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Environmental Impact of Conventional Agriculture
Abstract
In the last decades conventional agriculture has caused the decrease in organic matter content in the soil and the accumulation of toxic compounds, thus affecting soil fertility and health. But the impact is not only felt on soil, one of the main causes of global warming is also intensive chemical fertilisation of agricultural crops. The intensification of conventional agriculture is considered the major factor that influenced the release from the soil into the atmosphere of “greenhouse gases” such as: nitrous oxide (N₂0) and methane (CH₄) who are mainly produced by the spreading of animal fertilizers. This paper aims to determine the impact of conventional agriculture through a comparative study between the conventional defining elements of the intensive system and the ecofriendly alternatives in the extensive system, identifying in this way the possibilities to reduce pollution and to strengthen sustainable agriculture.
... The conventional food system has negative environmental and human impacts, including increased atmospheric greenhouse gasses and increased rates of chronic disease (Girip et al., 2020;Lane and Davis, 2022). Alternative food networks (AFNs) emerged to counteract both the environmental and social issues embedded in the conventional food system; they vary from organic food to biodynamic farming systems to small scale urban and rural agriculture. ...
... Regimes are shared cognitive routines as well as institutions and associated rules that stabilize the system. The food system regime includes the production, distribution, and consumption of food based in large-scale monocrops grown with pesticides/herbicides, long distance transport of food to urban centers, and purchases made in supermarkets (Girip et al., 2020;Bonfert, 2022). Research on regime shifts can occur through top-down change, bottom-up change, and internally induced change (El Bilali and Probst, 2018). ...
A transition toward more sustainable and just food system is necessary to address global greenhouse gas emissions and inequitable food access. Alternative food networks have emerged as a solution to counteract the adverse impacts of conventional food systems. Urban agriculture is a type of alternative food network that strives to provide local access to food through the development of community gardens or community-supported agriculture. Farmer training programs are uniquely positioned to build the capacity of those who are interested in engaging in urban agriculture, yet little is known about whether these programs—and their graduates—contribute to sustainability transitions within the food system. We build on previous scholarship that establishes the importance of farmer training programs and use a training program in Washington, United States to understand how these programs support and encourage sustainability transitions. The multi-level perspective breaks down systems into landscape, regime, and niche levels. It provides a framework for understanding the system under which urban agriculture operates and the different actors and institutions that stabilize the existing food regime. Social practice theory emphasizes the importance of focusing on how change occurs at the local level. Thu, we use a combination of the multi-level perspective framework and social practice theory to explicate how multi-scalar dynamics of food systems poses barriers and allows for opportunities for actors at a local level to exert change on the larger system. Our results show that training programs allow a space for social learning and changes the collective practices and narratives among its graduates. We also find that the potential for graduates to exert larger change on the regime is curtailed due to the training program’s limited capacity to exert vertical pressure on the systems. For regime change to occur, state and local government need to intentionally support policies that recognize the importance of urban agriculture in their sustainability agendas.
... As the global population continues to expand and environmental concerns escalate, the imperative to reevaluate our agricultural practices becomes increasingly evident. The conventional methods that once promised higher yields and quick profits have shown their limitations, contributing to soil degradation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity (White, L. et al., 2021). In contrast, the principles of natural farming offer a refreshing perspective that aligns with the natural rhythms of the earth. ...
... Economic Viability and Environmental Impact: Evidence suggests that natural farming holds economic promise.Nguyen et al. (2019) assert that although initial yields may vary, the long-term benefits of improved soil health and decreased input costs position natural farming as a financially viable alternative. Furthermore, a shift away from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, as emphasized byWhite et al. (2021), can result in reduced pollution and improved water quality. Integration of Traditional Knowledge and Modern Science: A significant finding is the recognition of the integration of traditional agricultural knowledge with modern scientific insights in natural farming. ...
In response to mounting concerns over the environmental impacts of conventional agriculture, the concept of natural farming has gained prominence as a sustainable alternative. This literature review critically examines the multifaceted implications of natural farming, drawing insights from a range of scholarly sources. The review explores its ecological benefits, economic viability, integration of traditional knowledge with modern science, and cultural significance. The findings emphasize natural farming's ability to enhance soil health, promote biodiversity, and foster resilient ecosystems. Economic assessments reveal its potential for reduced input costs and improved resource efficiency. The integration of indigenous wisdom and contemporary insights is recognized as a dynamic pathway toward agricultural innovation. Moreover, the literature underscores the need for further research in areas such as long-term ecological impact, socioeconomic dynamics, agroecological contextualization, and policy support. In conclusion, natural farming emerges as a transformative approach that harmonizes with nature, offering solutions to challenges in agriculture while nurturing ecological health, economic stability, and cultural heritage.
... This is not just a concern for the soil; the intensive use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture is also a major contributor to global warming. Another significant issue in conventional farming is the degradation of both surface and groundwater quality due to the accumulation of chemical compounds beyond permissible limits (Girip et al. 2020). The impact of conventional agriculture extends to biodiversity as well, particularly in European farmlands during the twentieth century. ...
The transition from conventional farming to regenerative agriculture is a transformative paradigm shift in modern agriculture, driven by the urgent need for sustainable and ecologically responsible farming practices. Conventional farming, with its historical roots, has contributed to severe environmental degradation, including soil erosion, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. Concerns regarding pesticide residues and human health risks, coupled with economic challenges rooted in dependency on external inputs, have underscored the necessity for change. Regenerative agriculture emerges as a compelling solution, emphasising principles such as soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. It offers a viable alternative, promoting improved soil fertility, water retention, crop resilience, and biodiversity conservation. Transitioning to regenerative agriculture benefits are manifold, promising enhanced environmental sustainability and increased agricultural productivity. However, challenges persist, including knowledge gaps, financial barriers, and the need for policy support. Nonetheless, challenges like societal resistance, lack of awareness, economic constraints, and regulatory hurdles must be addressed. In envisioning the future, technology and innovation will play a pivotal role in supporting the transition as collaborative efforts between farmers, researchers, and policymakers strengthen. Economic incentives and subsidies will be necessary to promote regenerative practices, while educational initiatives and awareness campaigns will be essential to shifting societal attitudes.
