Tertiary economy – The part of the economy that provides services rather than end products. Services include selling, hospitality and leisure

The tertiary and quaternary (see next page) sectors make up 76% of the UK's economy.

The turtle fairy (tertiary) was out selling gin.

The tertiary economy is the part of a country’s economic infrastructure that provides services – sometimes referred to as “non-tangible goods” – to businesses and ordinary people, or consumers.

These services involve a large range of sectors, including schools, retail (selling), restaurants, banks and financial services, insurance, warehousing and advertising.

Many tertiary industries support the primary and/or the secondary economies. For instance, the secondary economy (manufacturing) is highly reliant on the tertiary economy (which includes retail) to sell the goods it produces.

When countries become more developed, they tend to focus more on their tertiary economy.

The tertiary economy includes both commercial (profit-making) and not-for-profit services such as government institutions, healthcare and social work.

Quaternary Economy – The knowledge-based part of the economy such as IT, consultancy, education, training, and research and development

The tertiary and quaternary sectors make up 76% of the UK's economy.

Each quarter of the canary (quaternary) was a different colour, but that didn't stop it training people and selling its knowledge.

The quaternary economy – also known as the knowledge economy – is the intellectual aspect of a country’s economic infrastructure. It includes education, training, the development of technology, and research and development.

It is the part of the economic mix that enables entrepreneurs to innovate better manufacturing processes and improve the quality of services offered.

Without improvements in technology and information, economic development would be slow or might even stagnate.

Agribusiness – Application of business skills to agriculture

Agribusiness is short for
agriculture business

But also think:

Agriculture by a business person (agribusiness) means they apply their skills to the horse and plough.

While agribusiness increases production, it can also cause problems – climate change, deforestation, pollution (chemicals), soil degradation and waste.

Agribusiness is farming on a large scale with the aim of making big profits.

For instance, in the UK there are large farms in the Fens area of East Anglia which are really several farms that have been bought up by investors to create large, profitable agribusinesses producing huge amounts of grain and other food commodities.

In the USA, agribusinesses producing food commodities including corn, cattle, dairy products, soybeans and eggs are common in a number of states including California, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota.

Today, many smaller farmers struggle to make a living. To help increase their income, some have turned to non-farming related activities such as tourism, offering accommodation, farm tours, fishing, quad-biking and horse-riding.

Energy Mix – The range of energy sources of a region or country, both renewable and non-renewable

He needed lots of energy to mix (energy mix) up this range of sauces (sources).

A country's energy mix is the specific combination of energy sources it uses to meet its needs.

The energy mix varies according to the resources available – either as national resources or what it can import. Countries may also exercise discretion over what energy they exploit. For instance, Germany and Japan are reducing nuclear energy production.

A country's standard of living may also affect the types of energy used, the most vital questions being what type of appliances are affordable for most people, and the level of energy bills they are able to meet.

For instance, in the U.S., around 50% of homes are heated with natural gas, while around a third are heated with electricity. There are also smaller percentages of oil and biomass heating.

The UK has a much higher percentage of homes connected to the national gas grid – only 15% of homes do not have access. Most homes on the gas grid have gas boilers with a central heating system, while most off-grid homes use electricity, with a smaller number using oil.

By contrast, in South Africa, where winter is shorter and generally less severe, and people are generally not so well off, most homes do not have central heating. Portable electric heaters, used sparingly, are the main source of heating there.

Currently, transport energy worldwide is mostly based on oil to produce petrol (cars), diesel (lorries and trains), kerosene (aircraft), and heavy oil (ships).

Domestic energy (for homes) can be subdivided into needs for heating (gas, oil, wood, coal), cooking (gas, electricity, charcoal, wood), and appliances (electricity).

Industry may require large amounts of heat for industrial processes (oil, gas, coal) while offices and shops require electricity and agriculture requires large amounts of mechanical energy (oil).

But the picture is changing: a number of developed countries have already passed legislation ending the manufacture of diesel and petrol cars over the next decade or so, and coal-powered power stations are being phased out in many countries. Some countries have set dates for when gas-powered systems can no longer be installed in new homes.

Low-income countries (LICs) may be slower to make changes, but we are undoubtedly moving towards a world where all energy is renewable.

Food Miles – The distance covered supplying food to consumers

The food travelled for miles (food miles).

