Agriculture in its simplest sense is the process of producing food from the earth. Whether it is on vast fields, or in your back garden, the process of growing food can be termed as agriculture! Although agriculture normally implies a professional activity, there is no reason why working in a kitchen garden cannot be as wholly satisfying as working on a farm!

If you take care of your garden furniture plants and generally enjoy being in the garden, why not turn a bit of the garden into a little vegetable patch and try your hand at growing some of your own food? Growing vegetables is easy and can be great fun!

It is also possible to get an allotment in the UK and many people who love growing fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs have allotments. Besides providing excellent exercise and the experience of working in the outdoors, growing your own food gives you the pleasure of enjoying home grown seasonal produce.

Allotment farming and kitchen gardens aside, agriculture on a large scale is a complex activity heavily dependent on market forces. Food is central to life, and agriculture is at the centre of society since thousands of years. Modern agricultural systems are shaped by and in turn shape the way the world works today.

While mainstream farming may be intensive, there are many alternative farms employing gentle and environmentally sustainable methods of farming. As a consumer, one must exercise their choice in a responsible manner and encourage more sustainable styles of farming.