Richard G. Lugar, United States Senator for Richard G. Lugar, United States Senator for Indiana
Richard G. Lugar, United States Senator for Indiana
Home > Senator Lugar's Farm Bill > Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws

Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws

  G

GAO — Government Accountability Office, formerly the General Accounting Office. www.gao.gov.
GAP — Government Accountability Project.
Gas chromatograph / mass spectrometer — An analytical technique for identifying the molecular composition and concentrations of various chemicals in water and soil samples.
Gasohol — Registered trade name for a blend consisting of 90% unleaded gasoline and 10% fermentation ethanol. Gasohol emissions contain less carbon monoxide than those from gasoline.
Gasoline equivalent gallons (GEG) — This measure standardizes fuels on the basis of the Btu value of a gallon of gasoline. One gallon of gasoline is 125,000 Btu. One gallon of ethanol equals 0.65 GEG. One gallon of regular diesel and B20 (20% biodiesel) equals 1.11 GEG.
GATT — General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (see Uruguay Round and World Trade Organization.).
GDP — Gross domestic product.
GE — Genetic engineering, or genetically engineered.
GEG — Gasoline equivalent gallons.
Gene stacking — Involves using genetic engineering (GE) to combine traits (e.g., herbicide tolerance and insect resistance) in the seed of one crop.
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) — An agreement originally negotiated in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1947 to increase international trade by reducing tariffs and nontariff trade barriers. The agreement provides a code of conduct for international commerce and a framework for periodic multilateral negotiations on trade liberalization and expansion. The original agreement and its elaboration through several rounds of multilateral negotiations is referred to as GATT 1947. The Uruguay Round Agreements (resulting from negotiations that stretched from 1986 through 1993 among over 100 nations) emphasized the elimination of nontariff barriers to GATT's traditional focus on lowering tariffs and also established the World Trade Organization (WTO) to replace the mechanisms created by the GATT. Among the agreements negotiated in the Uruguay Round and administered by the WTO are the Agreement on Agriculture and the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. The WTO officially entered into force on January 1, 1995. The WTO administers the GATT 1947, the various agreements resulting from the Uruguay Round negotiations (known collectively as GATT 1994), and dispute resolution among WTO member countries.
General Sales Manager (GSM) — General Sales Manager of the Foreign Agricultural Service. This office administers the export credit guarantee programs (GSM-102 and GSM-103), the export enhancement program, the P.L. 480 program, and other USDA export assistance programs.
General Services Support Estimate (GSSE) — An OECD indicator of the annual monetary value of gross transfers of general services provided to agriculture collectively, arising from policy measures that support agriculture, regardless of their nature, objectives and impacts on farm production, income, or consumption of farm products. Examples include research and development, education, infrastructure, and marketing and promotion programs. The GSSE can be expressed in monetary terms or as a percentage of the total support to agriculture (percentage GSSE). See Producer support estimate (PSE), Consumer support estimate (CSE), and Total support estimate (TSE).
Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) — A regulatory category created for a group of food additives that were exempted from the more rigorous regulatory requirements for food additives in the 1958 Food Additives Amendment (P.L. 85-929)to the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938 (21 U.S.C. 321 et seq.). A substance is accorded GRAS status if qualified experts generally agree that science has shown it to be safe in food under the conditions of its intended use.
Generic advertising and promotion (check-offs) — The promotion of a particular commodity without reference to a specific producer, brand name, or manufacturer. Because individual producers of nearly homogeneous agricultural commodities cannot easily convince consumers to choose one egg or orange or a single cut of beef over another, they often have joined together in commodity promotion programs to use generic advertising in an effort to expand total demand for the commodity, with the objective of helping their own sales as well. Activities are intended to expand both domestic and export demand; examples include advertising, nutrition education, research to improve product quality and appeal, market research studies, and technical assistance. These activities are often self-funded through assessments on marketings--hence, the name check-off programs. Congress has permitted producer groups to make check-offs mandatory, and this aspect has generated legal challenges by some producers, who contend they must pay taxes for activities they would not underwrite voluntarily. The U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. United Foods, Inc., 533 U.S. 405, 412 (2001) ruled that the mushroom check-off violated the Constitutional free speech provisions (First Amendment), creating uncertainty about the future of other check-offs. Since then, separate lower federal courts have ruled that various check-offs also are unconstitutional. However, on May 23, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that the beef check-off does not violate the First Amendment. In its decision, Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association and Nebraska Cattlemen v. Livestock Marketing Association (Nos. 03-1164 and 03-1165), a majority of the Court agreed with check-off defenders that the programs are in fact "government speech" (an issue that was not considered in the mushroom decision). Most legal observers predict that this decision will be used to defend other challenges to check-offs.
