noun
terrace farming; terrace cultivation
Agricultural practice of cutting step-like fields into hillsides or slopes to create flat planting areas.
山間部では階段耕作が広く行われている。
Terrace farming is widely practiced in mountainous areas.
棚田 refers specifically to the terraced rice paddies themselves, while 階段耕作 is the broader agricultural technique of terracing.
Compound of 階段 (stairs, steps) and 耕作 (cultivation, farming).