agribusiness

American  

[ag-ruh-biz-nis] / ˈæg rəˌbɪz nɪs /

Or agrobusiness

noun

1. the businesses collectively associated with the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products.

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agribusiness British  

/ ˈæɡrɪˌbɪznɪs /

noun

1. the various businesses collectively that process, distribute, and support farm products

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agribusiness Cultural  

1. The part of the economy devoted to the production, processing, and distribution of food, including the financial institutions that fund these activities.

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Agribusiness emphasizes agriculture as a big business rather than as the work of small family farms.

Etymology

Origin of agribusiness

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55; agri- + business

Example Sentences

Hundreds of Indigenous people have been protesting in northern Brazil for two weeks outside the port terminal of US agribusiness giant Cargill, angered over the dredging and development of Amazonian rivers for grain exports.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

"We want our lands free from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal miners and illegal loggers," he said.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Andersons said results in its agribusiness were hurt by spending patterns as “with a large harvest and low market prices, feed and end-use customers continue to limit their purchasing to immediate needs.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

The University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119 said that it requested records in December 2024 in an attempt to understand whether the lab was able to properly service the state’s agribusiness.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025

On one side of the fight were the agribusiness corporations, which had just jumped onto the organic food bandwagon.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan