Cash crop

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cash-crop

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the economic function?Cultivated primarily for sale and profit, distinguishing it from subsistence crops
2. What is the market mechanism?Prices are largely dictated by global commodity markets, leading to potential volatility
3. How are cash crops different from the food we eat at home?Staple crops are grown to feed the farmer and their family, while cash crops are grown to bring in money for the farm.
4. Why do farmers grow cash crops?Farmers grow cash crops so they can earn money, buy better tools, and help their families.

Commodity Market: A marketplace where raw materials or primary agricultural products are traded in bulk.
Subsistence Agriculture: Farming practices focused on producing food for the farmer's family and local community, rather than for commercial sale.
Price Volatility: The tendency for the price of a good or service to fluctuate significantly over a short period.