Generic certificates — Commodity certificates used by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) in the 1980s to meet payment obligations and simultaneously dispose of commodity inventories. Farmers paid with generic certificates could trade them for commodities owned and stored by the CCC.
Genetic engineering — The use of recombinant DNA or other specific molecular gene transfer or exchange techniques to add desirable traits to plants, animals, or other organisms, or to enhance biological processes (7 CFR 340.1). Organisms modified by genetic engineering are sometimes referred to as transgenic, bioengineered, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates the release of genetically engineered organisms for field experiments, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates their use in food animals and crops.
Genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs) — A group of complex genetic transformations that insert a genetic "off switch" in plants to prevent the unauthorized practice of replanting saved seed and thus benefitting from unique genetic traits without providing any return to the company that created them. (See Terminator seeds.).
Genetically modified organisms (GMO) — A term, currently used most often in international trade discussions, that designates crops carrying new traits that have been inserted through genetic engineering (e.g., Roundup Ready soybeans, Bt cotton, Bt corn). GMO crops are meeting resistence from some trading partners, particularly the European Union, that are responding in turn to consumer concerns over public health and environmental safety aspects of GMOs. GMOs are not permitted in the USDA National Organic Program that became effective in October 2002 (7 CFR 205). The U.S. scientific community maintains that research shows GMOs to be safe and that the regulatory process for their commercial approval, which includes USDA, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the EPA, is an adequate safeguard against any potential problems.
Genome — All the genetic material in the chromosomes of a particular organism. USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has a Plant Genome Mapping Program to identify, characterize, and map the position of agriculturally important genes on the chromosomes of plants grown as crops or trees in order to better use these genes for improving the characteristics of the plant (resistance to disease, higher yields, etc.).
Geographic Information System (GIS) — Computerized systems used to compile, retrieve, analyze, and display spatially referenced data. Farming activities that utilize GIS typically include harvesting, fertilizing, pest control, seeding, and irrigation. Use of GIS is called precision farming.
Geographical indications (GIs) — Geographical indications are place names, or words closely associated with places that are used to identify wines, spirits, and certain other, mainly food and agricultural, products. Examples include Champagne, Idaho potatoes, Roquefort cheese, Scotch whiskey, Swiss watches, or Tequila. The WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) says geographical indications in general should be protected, at least with a view to avoiding unfair competition and consumers being misled. Currently, TRIPS accords a higher level protection to geographical indications for wines and spirits (even if consumers are not misled or if using the names does not constitute an act of unfair competition). In WTO trade negotiations, some countries have proposed extending the higher level of protection to other food and agricultural products.
Geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers — Defined in the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 10906) as a farmer or rancher in an insular area or a state other than 1 of the 48 contiguous states. This law requires the USDA to submit a report to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees describing barriers to agricultural production in such regions, and means of encouraging and assisting those in such areas to own and operate farms and ranches, and participate in USDA agricultural programs.
Germicide — Any compound that kills disease-causing microorganisms. Germicides must be registered as pesticides.
Gilt — See Barrows and gilts.
GIPSA — Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration. www.usda.gov/gipsa.
GIS — Geographic information systems.
Gleaning — Collecting unharvested crops from fields or obtaining unused agricultural products from farmers, processors, or retailers, usually for distribution to food banks and charitable feeding organizations.
Global Food for Education Initiative(GFEI) — A pilot project, launched in FY2000, which used the donation of surplus agricultural commodities under Section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (P.L. 89-439, as amended) to support a global school feeding program. The GFEI has been superseded by the McGovern-Dole International School Feeding and Child Nutrition Program (IFEP), established by the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 3107). By decision of the President, the McGovern-Dole Program was to be administered by USDA.
