Intensive farming

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/intensive-farming

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 core principle?Maximization of agricultural output per unit of input (land, labor, capital)
2. What is the associated systems?Includes industrial agriculture, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and aquaculture
3. How do farmers use technology to grow more food?They use special fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation, and sometimes grow crops in greenhouses or vertical farms that control the weather.
4. Why do some people worry about intensive farming?It can hurt the soil, pollute water, and hurt animals that live in crowded spaces, so people are concerned about the environment and animal welfare.

Monoculture: The agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year.
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs): Farms where large numbers of animals are housed in confined spaces.
Precision Agriculture: Using technology like GPS and sensors to manage crops and livestock more efficiently.