To the United Kingdom

All food must travel some distance to get to your plate, whether it's a few yards from your back garden or 12,000 miles from the other side of the word.

The distance food travels is known as food miles.

Generally, the shorter the distance food travels the better, from the environmental point of view. Transporting food means using energy, and energy based on fossil fuels adds to costs and pollutes the atmosphere, adding to the global warming problem.

People can help to reduce food miles by:

• Buying local produce
• Buying food that is "in season" for your location (e.g., buying British strawberries in summer, but not buying foreign-grown strawberries in winter)
• Growing some of your own food (e.g., potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes)
• Shopping at local farmers' markets
• Not driving to the shops if possible

Fossil Fuel – A natural fuel such as coal, oil and gas formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms

She used an old fossil she found on the hillside to fuel (fossil fuel) a fire she lit because it was so cold. She didn't realise fossils were millions of years old.

The difference between coal and oil is that coal is formed by buried trees, ferns and other tropical plants, whereas oil is based more on bacteria, algae and plankton at the bottom of marine lakes.

Fossil fuel is the term for buried, combustible, geologic deposits of organic materials.

These materials formed from decayed plants and animals that were converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas or heavy oils by exposure to heat and pressure in the earth's crust over hundreds of millions of years.

The extraction of fossil fuels has been a massive industry since the industrial revolution, but its days now appear to be numbered.

Apart from pollution and the increase in atmospheric CO₂ caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which is driving much of global warming, there's another major drawback – fossil fuels, once used, can never be replaced

There is now what looks like an unstoppable move towards renewable and sustainable energy, harnessing the power of the sun, wind and tides, and the heat inside the earth (geothermal energy).

Developed countries are passing legislation which, for instance, will end the production of petrol and diesel cars, and there are international agreements aimed at cutting CO2 emissions, which means reducing and then eventually ending our reliance on fossil fuels. 

Organic Produce – Food which is produced using environmentally and animal-friendly farming methods (no pesticides)

Organic farmers choose not to use artificial fertilisers and develop fertile soil by rotating crops and using compost, manure and clover. It must be free of synthetic additions like pesticides and dyes.

The organ that was nicked produced (organic produce) no profit as no one wanted to buy it, so they disposed of it in an environmentally friendly way.

Overproduction and the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides in conventional farming can negatively affect ecosystems, biodiversity and water supplies.

In organic farming, these environmental and health issues are minimised or avoided altogether.

Standards for the production of organic food vary from one country to another, but organic farming generally features practices that cycle resources (putting back into the soil nutrients that are taken out), promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.

Organisations that regulate organic products restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilisers in farming methods.

In food processing, organic foods are typically not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives.

Demand for organic foods is primarily driven by consumer concerns for personal health and the environment. However, while many of the environmental advantages are clear, there is insufficient evidence in scientific and medical literature to support claims that organic food is either safer or healthier to eat than conventional food.

Aeroponics – Growing plants in an air and mist environment without the use of soil. The water mist is rich in nutrients and minerals

The air was full of the pond water which gave a tonic (aeroponic) to all the plants of minerals and nutrients in solution.

Aeroponics is a plant cultivation technique in which the roots hang suspended in the air, while nutrient solution is delivered in the form of mist.

It seems strange to grow plants without their roots being in soil or compost, but that is precisely the case with aeroponics. 

Aeroponic systems nourish plants with nothing more than mist that contains nutrients.

The roots are left to dangle in the air, where they are periodically puffed by misting devices.

Eliminating the growing medium is very "freeing" for plants’ roots. The extra oxygen they get results in faster growth.

Aeroponic systems are also very water-efficient, using up to 95% less irrigation than plants grown in soil.

The eco-friendly reputation of aeroponics is further boosted by the ability to grow large quantities of food in small spaces.

Aeroponic systems are mainly employed in indoor vertical farms, which are usually sited in cities, reducing the environmental costs of getting food from growing site to plate.

Biotechnology – The manipulation, especially through genetic engineering, of living organisms to produce useful commercial products such as pest-resistant crops and new bacterial strains

The biology technicians issued an apology (biotechnology) after their genetic engineering produced plants that ate people instead of being more commercially viable.

It may help you to recall what biotechnology means if you also remember

Bio = Living/life
Ology = Study of 

Biotechnology has been used to create useful products such as:
Beer, wine, bread, organic solvents and antibiotics.