Global Positioning System (GPS) — A network of satellites that can be used by ground-based units to precisely determine their location by latitude and longitude. GPS is part of the infrastructure required to operate geographic information systems that are used to practice precision farming.
Global warming — See Climate change and/or Greenhouse gases.
Gluten — Wheat proteins collectively are called gluten. Generally, higher protein wheat flour has a more sticky dough and makes higher rising yeast breads because the fermentation gasses do not readily escape. Some people are allergic to wheat gluten (gluten intolerance). Concentrated wheat gluten powder is manufactured and sold to bakeries. The import of wheat gluten (in competition with U.S. manufacturers) has created trade disputes in the past. Corn gluten meal and corn gluten feed are coproducts of corn syrup and ethanol production. Corn gluten meal is a higher protein feed for poultry, swine, fish, and pet foods. Corn gluten feed is a medium protein feed ingredient for beef and dairy cattle. Large amounts of corn gluten feed and meal are exported in addition to being used domestically.
GMA — Grocery Manufacturers of America. www.gmabrands.com.
GMO — Genetically modified organism.
GMP — Good manufacturing practices.
Goldschmidt Thesis — The thesis, by Walter Goldschmidt, that farm scale and other management characteristics (e.g., wage labor) are associated with certain community characteristics. Goldschmidt was a California anthropologist who conducted pioneering rural community research under USDA's Bureau of Agricultural Economics on two California farming communities (Arvin and Dinuba). His 1944 research showed that large-scale, especially industrial, farm structures in one community were associated with adverse community conditions. Smaller-scale, owner-operated farms in the other community, were associated with more vibrant, diverse economies and with higher standards of living. A large body of research has accumulated testing the Goldschmidt Thesis. However, the validity of the thesis that farm structural characteristics dominating an area can produce certain rural community characteristics remains ambiguous. Research results supporting the thesis and other conclusions casting doubt on it have characterized the debate for over 50 years.
Good Faith Provisions — Good faith provisions, enacted in the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 1613), allow the USDA to forgive a participant from the loss of commodity and conservation program benefits when it is determined that the participant either tried but failed to fully comply with program requirements, or relied on faulty (incorrect) advice from the USDA. This provision applies to conservation and commodity programs, but not to credit or crop insurance programs.
Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) — Standards published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and used by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure the quality of marketed products and that products are produced under sanitary conditions. Any FDA-regulated product can be designated adulterated if the manufacturing methods or facilities for processing do not conform with GMPs. GMPs are developed through a consultative process between the FDA and the affected industry. (21 CFR 110 and 210).
Good samaritan laws — With respect to food and agriculture programs, these laws are designed to encourage the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations serving the needy by minimizing the risks of legal actions against donors and distributors of the foods. The Model Good Samaritan Food Donation Act was amended and revised in 1996 and renamed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act (P.L. 104-210; 42 U.S.C. 1791) in memory of the late Missouri Representative who sponsored and championed good samaritan laws. It excludes from civil or criminal liability a person or nonprofit food organization that, in good faith, donates or distributes donated foods for food relief. Protection does not apply to an injury or death resulting from gross neglect or intentional misconduct and does not supersede state or local health regulations. See Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act.
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) — This 1993 law (P.L. 103-62) requires most federal agencies, including USDA, to develop and adhere to new planning, evaluation, and reporting requirements, such as mission statements, strategic plans, annual performance plans, and annual performance reports. These documents must include explicit goals and objectives, descriptions of how they will be achieved, and establishment of measurable performance indicators to determine success, among other things. Because GPRA requirements must be tied closely to annual budgeting, and because some in Congress have made oversight of the Act a priority, USDA and its agencies have devoted considerable time and resources to implementation.
Government sponsored enterprise (GSE) — A privately owned, federally chartered corporation designed to provide a source of credit nationwide, and limited to servicing one economic sector (e.g., agriculture, education, or housing). Each GSE is given certain features or benefits (such as implicit federal guarantees on its funds) to enhance its ability to borrow money. Such benefits allow GSEs to overcome the barriers that hinder the development of private markets. Examples of agricultural GSEs are the Farm Credit System and Farmer Mac. Other GSEs include the Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Bank System (FHLB Banks).
