Agriculture (a term which encompasses farming) is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other goods by the systematic raising of plants and animals.


Agri is from Latin ager ("a field"), and culture is from Latin cultura, meaning "cultivation" in the strict sense of tillage of the soil. A literal reading of the English word yields: tillage of the soil of a field. In modern usage, the word Agriculture covers all activities essential to food/feed/fiber production, including all techniques for raising and processing livestock no less than those essential to crop farming.
In some cultures, continual improvement in agricultural methods has been the key factor in the specialization of human activity.
42% of the world's laborers are employed in agriculture, making it by far the most common occupation, yet it accounts for less than 5% of the Gross World Product