Opinion essay

Countryside and agriculture


rural = the adjective for ‘countryside’
a backwater = an area of a country where little of interest happens
rural depopulation = the long-term trend for people to migrate from the countryside to cities, leaving the rural areas with few people
country dwellers = people who live in the countryside (‘city dwellers’ = people who live in cities)
a scarcity= a lack or shortage of something
rural unemployment= unemployment affecting rural workers specifically
rural poverty = being extremely poor in the countryside
material considerations = concerns about money and material possessions
an abundance = a very high level of supply or availability of something
wildlife =animals living naturally in the wild
forestry = the industry of growing and cutting trees
water bodies= inland areas of water (rivers, lakes, reservoirs etc)
subsistence = adjective meaning ‘producing just enough to live on’
self-sufficient = not needing to import or buy resources from outside the farm or country
smallholders = farmers managing very small farms, usually with their families
the wider economy = the national economy in a country
to afflict =to affect (used for problems or diseases)
animal husbandry =the skill of keeping animals
crop rotation = the process of using different fields each year to keep the soil healthy
remote viewing = viewing places by Internet, not in person
environmental awareness = an understanding of environmental issues
far-flung = remote or far away


Government and the authorities