Is the world efficient about what we grow, how we grow and where we grow? Agriculture is the backbone of survival and one hardly considers agriculture as a potential threat to the environment. But the truth is that few agricultural practices impact Global warming and prove detrimental for the planet Earth. We definitely picture cars and smokestacks but not our platter of food when we hear about Global warming.

It turns out that Agriculture is one of the greatest contributors to global warming, which emits much more greenhouse gases than big trucks, cars, trains and even airplanes combined.

Culprits of agriculture

The main culprits of agriculture are nitrous oxide coming from fertilized fields, increased carbon dioxide due to cutting of rain forests to grow crops or raise livestock and methane gas released by cattle and rice farms.

Farming consumes most of our precious water supplies and also serves as the major water polluter, thanks to runoff from fertilizers, chemical and pesticides. Manures also pollute water bodies and coastal ecosystems across the globe.

Agriculture also accelerates the loss of biodiversity by replacing forests with farm lands and leading to loss of crucial habitat of wildlife.

Few sustainable ways to feed the generations to come

Thus we see that agriculture poses critical environmental challenges and they are increasingly become more pressing as humans worldwide desperately try to meet the growing need for food.

Globally, an area approximately the size of South America has already been cleared to grow crops and roughly one more mid-sized continent to raise livestock till date. The loss of prairies ecosystems of North America and the Atlantic forest of Brazil could be attributed to agriculture. The situation now no longer allows the world to increase food production through agricultural expansion.

Here are few ways to solve the world’s food dilemma.

1. Stop deforestation as trading tropical forests for farmland is the most destructive things we could possibly do.
2. The practice should be to grow more on the already available farms.
3. The world should now focus on increasing yields on less productive farmlands by using improved and hi-tech farming practices.
4. Organic farming is also a good way to boost yields. It facilitates judicious use water and chemicals as it incorporates cover crops, mulches, and compost to improve soil quality and use less water.
5. Commercial farming is good bet as it uses innovative ways to better target the application of fertilizers and pesticides. Computerized tractors equipped with advanced sensors and GPS help in this process.

It’s likely that there will be two billion more mouths to feed by the middle of this century. Moreover, with the increasing prosperity there is a rise in demand for meat and dairy products and thus, boosting the growth of corn and soybeans to feed the cattle. This could well necessitate doubling the amount of crops grown by the year 2050. Developed countries should take steps to reduce wastage by serving smaller portions and eating leftovers. Food joints, restaurants and supermarkets should effectively take measures to eradicate wastage .

picture courtesy- Louis Daria