GPCP — Great Plains Conservation Program.
GPRA — Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-62).
GPS — Global Positioning System (see Precision farming).
Grade A milk — Milk produced under sufficiently sanitary conditions to qualify for fluid (beverage) consumption. It is also referred to as fluid grade milk. Only Grade A milk is regulated under federal milk marketing orders. Grade B milk (also referred to as manufacturing grade milk) does not meet fluid grade standards and can only be used in cheese, butter and nonfat dry milk. More than 90% of all milk produced nationally is Grade A. Therefore, much of the Grade A milk supply is used in manufactured dairy products.
Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance — Minimum standards and requirements for Grade A milk production and processing are outlined in the Grade A Pasturized Milk Ordinance (PMO) published by the Food and Drug Administration. Grade A standards are recommended by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS), which is comprised of voting representatives from state and local regulatory agencies, and non-voting representatives of the dairy industry and FDA. As a general rule, FDA accepts the Conference recommendations and incorporates them into the revised PMO. The state regulator (which is usually either the State Department of Agriculture or the State Health Department) adopts the PMO standards as a minimum, and in many cases requires more stringent standards.
Grades and standards — The segregation, or classification, of agricultural commodities into groupings that share common characteristics. Grades provide a common trading language, or common reference, so that buyers and sellers can more easily determine the quality (and therefore value) of those commodities. Two USDA agencies, the Agricultural Marketing Service and Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration, serve as objective sources for this information. These agencies develop common grades and standards and conduct inspection and grading services for most food and farm products, and industry pays for most of the cost through user fees. Adoption and application of official U.S. Grain Standards is authorized by the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA; 7 U.S.C. 71 et seq).
Grading certificates — A formal document setting forth the quality of a commodity as determined by authorized inspectors or graders.
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) — An agency established in 1994 that combined the functions of the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) and the Packers and Stockyards Administration (P&S). FGIS provides grain marketing standards and an official inspection system. P&S programs are regulatory in nature to protect livestock producers by ensuring open and competitive markets.
Grain reserve — A phrase that might refer to any of several grain reserve programs that have operated in the past (i.e., the farmer-owned grain reserve, the strategic grain reserve, food security wheat reserve, or the food security commodity reserve). The only reserve now in operation is the 4 million metric ton Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust.
Grain Standards Act of 1916 — See United States Grain Standards Act of 1916 (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.).
Grains Trade Convention (GTC) — See International Grains Agreement.
Grains — Grain crops are categorized various ways, and none of the categories are precisely defined. Cereals are members of the grass family cultivated primarily for their starchy seeds. They may be used as human food or livestock feed depending upon region and/or cultural tradition. Wheat, rice, corn (maize), rye, oats, barley, sorghum (milo), and some of the millets are common cereals. The category small grains typically includes wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Coarse grains or feed grains generally refers to those used primarily for animal feed (i.e., corn, barley, oats, sorghum). Food grains refers to wheat and rice. Sometimes, oilseed crops are included in discussions of grain crops. Wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, upland cotton, rice, soybeans, other oilseeds are called covered commodities in the 2002 farm bill and are eligible for marketing loans, direct payments, and counter-cyclical (P.L. 101-171, Title I).
Grange — The Order of the Patrons of Husbandry. www.grange.org.
Granger-Thye Act of 1950 — P.L. 81-478 established a new direction for some aspects of National Forest System management; authorized the use of grazing fee receipts for rangeland improvement; authorized the Forest Service to issue grazing permits for terms up to 10 years; authorized the Forest Service to participate in funding cooperative forestry and rangeland resource improvements; established grazing advisory boards; and, authorized the Forest Service to assist with work on private forest lands.
GRAS — Generally recognized as safe.
Grass Lands — A general term for land where the dominant vegetation is grasses; examples include prairie, range land, and pastureland.
Grassed waterway — A generally broad and shallow depression planted with erosion-resistant grasses, which is used to convey surface waters off of or across cropland.
Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) — The 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec 2401), authorizes enrollment of 2 million acres of restored or improved grassland, range land and pastureland under temporary and permanent easements, or contracts of at least 10 years. Enrolled land must be in parcels that exceed 40 acres. Technical assistance is provided to restore grasslands. A total of $254 million in mandatory funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) between FY2003 and FY2007 is provided. It also provides cost sharing payments at 75% to restore disturbed grasslands and 90% to protect virgin grasslands. www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/GRP.
Grassroots Source Water Protection Program — This program, more commonly called the Source Water Protection Program and enacted in the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 2502), authorizes the appropriation of $5 million annually in discretionary funds from FY2002 through FY2007 to use the technical assistance capabilities of rural water associations that operate wellhead or groundwater protection programs. www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/sourcewater04.htm.
Grazed acreage — Under the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 101-171, Sec. 1206), a producer that would be eligible for loan deficiency payments (LDPs) for wheat, barley, or oats, but agrees to graze livestock and forego harvesting the crops is eligible for a payment equal to the LDP on the date of the agreement. Grazed triticale acreage is eligible for a payment equal to a wheat payment.
Grazing district — An administrative unit of BLM-managed rangelands established by the Secretary of the Interior under Section 3 of the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934.
Grazing fee — A charge, usually on a monthly basis, for grazing a specific kind of livestock. For federal lands, the grazing fee is based on a formula found in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act (PRIA) (P.L. 95-514). The federal grazing fee is equal to a base fee of ($1.23 x the Forage Value Index (FVI)) + (the Beef Price Index (BPI)) - (the Prices Paid Index (PPI)) ÷ (100) and is charged per animal unit month.
Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) — A program started by USDA under its discretionary authority in 1991 and then specifically authorized as the Conservation of Private Grazing Lands Program by the 1996 farm bill (P.L. 104-127) to provide increased technical and educational assistance to conserve and enhance private grazing lands. This program was amended by the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 2502). More than 60% of the country's grazing lands are considered to have serious environmental problems that could lessen their productive capacity if corrective actions are not taken. www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/glci.
Grazing Management Demonstration Districts — The Conservation of Private Grazing Lands Program authorizes 2 demonstration districts, to be selected by the Secretary from landowner applications, where sound grazing practices will be promoted. Each district is to be supported by a technical advisory committee.
Grazing permit/license/lease — Official written permission to graze a specific number, kind, and class of livestock for a specified time period on defined federal rangeland.
Grazing preference — The status of qualified holders of grazing permits acquired by grant, prior use, or purchase, that entitles them to special consideration over applicants who have not acquired preference.
Grazing privilege — The benefit or advantage enjoyed by a person or company beyond the common advantage of other citizens to graze livestock on federal lands. Privilege may be created by permit, license, lease, or agreement.
Great Lakes Basin Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Program — The 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 2502) authorized $5 million annually in discretionary funds from FY2002 through FY2007 to implement new authority for a soil erosion and sediment control program in this basin that had been established in a number of prior enactments. www.glc.org/basin.
Great Plains Conservation Program (GPCP) — This program, initiated in 1957, provided cost share and technical assistance to apply conservation on entire farms in 10 Great Plains states from the Dakotas and Montana to Texas and New Mexico. Contracts were limited to $35,000. At the end of 1995, over 6,800 farms in 558 counties with 20 million acres were participating. It was replaced by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in the 1996 farm bill (P.L. 104-127).
Green box policies — Domestic or trade policies that are deemed to be minimally trade-distorting and that are excluded from reduction commitments in the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. Examples are domestic policies dealing with research, extension, inspection and grading, environmental and conservation programs, disaster relief, crop insurance, domestic food assistance, food security stocks, structural adjustment programs, and direct payments not linked to production. Trade measures or policies such as export market promotion (but not export subsidies or foreign food aid) are also exempt. See Blue box policies, and Amber box policies.
Green payments — Payments made to producers as compensation for environmental benefits that accrue as a result of or in conjunction with their farming activities. The Conservation Security Program, authorized in the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 2001-2006), generally is viewed as the first green payments program in this country, paying producers to provide conservation benefits on land from which food and fiber are being produced.
