Organic farming
Certified system which regulates cultivation and breeding practices, greatly reduces the use of synthetic products and imposes controlled traceability.
Glossary
A directory of 128 terms covering agricultural sectors, field practices, public policies, territorial food and agroecological transitions.
Precision agriculture
Way of managing a plot or a herd with field data in order to adjust doses, passages, alerts or interventions.
Integrated agriculture
Conduct that favors observation, prevention and choosing the right moment for intervention before mobilizing more serious solutions.
Regenerative agriculture
Family of practices seeking to improve soil functioning, plant cover, useful biodiversity and the resistance of farms to shocks.
Urban agriculture
Food activities located in the city or on its outskirts, with variable functions: production, entertainment, integration, education or revegetation.
Agroecology
Way of designing a farm by combining production, biological balance, autonomy, diversity of practices and adaptation to the territory.
Agroforestry
Association of trees and crops or livestock on the same plot to strengthen ecosystem services.
Organic amendment
Supply of organic matter such as compost, manure or digestate to improve the structure of the soil, its biological life and its capacity to retain water.
Soil analysis
Examination of a soil sample to assess pH, organic matter, nutrients and adjustment needs before fertilizing or modifying a practice.
AOP/IGP
European benchmarks of origin which link a product to a territory and to specifications, with different requirements depending on the sign concerned.
Beekeeping
Breeding of bees to produce honey or other hive products, with an important role in pollination and reading the state of the landscape.
Crop rotation
Distribution of different crops on the plots of a farm for a given campaign.
Fodder autonomy
Capacity of a livestock farm to produce the majority of its animals’ food.
Protein autonomy
Capacity of a livestock farm or a territory to produce a significant part of the proteins necessary for animal or human food.
Cultivation aids
Organisms useful to crops, such as certain insects, birds or microorganisms, which contribute to pollination or the regulation of pests.
Grass strip
Area covered with grass at the edge of a plot, watercourse or path, used to limit runoff, erosion and transfer of pollutants.
Watershed
Territory where rainwater converges towards the same watercourse or outlet, useful for understanding runoff, flooding and water quality.
Battance
Formation of a crust on the surface after rain, which can limit infiltration, hinder the emergence of seedlings and increase runoff.
Animal welfare
Condition linked to an animal's living conditions: health, diet, housing, behavior, absence of avoidable suffering and quality of care.
Carbon footprint
Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions generated by an activity or sector.
Functional biodiversity
Part of biodiversity which provides direct services to agriculture, such as pollination, biological regulation or improvement of soil life.
Biomass
Material from living organisms, such as crop residues, wood, effluents or co-products, which can be used as energy, fertilizer or raw material.
Bocage
Agricultural landscape made up of plots surrounded by hedges, favorable to biodiversity and soil protection.
Specifications
Document which sets the rules to be respected for a production, a label, a certification, a transformation or a commercial relationship.
Agricultural sensor
Device that measures field information, for example humidity, temperature, movement, milk production or the condition of equipment.
Certification
Control procedure attesting that a product, a farm or an organization complies with the requirements defined in a standard.
Cold chain
Set of temperature conditions to be maintained to preserve the health safety and quality of sensitive products.
Workload
Volume and intensity of work to be done on a farm, influenced by the season, production, labor, constraints and organization.
Short circuit
Sales method which reduces the number of intermediaries between producer and eater; it does not alone guarantee proximity, fair price or environmental impact.
Compost
Stabilized organic matter resulting from the controlled decomposition of plant or food waste, usable to improve the soil.
Conditionality
Set of requirements that beneficiaries of certain agricultural aid must respect, particularly in terms of the environment, traceability or good practices.
Data Consent
Agreement given to share or use certain agricultural data, with a use, a recipient and conditions that must be understandable.
Food preservation
Set of methods that maintain the quality and safety of food: cold, drying, fermentation, processing, packaging or date management.
Agricultural cooperative
Collective organization owned by its members, often used to pool processing, storage, purchasing, sales or technical services.
Plant cover
Crop planted between two main crops to protect and enrich the soil.
Permanent cutlery
Continuous presence of vegetation on the soil to reduce erosion and improve its structure.
Catch crop
Crop planted between two main crops, often to produce fodder, cover the soil or enhance a short growth window.
Fodder crop
Crop intended to feed animals, such as grass, alfalfa, corn silage, meslin or other mixtures harvested or grazed.
Associated crops
Simultaneous management of several species on the same plot to better use resources.
Intermediate crops
Crops planted between two main crops to cover the soil, recycle nutrients or produce biomass.
Agricultural decarbonization
Gradual reduction in net emissions linked to the farm, through energy savings, reduced fossil dependence, carbon storage or changes in practices.
