacts on ecosystems or people not accounted for in the price of, or impact caused by, a product or production system. Feed conversion ratio – the amount of feed an animal must receive in proportion to the weight of usable product that animal yields. Food safety – absence of pathogenic organisms and/or chemical toxins in a food, or present in levels that are below human health concerns. Food security – ability of any given person, group, or community to have culturally acceptable food of sufficient quality and quantity to meet nutritional needs, without having to come from emergency sources. Food sovereignty – independent dominion and ability of any person, group, or community to provide for itself food of adequate quantity, quality, and variety to afford a complete diet. Functional diversity – diversity in the different species or components interact in primarily positive ways – in contrast to “random diversity.” Genetic Engineering - a set of techniques from molecular biology (such as recombinant DNA) by which the genetic material of plants, animals, microorganisms, cells and other biological units are altered in ways or with results that could not be obtained by methods of natural mating and reproduction, or natural recombination. Techniques of genetic engineering include, but are not limited to: recombinant DNA, cell fusion, micro- and macro-injection, and encapsulation. Genetically engineered organisms do not include organisms resulting from techniques such as conjugation, transduction, and natural hybridization. Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) - a plant, animal, or microbe that has been transformed by genetic engineering. Greenhouse gas - gaseous molecules, either naturally occurring or man-made, known to contribute to global warming, including but not limited to carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and water vapor. Greenhouse gas emissions – production and release of greenhouse into the atmosphere.
Harvested product – any product taken from a given agricultural production unit. High Conservation Value Area (HCVA) - an area that has been identified as having outstanding and critical importance due to its environmental, socioeconomic, biodiversity, or landscape values. Hot spot – points in a value chain or production system identified as having significant environmental impact. IFOAM –The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements – (www.ifoam.org). Indicator – evidence of a phenomenon. Indicators are usually qualitative. (See definition of “metric” for contrast.) Livestock – animals raised on a farm for the purpose of farm work, sale, food, fiber, manure or other animal products. Local – pertaining to a delineated ecosystem and/or economic system restricted to a relatively small scale and defined in contrast to neighboring areas. Metric – a quantitative means of measuring performance. Modern – having occurred or been introduced later than the past 70 years. Mulch – a covering of the soil used to retain moisture, protect from the elements (sun, wind, rain), suppress weeds, and conserve or build soil organic matter. – having more than one stratum of production, such as practiced in management Native forest - areas of native vegetation of 1 hectare or more, with canopy cover of more than 35 % and at least 10 trees per hectare that reach 10m in height or are able to reach these thresholds in situ, i.e. in that soil/climate combination. Natural – not synthetic, or non-synthetic; not man-made; readily found in the environment, and/or made through a process that begins with materials found in nature and not transformed except through naturally occurring biological processes. Operator – The physical or legally responsible party that produces, transforms, and/or trades organic products.