Greenhouse effect — The effect of gases, known as greenhouse gases, in the Earth's atmosphere that trap infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface, thereby creating the Earth's relatively warm atmospheric temperatures. Over the past century there has been an increasingly rapid increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the stratosphere, with predictions by many scientists that the effect of this increase would be a rise in the Earth's temperature. There has been an increase in the Earth's average temperature of about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past 100 years, but because of a complex array of feedback mechanisms among terrestrial, oceanic and atmospheric systems, and for other reasons, there continues to be debate on specific effects of the increase in greenhouse gases on climate. The climate has varied widely in the past; current predictions for global warming range from very little change associated with the increase in these gases to the most recent range of between 3 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century, posited by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, a large group of scientists from around the world who form an advisory group to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)).
GRIP — Gross Revenue Insurance Plan; Group Risk Income Protection.
Gross domestic product (GDP) — Gross domestic product is a measure of the market value of goods and services produced in the United States. The Bureau of Economic Analysis constructs two complementary measures of GDP, one based on income and one based on expenditures. It is measured on the product side by adding up the labor, capital, and tax costs of producing the output. On the expenditure side, GDP is measured by adding up expenditures by households, businesses, government and net foreign purchases. Theoretically, these two measures should be equal. However, due to problems collecting data, there is often a discrepancy between the two measures. The GDP price deflator is used to convert output measured at current prices into constant-dollar GDP.
Gross farm income — The monetary and non-monetary income received by farm operators. Its main components include cash receipts from the sale of farm products, government payments, other farm income (such as income from custom work), value of food and fuel produced and consumed on the same farm, rental value of farm dwellings, and change in value of year-end inventories of crops and livestock.
Gross income — In food assistance programs, gross cash income (either monthly or yearly) is the major determinant of eligibility. See Gross farm income.
Gross processing margin (GPM) — This refers to the difference between the cost of a commodity and the combined sales income of the finished products that result from processing the commodity. Various industries have formulas to express the relationship of raw material costs to sales income from finished products.
Gross Revenue Insurance Plan (GRIP) — A form of direct payment, used in Canada, combining a crop insurance component and a revenue protection component. Farmers finance one-third of the premiums paid out under the revenue protection component. The GRIP makes payments when market revenue falls short of a producer's target revenue. Target revenue per acre for an individual crop is based on historical yields, a multi-year moving average of price, and a level of insurance coverage chosen by the producer.
Gross ton-mile — The movement of the combined weight of railcars and their contents a distance of one mile.
Ground and Surface Water Conservation Program (GSWCP) — A new component of EQIP enacted in the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171, Sec. 2301) to improve irrigation and water use efficiency, and reduce water use by agriculture. Mandatory funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) starts at $25 million in FY2002, and increases to $60 million annually between FY2004 and FY2007. In addition, $50 million is to go to the Klamath Basin in Oregon and California to carry out water conservation activities.
Groundwater — The water from wells and underground aquifers. An estimated 95% of the drinking water used in rural areas is from groundwater. Because of its use as drinking water, there is concern over contamination from leaching agricultural and industrial pollutants or leaking underground storage tanks.
Group of Eight (G-8 or G8) — Originating with a meeting in 1975 of the heads of state of 6 major industrial democracies, and then the addition of Canada in 1976, the G-7 included France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. Since 1992, the group has been referred to as the (G-8) as Russia has become a regular attendee and a formal member in 2006. In recent years, the European Union has been represented at G-8 deliberations by the President of the European Commission. While the leaders meet annually to deal with the major economic and political issues facing their domestic societies and the international community as a whole, their personal representatives meet regularly to discuss the agenda and monitor progress. In addition, the G-8 has developed a network of supporting ministerial meetings, and ministers and officials also meet on an ad hoc basis to deal with pressing issues. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/.
Group of Six (G-6 or G6) — G-6 is the name used during the Doha round of WTO negotiations in reference to the United States, European Union, Japan, Brazil, India and Australia.