Loading density
Number of animals reported on a given surface area, indicator of pressure on grasslands and resources.
Digestat
Residue from methanization, which can be used as an organic fertilizer when its composition and spreading conditions are controlled.
Diversification
Addition of new productions, activities or sales channels to secure farm income.
Agricultural drainage
Development that evacuates excess water from damp soil, with effects to be assessed on bearing capacity, yield, biodiversity and local hydrological functioning.
Eco-diet
Annual CAP payment linked to environmental practices or criteria defined for a given campaign and subject to conditions.
Circular economy
Organization that seeks to limit waste and unnecessary purchases by better reusing materials, co-products, energy or packaging.
Livestock effluent
Animal waste and associated mixtures, such as slurry, manure or manure, which can be used as fertilizer under certain conditions.
Extensive breeding
Livestock breeding system based on low animal density and high valorization of grassland areas.
Water footprint
Indicator estimating the volumes of water mobilized directly or indirectly to produce a good or service.
Agricultural renewable energy
Energy production on or with the farm, for example solar, biomethane, wood energy or heat recovery, to be aligned with agricultural needs.
Silage
Method of preserving moist fodder in an airless environment, often used to feed herds outside of the grazing period.
Soil erosion
Loss of soil particles under the action of water or wind, which can reduce the fertility of plots.
Family farm
Farm where the family plays a central role in work, decisions and transmission, although it can also employ or collaborate with other people.
Mowing
Cutting a meadow or forage crop to produce hay, silage or haylage, depending on weather, plant stage and needs of the herd.
Educational farm
Farm which welcomes the public to explain production, professions, seasons, food and links with living things.
Soil fertility
Ability of a soil to provide water, nutrients and favorable conditions for crop growth.
Sector
Chain of actors going from production to transformation then distribution of an agricultural product.
Agricultural land
Land available to produce, install or transmit an agricultural activity, with issues of price, lease, access, urbanization and competition of uses.
Fodder
Plant food intended for livestock, consumed fresh, grazed, dried, ensiled or wrapped.
Water management on the plot
Set of practices that promote infiltration, limit runoff and secure the water available for crops.
Integrated pest management
Approach combining prevention, observation and targeted interventions to limit health damage.
Purchasing group
Organization of consumers who pool orders with producers or suppliers, with their own rules for choice, delivery and payment.
Live hedge
Alignment of shrubs and trees playing a role in biodiversity, wind, water and landscapes.
Humus
Stable organic fraction of the soil contributing to its structure, fertility and water retention capacity.
Interculture
Period between two main crops, during which the soil can remain bare, be covered or accommodate an intermediate crop.
Interoperability
Ability of several digital tools to exchange understandable data between them without unnecessary re-entry or closed format.
Inputs
All products used to produce: seeds, fertilizers, protective products, energy, livestock feed, etc.
Reasonable irrigation
Water supply adjusted to the actual needs of the crops to optimize the resource and avoid excesses.
Plowing
Soil work which turns the earth before cultivation, useful in certain contexts but to be considered with erosion, structure, energy and life of the soil.
Food logistics
Organization of transport, storage, packaging and deliveries which allows a product to arrive at the right place, at the right time and in good condition.
Biological control
Use of living organisms or natural mechanisms to limit pests, diseases or certain imbalances.
MAEC
Agri-environmental commitments generally multi-year which compensate for targeted practices, for example on meadows, hedges, soils, water or biodiversity.
Public food market
Purchasing procedure used by a community to supply itself with meals or foodstuffs, with criteria that may relate to quality, origin, season or logistics.
Organic matter
All decomposing plant and animal residues that nourish soil life.
Methanization
Biological process transforming organic matter into biogas and digestate that can be used in agriculture.
Mycorrhizae
Associations between soil fungi and plant roots, which can improve access to certain nutrients and participate in the biological life of the soil.
Natura 2000
European network of areas where certain habitats and species must be preserved, which can regulate agricultural uses without excluding any activity.
Nitrates
Mineral forms of nitrogen useful to plants but likely to contaminate water when present in excess or poorly controlled.
Decision support tool
Digital, technical or methodological support which helps to choose an intervention by combining data, rules, observations and production objectives.
CAP
European framework which organizes part of the agricultural aid, obligations and guidelines, with adapted implementation by the competent authorities.
Payment for environmental services
Mechanism that pays for practices producing measurable environmental benefits, such as the protection of water or biodiversity.
Rotational grazing
Method of meadow management which alternates grazed plots in order to improve grass regrowth.
Post-harvest losses
Quantities lost between harvest and consumption due to storage, transport or processing.
soil pH
Indicator of soil acidity or alkalinity, important for nutrient availability, biological activity and the choice of certain practices.