Further developments have created:
Herbicide-resistant plants and new vaccines.

The wine making process involves biotechnology.

In the 1970s, the advancement of genetic engineering led to rapid development in biotechnology research. The realisation that it was possible to make changes in organisms' genetic material (DNA) meant, among other things, that certain human diseases and defects might be prevented and crops could be made resistant to diseases and pests.

Biotechnology now covers lots of different disciplines, including genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology.

New technologies and products are continually being developed, for instance:

• Genetically modified plants and food
• New medicines and therapies
• Biofuels
• Biological treatments
• Innovative chemicals

The positive side of biotechnology includes improvements in crops' nutritional quality and yields, a reduction in the use of pesticides, improved health treatments, and a reduction in the rate of infections. 

However, as with so many innovative technologies, there are drawbacks, including:

• Risks of unintentional cross-pollination of plants, which could result in hybrids that might get out of control
• Fears that biotechnology will turn human life into a commodity
• The possibility that the technology might be used for destruction rather than just beneficial purposes

Here's an example of how modification of a plant can help people:

Rice was genetically modified to produce a variety called Golden rice that contains beta-carotene, which helps people who do not get enough vitamin A in their diet. Vitamin A deficiency causes disease that kills over half a million children each year.

Famine – A widespread, serious shortage of food. In the worst cases, it can lead to starvation and even death

My family was in (famine) a crisis; they needed food – they were starving.

Famine generally leads to widespread malnutrition and death by starvation and disease.

Famines have occurred throughout history in many different parts of the world. Twentieth-century examples include the Chinese famine of 1959–61, which resulted in 15–30 million deaths; the Ethiopian famine of 1984–85, with approximately 1 million deaths but which affected more than 8 million people; and the North Korean famine of roughly 1995–99, which killed an estimated 2.5 million people.

Today, famines generally strike in poor countries: they have been endemic in some sub-Saharan African countries and widespread in South Asia.

The most common human cause of famine is armed conflict, but famines can happen for several other reasons, including:

• Drought
• Flooding
• Unseasonable cold weather
• Typhoons
• Vermin attacks
• Insect infestations
• Plant diseases (such as the potato blight that caused the Great Famine in Ireland (1845–49)

Famine relief – organised efforts to reduce starvation in regions affected by famine – is organised by the United Nations and various charities.

At the end of 2019, it was estimated that 135 million people were "living with acute hunger". Most of these were in African countries (73 million) and the Middle East and Asia (43 million). Most of the rest were in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Food Insecurity – Being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Not enough food at times

In 2020, more than 800 million people lived every day with hunger or food insecurity.

The food was supposed to be in a secure (food insecurity) unit but it's all gone.

Food insecurity occurs when people are unable to access enough safe and nutritious food to meet their requirements for a healthy life.

This kind of insecurity can happen for a variety of reasons, including low incomes, unemployment, race/ethnicity, and disability. The risk of food insecurity increases when money to buy food is limited or simply not available.

Although food insecurity is at its most severe in low-income countries in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and some South American and Caribbean countries, it also occurs in high-income countries.

It is one of the ironies of the modern world that overeating and obesity exist side-by-side with food insecurity in the USA, the UK and other developed countries.

In 2018, an estimated 1 in 9 Americans were food insecure, equating to over 37 million people. The figure included more than 11 million children.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to sufficient food for an active, healthy life.

In the UK, a survey revealed that 10% of adults lived in households classified as marginally food insecure, and 10% in households with moderate or severe food insecurity.

Food security – Sufficient food at all times. When people have access to sufficient safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life

I made sure my food was secure (food security) and it was sufficient to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Food security, based on the definition by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

The modern concept of food security incorporates four main components:

• Availability – enough food of sufficient quality must be available
• Access – people must be able to acquire sufficient food to be able to eat a healthy, nutritious diet
• Utilisation – people must also be able to eat and properly metabolise food (this can be affected by health status, food safety and the means and ability to prepare and cook food
• Stability – the availability of, and ability to prepare, food must be constant rather than temporary or subject to fluctuations

While a nation or region may be generally considered to be food secure, certain groups may still suffer from food insecurity (see previous page, Food Insecurity, for more details of this).

Hydroponics – A method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil

The hydrant fed a pond that gave a tonic (hydroponics) to all the plants of minerals and nutrients in solution.

