2. What is
Agriculture?
The art of cultivating soil to raise crops (farming)
Mass production of crops for profits (industrialized agriculture)
Breeding of livestock and poultry
Refinement of animals, plants, and fungi for food
3. Benefits of
Industrialized Agriculture
Improved Food Quality
Secures Adequate Food Supplies for Large Human
Populations
Foods and Products can be Engineered to Have Higher
Nutrients and Minerals
Produces Superior Yields of Crops and Promotes Financial
Development
4. Challenges of
Industrialized Agricultural
Land Cultivation causes Soil Erosion And Land Degradation
Destroys Natural Ecosystems
Global Decline in Diversity of Croplands
Use of Fossil Fuels and Pesticides Pollute the Air
5. Finding Sustainable
Food Production
Cutting Back on Pesticides and Fertilizers
Recycle Crop Waste Deposits
Increasing Variation in Plant Cultivation
Support Low-input Farming
6. Pros & Cons of Alternative Food
Production
Does Self-maintain agricultural development work?
How Does Poly-culture Farming help the environment?
Is Organic Farming Really Better?
7. References
Wiley Plus (2012) Visualizing Environmental Science:
Agriculture and Food Resources retrieved from
http://edugen.wiley.com/edugen/student/main.uni database.
Editor's Notes
“We used to be a nation of farmers, but now it's less than two percent of the population in the United States. So a lot of us don't know a lot about what it takes to grow food.”- Judith Redmond, Full Belly Farms
In our modern lives we generally do not feel a connection with farming or agriculture. Farming is something that is done in the Midwestern small town; far from the cities and suburbs where most people live. The fact is that farming, crop production, and raising livestock and other farm animals affects every person not only in the United States, but in the world. Agriculture is the process of tending the land for food production. Food is an essential element to survival for any form of life and, human beings are no exception; without food we would eventually cease to exist. Generally when we think of farmer we think of the small “mom and pop” farms, also known as substance agriculture, but there is land cultivation and food production on a massive scale happening throughout the United States, (Wiley, 2012). Substance agriculture and industrialized agriculture generally sit on opposite end of the farming spectrum; one side being small local farmers growing to support themselves and their families. The other end of the spectrum lies with industrialized agriculture; large scale production often of a single specific crop to supple largely populated areas, (Wiley, 2012).
Industrial agriculture has become more widely used over the past century because of its profitability and productivity. Agriculture on an industrial scale promotes genetic enhancement of livestock and crops. Often human growth hormones are used to enhance cattle, poultry, and other livestock. This is done to increase the size of the animal and produce more meat and profits. This is also done in a similar manner to crops, but can also be injected with vital nutrients and mineral that can help people live healthier lives. Industrialized agriculture also allows for food cultivation to be “relatively” inexpensive for growers, which is often a result of monocultures (production of one type of crop over a large land area). Also, due to the use of pesticides and fertilizers food crops grow larger with less interferences from insects and with less effort from “farmers.” Food supplies are also able to stay fresh for longer durations during export to other parts of the world. This means more people around the world are able to eat and obtain proper nutrients, (Wiley, 2012).
While industrialized agriculture does produce more yield and allows the growth of large cities and urban communities it also has a “dark side,” which we seldom hear about. Industrialized agriculture uses products such as pesticides, which collects into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels also contribute to air pollution and are used to power large machinery and agricultural factories, (Wiley, 2012). Industrialized agriculture depletes ground water resources because of large irrigation systems. While according to Wiley, water logged soil from improper irrigation largely contributes to land degradation. Waste run off from livestock and pesticide into water supplies, pollution of soil and loss of terrestrial productiveness are all challenges that humans are faced with as industrialized agriculture advances, (Wiley, 2012). The pollution from industrialized agriculture has the potential to severally deplete massive fresh water resources, and often causes salinization in farming land. Salinization is a buildup of salt in to soil and is caused by improper irrigation. These problems will not solve themselves so we must look to new methods for farming and raising livestock.
Sustainable agriculture is basically the return to traditional farming methods combined with new innovative ideas. Traditional farming did not rely on the use of pesticides to fend of “pests.” Farmers would use methods of farming that decrease land pollution, soil erosion, and replenishes biodiversity. Biodiversity also helps to fend off insects and allow soil to sustain crops and plant life for longer times, with less damage. Also if farmers were to begin recycling waste from crops and use manure from fields for compost; the need for artificial chemically enhanced fertilizer would decrease, (Wiley, 2012).There are even ideas about utilizing treated/mature human waste in order to be used as a natural crop fertilizer, which while seemingly disgusting actually could be very beneficial for cultivation process, but should only be used after the waste has been well treated. A sustainable farm will generally produce less food, but also leaves a significantly smaller environmental foot print on the planet, and help to replenish farming land for future cultivation without pollution; this is an idea worth looking into.
The production of food is an absolute human necessity that has the potential to destroy the environmental stability of our planet, if left unchecked. Industrial agriculture poses a series of environmental threats, but this does not have to be the case. Human beings has the opportunity to become educated about the best methods for land cultivation. If every household were able to plant small vegetable gardens it would significantly decrease air and soil pollution of large industrialized agricultural farms. Independent local farms, specify crop to the local environment and put less stress on the land by using natural grow cycles. Smaller farms can specified to local areas and reduce to need for larger farm manufacturing and the harsh chemicals that come with them. Organic farming uses no chemical enhancements, pesticides, or fertilizers o crops and for live stock, (Wiley, 2012). Organic farming is often seen as one of the most natural farming process and because the crops do not experience any alteration from chemicals some suggest that the crops taste better. If you really want to know head down to your local farmer’s market or start a garden of your own.
“Sowing is not as difficult as reaping”-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