Manure plan
Programming of fertilizer inputs according to crop needs and soil characteristics.
Relay point
Place where ordered or grouped products are delivered to consumers, useful for organizing local sales without a permanent store.
Pollination
Transport of pollen allowing the reproduction of many plants, essential for certain fruit, vegetable and seed crops.
Polyculture-breeding
System that combines crops and livestock on the same farm to better exploit resources.
Permanent meadow
Sustainable meadow, useful for livestock and ecosystems.
Temporary meadow
Meadow planted for a limited period in a rotation, used to produce fodder, structure the soil or diversify the crop rotation.
Price per kilo
Comparison indicator reducing the cost of a product to one kilogram in order to better evaluate price differences between formats and points of sale.
Cost price
Full cost necessary to produce a good or service, including charges, labor, depreciation and possible losses.
Remunerative price
Price to cover production costs and ensure a viable income for the operator.
Territorial food project
Collective approach which organizes the food supply of a territory by linking production, processing, distribution, catering, health and local policies.
Protein crops
Crops rich in proteins (peas, fava beans, lupine, etc.) used in human or animal food.
Differentiated quality
Valorization approach which distinguishes a product by verifiable characteristics linked to quality, production method or origin.
Food relocation
Approach aimed at strengthening food production, processing, distribution and consumption on a closer territorial scale.
Useful soil reserve
Quantity of water that a soil can store and return to plants, depending on its depth, texture, structure and organic matter.
Resilience
Capacity of a farm to absorb a shock (climate, price, health crisis) and to continue operating.
Collective catering
Organization of meals served in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, businesses or administrations, with a potential role in local outlets.
Rotation
Planned alternation of crops on the same plot.
Runoff
Surface flow of water when rain does not infiltrate quickly enough, potentially carrying soil, nutrients or pollutants downstream.
Seasonality
Natural period of production of a food, influencing availability, taste, cost and environmental impact.
Animal health
Monitoring the health status of a herd or animal, combining prevention, observation, care, biosecurity and collective risk management.
Direct sowing
Technique for establishing a crop without prior plowing, which aims to reduce soil work and preserve its structure.
Carbon sequestration
Carbon storage in soils and biomass, helping to mitigate climate change.
Ecosystem services
Benefits provided by ecosystems to human societies, such as pollination, water filtration, carbon storage or soil fertility.
Food sovereignty
Political and economic capacity to choose how to produce, transform, distribute and secure a territory's food supply.
Farm storage
Ability to keep crops, fodder, inputs or processed products on the farm, with issues of quality, safety, cost and sales schedule.
Water stress
Situation where crop water requirements exceed availability, affecting yield and quality.
Territorial food system
Local organization linking production, processing, distribution, consumption, waste, public actors and citizens around food.
Agricultural dashboard
Synthetic view of farm or sector indicators, useful if the data is reliable, up-to-date and linked to concrete decisions.
Soil compaction
Compression of the soil by passages, weight or wet conditions, reducing porosity, rooting, infiltration and ease of work.
Simplified cultivation techniques
Practices reducing the intensity of tillage compared to plowing, in order to limit erosion, preserve the structure and reduce certain costs.
Traceability
Ability to track a product from its origin to its sale using verifiable information.
On-farm processing
Promotion of production directly on the farm (cheese, juice, yogurt, etc.).
Agroecological transition
Path of change that combines technical tests, economic viability, working conditions, reduction of dependencies and measurable effects on living things.
Tillage
All mechanical interventions on the land, from plowing to direct sowing, chosen according to objective, soil, weather, culture and risk of erosion.
Livestock Unit (LGU)
Comparison benchmark which expresses different livestock in a common unit in order to evaluate loading, surface areas or forage needs.
Added value
Wealth created by the processing, quality, origin or method of marketing of a product.
Resistant variety
Variety selected to better tolerate a given disease, stress or condition, without completely eliminating the need for observation.
Direct sales
Marketing of a product from the producer to the consumer without a commercial intermediary, on the farm, at the market, at a relay point or online.
Tall stem orchard
Orchard composed of tall fruit trees, often associated with meadows, traditional landscapes, biodiversity and extensive production.
WALLeSmart
Walloon digital platform which facilitates the secure exchange of agricultural data between tools, farmers and authorized partners.
Zero net artificialization (ZAN)
Objective of land sobriety: reduce the extension of built or waterproofed areas and compensate for losses when the rules provide for it.
Wetland
Space where water has a lasting influence on the soil, vegetation and uses, with functions for biodiversity, water storage and environmental quality.
Buffer zone
Space developed between an agricultural activity and a sensitive environment to reduce the transfer of pollutants, protect water or preserve biodiversity.