Note: the spelling of hydroponics - it's hydrO not hydrA. We are only using a hydrAnt to help you remember that hydroponics is to do with water!

Like aeroponics, hydroponics is a way of growing crops without soil. In this method, the plants are grown in nutrient-rich water.

Hydroponics allows growers to produce food anywhere in the world, at any time of the year, with higher yields and fewer resources. 

Most of the vegetables you find in a store have been shipped considerable distances and have probably lost nutritional value along the way. 

Using hydroponics, it's possible to create hyper-local food systems – container farms can be set up in local communities and regions. Hydroponic farms can even be sited directly behind restaurants that want ultra-fresh produce.

When people grow food hydroponically, they do not have to wait for favourable weather – growing can take place all year round.

Permaculture – A system of agricultural and social design principles based on natural ecosystems

Permanent ? ? Agriculture
Perma? ? Culture
Permaculture

Permaculture is a joining of the words permanent and agriculture.

Permaculture has three core values:

1. Care for the planet
2. Care for people
3. Fair share (not too much and returning surplus)

The way to remember permaculture's three core values is

Care for the planet – see the earth (below)

Care for people – people surrounding the earth

Fair share – equidistant and sharing with each other

Each of the three core values of care for the planet, care for people and fair share must be applied to the following twelve principles:

1. See how others have done it (observe and interact).
2. Learn to catch and store energy.
3. Obtain a yield - including happiness, well-being and family food.
4. Apply self-regulation and feedback - reducing, revising, recycling and regulating.
5. Don't use fossil fuels - use and value renewables.
6. Design from patterns to details, look at the whole thing.
7. Produce no waste - recycle rainwater and make compost.
8. Integrate, don't segregate. Put different plants together (not one field of one thing).
9. Use small, slow solutions. Make small, slow steps.
10. Use and value diversity. Go for great variety.
11. Use neglected corners, edges and margins.
12. Creatively use and respond to change. Adapt to the changing seasons.

The way to remember this is to recall the elements of the following picture:

1. See a table with a book open in the middle of the table to indicate "learn from others", see how others have created a permaculture garden.
2. A rainwater collector and solar panels help us remember we have to catch water and solar energy.
3. The happy gardener and excellent yield of runner beans give a family food and happiness.
4. The digging and changing of part of the garden allow us to revise our plans; we can regulate and change ideas from direct feedback.
5. Using logs as biomass should help us not to use fossil fuels.
6. The circle of garden around the table shows that a permaculture garden likes patterns and you need to design it as a whole.
7. The compost bin and water collector is an indicator that in a permaculture garden we recycle rainwater and make compost.
8. A variety of plants is needed. You don't want one garden or field full of only one variety of plant.
9. The steps up into the garden mean that you go slowly, one step at a time.
10. Again the variety of plants should prompt you to remember that diversity is valued.
11. See the plants in the very corner of the garden – all neglected corners should be used.
12. The greenhouse is a nudge to your memory to remind you to adapt to the seasons.

Undernutrition – When people do not eat enough nutrients to cover their needs for energy and growth

Under new tuition (undernutrition) the young gymnast was told to lose weight, but she was not getting enough nutrients to cover her needs for energy and growth.

Undernutrition is one of the main results of food insecurity in many countries and regions. Many of the world's hungry people have enough food to survive, but not for continuing good health.

Without sufficient food, people are unable to lead active lives. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, undernutrition makes it hard for people to study, work or perform physical activities, and it is particularly harmful to women and children.

Undernourished children do not grow as quickly. Mentally, they may develop more slowly, and hunger makes them vulnerable to diseases and infections.

Mothers living with constant hunger often give birth to underweight and weak babies, and themselves face an increased risk of death.

Every day, millions of people around the world eat only the bare minimum of food to keep themselves alive.

Irrigation – Applying water to land in order to supply crops and other plants with necessary water

The irritable gates' action (irrigation) is to open and apply controlled amounts of water to plants at needed intervals.

Irrigation is the watering of crops by bringing in water from pipes, canals, sprinklers or other man-made means, rather than depending on rainfall alone.

Regions with little rainfall would be unable to sustain agriculture without irrigation. In areas that have irregular rain, irrigation improves crop growth and quality.

By allowing farmers to grow crops on a dependable basis, irrigation leads to more reliable food supplies.