Group of Thirty-Three (G-33 or G33) — G-33 is the name used for a group of 42 developing countries (as of March 2006) with large but poor farm sectors consisting of: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, China, Congo (which one), Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, South Korea, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The group proposed special rules for developing countries during the Doha round of WTO negotiations, such as a proposal that at least 20% of their tariff lines should eligible for 'special product' status and therefore protected from import competition. The criteria for selection would be food security, livelihood security, and rural development.
Group of Twenty (G-20 or G20) — A group of developing countries that coalesced during the 5th Ministerial Conference of the WTO held in Cancun, Mexico, in November 2003. The G-20 developed a counter-proposal to one put forth jointly by the United States and the EU. The group advocated a multilateral agreement on agricultural trade liberalization that would make deeper cuts in farm support than proposed by the United States and EU; eliminate export subsidies; and continue special and differential treatment for all developing countries. The G-20 continued to advocate those positions in on-going WTO agricultural negotiations. The G-20 is composed of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Venezuela. Since formation of the group, some, but not all, of the countries negotiating free trade agreements with the United States, e.g., Costa Rica and Guatemala, have distanced themselves from the G-20. The original group, formed by the signatories of the August 20, 2003, document, went through many changes, being known by different names such as the G-21 or the G-22 until assuming the name of the G-20, based on the date of its establishment. http://www.g-20.mre.gov.br/index.asp.
Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP) — A county-based revenue insurance program, that is a variation of Group Risk Protection (GRP). GRIP pays a participating producer when the county revenue per acre for an insured crop falls below a trigger revenue selected by the insured producer, regardless of the actual revenue level of the individual producer. It is available on a limited basis where GRP is currently available.
Group Risk Protection (GRP) — A form of crop insurance available in certain parts of the country that makes an indemnity payment to all participating crop farmers in a particular area when the entire county's crop production is a certain percentage below the normal production level of the county. This differs from the basic crop insurance program that makes payments to participating farmers when the individual farmer's own crop yield is less than the producer's normal yield.
Growing degree day (GDD) — See Growing degree unit (GDU).
Growing degree unit (GDU) — The GDU, sometimes called the growing degree day (GDD), is a commonly used measure of heat accumulation. Unless stressed by other environmental factors like moisture, the development rate from emergence to maturity for many plants depends upon the daily air temperature. Because many developmental events of plants and insects depend on the accumulation of specific quantities of heat, it is possible to predict when these events should occur during a growing season regardless of differences in temperatures from year to year. Growing degrees (GDs) is defined as the number of temperature degrees above a certain threshold base temperature, which varies among crop species. The base temperature is that temperature below which plant growth is zero. GDs are calculated each day as maximum temperature minus the minimum temperature divided by 2 (or the mean temperature), minus the base temperature. GDUs are accumulated by adding each day's GDs contribution as the season progresses. GDUs can be used to: assess the suitability of a region for production of a particular crop; estimate the growth-stages of crops, weeds or even life stages of insects; predict maturity and cutting dates of forage crops; predict best timing of fertilizer or pesticide application; estimate the heat stress on crops; plan spacing of planting dates to produce separate harvest dates. Crop specific indices that that employ separate equations for the influence of the daily minimum (nighttime) and the maximum (daytime) temperatures on growth are call crop heat units (CHUs).
Growing season — The time period, usually measured in days, between the last freeze in the spring and the first frost in the fall. Growing seasons vary depending on local climate and geography. It can also vary by crop, as different plants have different freezing thresholds. It also is an important component in defining wetland areas.
GRP — Grasslands Reserve Program
GSM — General Sales Manager.
GSP — Generalized System of Preferences.
GSWP — Ground and Surface Water Conservation Program.
Gully erosion — Also called ephemeral gully erosion, this process occurs when water flows in narrow channels during or immediately after heavy rains or melting snow. A gully is sufficiently deep that it would not be routinely destroyed by tillage operations whereas rill erosion is smoothed by ordinary farm tillage. The narrow channels, or gullies, may be of considerable depth, ranging from 1 to 2 feet to as much as 75 to 100 feet. Gully erosion is not accounted for in the revised universal soil loss equation. In a few states gully erosion is substantial, but in most areas more soil is lost through the other two forms of water erosion, sheet erosion and rill erosion.
GURT — Genetic Use Restriction Technologies.