What Is the Scientific Definition of Producer?

In science, a producer is an autotrophic organism that can be consumed by another organism as a source of food. The classification of producer can also be used for organisms that create their own food. The most widely recognized producers of this type are plants, which use the process of photosynthesis to convert the energy of the sun into nutrition.

While they are located at the bottom, producers are an important part of the food chain, functioning as the primary step between the passive energy of the sun and consumers whose diets include vegetation. Even carnivores are dependent on producers to provide nutrition to herbivores, like rabbits and other small game that the carnivores eat.