However, there can also be downsides to irrigation. These may include waterlogging, changes to the soil's salinity (salt content) and levels of acidity, reduced aeration of soil, pollution of underground water and the creation of a colder and damper climate, possibly causing outbreaks of disease such as malaria.

Urban Farming – The growing of fruits and vegetables and raising of animals in towns and cities

A process that is accompanied by many other activities such as processing and distributing food and collecting and using food waste. We know that urban means relating to the town or city.

So urban (town or city) farming can only mean trying to farm in a town or city.

Urban farming, also known as urban agriculture, should not be confused with 'community gardening' or 'homesteading'. The difference is mainly that urban farming is about commercial (for-profit) enterprises.

The basic idea behind urban farming is that food is produced right inside areas of dense population, so it does not have to be transported long distances.

People worldwide have started to understand how far food travels, and that they have no say in what is grown or how it is grown. Urban agriculture can change that and is beginning to take a larger slice of the overall food system.

Urban farming is a way of increasing access to locally grown food and of reintroducing the public to the many aspects of food that we have lost as a culture.

Savings on food transportation can make urban farming financially viable as well as more environmentally responsible.

The New Green Revolution – large increase in crop production in developing countries through use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, high-yield crop varieties and biotechnology

The "new" means that improvements in crop yield should come with minimal environmental damage.

The new green scene came with the revolution of the stage (the new green revolution). As the stage turned the land in front of the audience went from dry and arid to lush and verdant.

The original 'green revolution' of the 1960s was mostly about the development of new strains of plants known as high-yielding varieties (HYVs). These gave the world higher yields of rice, maize and other important crops.

This went hand-in-hand with the development of chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, leading to a significant increase in production and a reduction in food prices.

However, the global population has continued to grow and crop yields are no longer increasing at the same rate. This has resulted in a new green revolution in which biotechnology plays a major part.

This includes transferring genes from one plant to another to give the new plant 'improved' characteristics. Modifications include creating plants that are resistant to herbicides, pests and diseases. Other genetic modifications include increasing the shelf life of food, creating drought-resistant crops, and increasing vitamins and proteins in food.

However, there is concern about the effects of genetically modified (GM) crops on human health and the environment. This is particularly the case in Europe, where there are more rules and regulations. There is less concern in the USA and Australia, where GM food is more common.

Intercropping – the simultaneous production of multiple crops on the same area of land – could also have a role in the new green revolution. Two examples of intercropping are the growing of chickpea with upland rice, and sweet potato with corn.

Blackwater – Blackwater contains faecal matter (poo) or urine

The blacksmith (black water) had to be careful of the poo.

BLACKWATER – Comes out of toilets

Blackwater is a term used to define wastewater containing faecal matter (poo) or urine. It is also known as foul water or sewage.

In the context of sanitation, blackwater is wastewater from toilets, which likely contains pathogens (microscopic organisms that can cause diseases). Blackwater can contain faeces, urine, water and toilet paper from flush toilets.

Blackwater is distinct from greywater, which comes from sinks, baths, washing machines, and other kitchen appliances.

The move towards reusing the water content of blackwater and making compost from the solid elements is gaining momentum in developed countries. Treating and filtering blackwater can make it suitable for what is known as nonpotable purposes (uses other than drinking), including toilet flushing and plant irrigation.

This means less blackwater is sent to sewerage systems.

Another take on the control of blackwater is avoiding it altogether by making use of composting toilets. Besides saving water, composting toilets allow the reuse of the nutrients for growing crops or trees.

In developing countries, the lack of sewerage systems for treating blackwater means a constant threat of infection from open sewers and the watercourses into which they discharge. This is one reason why cholera and other diseases are prevalent in poorer countries.

Groundwater Management – Regulation and control of underground water levels, pollution prevention and supervision of ownership

The groundwater needed to be managed to stop arguments (groundwater management). If groundwater levels aren't controlled there may be none left.

When it rains, some of the water infiltrates the soil and goes underground. This is known as groundwater, and it is a vital resource.

Groundwater is managed by preventing contamination, limiting its use and ensuring that natural regeneration can take place.

Excess pumping of groundwater can exhaust the resource.

Most countries have an agency or organisation that regulates the use of groundwater. For instance, in the UK, the Environment Agency has the responsibility of managing groundwater.

In developing countries, groundwater scarcity and pollution disproportionately affect the poor because they are often not able to keep up with sinking groundwater levels or to find alternative sources.