... It also aims to design crop systems using ecological principles and ecosystem services to enhance agro-ecosystem sustainability and production efficiency, reducing chemical inputs and non-renewable energy (Otieno et al., 2019). According to ecological agriculture guidelines, a wide range of practices have been developed to improve the environmental performance of cropping systems including intercropping, crop rotation, cover cultivation, green manure, reduce tillage, and agroforestry (Wezel et al., 2014;Girip et al., 2020). ...
... It also aims to design crop systems using ecological principles and ecosystem services to enhance agro-ecosystem sustainability and production efficiency, reducing chemical inputs and non-renewable energy (Otieno et al., 2019). According to ecological agriculture guidelines, a wide range of practices have been developed to improve the environmental performance of cropping systems including intercropping, crop rotation, cover cultivation, green manure, reduce tillage, and agroforestry (Wezel et al., 2014;Girip et al., 2020). ...
Maize (Zea mays L.) and dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are important staple food and cash crops worldwide. Common bean in an intercrop with maize contributes to biological nitrogen fixation, which stabilize productivity of cropping systems and reduce negative environmental impacts and loss of biodiversity for sustainable agriculture. A field experiments was performed during the years of 2020 and 2021 at Sers El-Layian Station, northern Egypt. The current study aiming to study the effect of three sowing dates of maize, represent 3 co-growth duration [T1: at
flowering stage (FS) of common beans (60 days co-growth duration), T2: 15 days after FS (45 days co-growth duration), and T3: 30 days after FS (30 days co-growth duration with beans)] and three N fertilizer levels (N1: 190.4, N2: 238.0, and N3:
285.6 kg N/ha of maize) on productivity, profitability and N fertilizer rationalization. The longest co-growth duration of maize intercropping with common beans (T1) significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased common beans and maize yields compared with
T2 and T3. Performance of common beans did not show (P ≤ 0.05) any variation under different N fertilizer levels of maize. Significant (P ≤ 0.05) increase in maize yield and its components with raising N fertilizer level up to N3. Although there was no significant variation in maize yield when applied N2 and N3, however, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was significant (P ≤ 0.05) higher in N2 than N3 by 18.34%. Regardless of planting time and N fertilizer level of maize, combined productivity of common beans and maize increased in the intercropped system as cleared by higher total land equivalent ratios (LER) and area time equivalent
ratios (ATER). Highest LER value 1.99 was observed at the shortest co-growth period T3 under N3 followed by 1.97 with N2. Positive values in the actual yield loss index (AYL) indicated intercropping advantage. Different competition indices showed a greater dominance of maize over common beans (aggressivity,
Ag; competitive ratio, CR; actual yield losses, AYL). However, the intercropping systems increased the economic advantage (intercropping advantage index, IAI and monetary advantage index MAI) over monoculture. These results imply that shortening the period of co-growth maize with common beans (T3) and applying
238.0 kg N/ha in the relay intercropping system reduced mineral N fertilizer use by 16.67% compared to the advised level 285.6 kg N/ha along with increased productivity per unit area and economic advantages for small-farm.
... Agricultural activity is closely related to a number of physical and anthropogenic factors [1][2][3][4][5]. To maintain the balance between available land for cultivation and increasing demand for food in the recent era, both physical and anthropogenic factors are symbiotic and crucial [6][7][8]. ...
Due to the declining land resources over the past few decades, the intensification of land uses has played a significant role in balancing the ever-increasing demand for food in developing nations such as India. To optimize agricultural land uses, one of the crucial indicators is cropping intensity, which measures the number of times a single parcel of land is farmed. Therefore, it is imperative to create a timely and accurate cropping intensity map so that landowners and agricultural planners can use it to determine the best course of action for the present and for the future. In the present study, we have developed an algorithm on Google Earth Engine (GEE) to depict cropping patterns and further fused it with a GIS environment to depict cropping intensity in the arid western plain zone of Rajasthan, India. A high-resolution multi-temporal harmonized product of the Sentinel-2 dataset was incorporated for depicting the growth cycle of crops for the year 2020–2021 using the greenest pixel composites. Kharif and Rabi accounted for 73.44% and 26.56% of the total cultivated area, respectively. Only 7.42% was under the double-cropped area to the total cultivated area. The overall accuracy of the classified image was 90%. For the Kharif crop, the accuracy was 95%, while for Rabi and the double-cropped region, the accuracy was 88%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.784. The present study was able to depict the seasonal plantation system in arid arable land with higher accuracy. The proposed work can be used to monitor cropping patterns and cost-effectively show cropping intensities.
... We have shown that Romania has potential for the development of organic agriculture because, in addition to the appropriate area, small amounts of fertilizers and chemicals are used, and an adequate green marketing strategy stimulates the production and consumption of organic products and helps develop the market and the agricultural sector (Aceleanu, 2016). Romania does not rely exclusively on conventional agriculture; it is oriented towards organic agriculture, which has become an important sector both in terms of demand and supply (Girip et al., 2020). Even though it started as a niche activity, with luxury products, intended for high-income social categories, organic agriculture tends to become the norm in the EU (Crecană & Crecană, 2019). ...
The importance of the agricultural sector, of the organic production and of the agricultural labour market leads the authors to study their dynamics and characteristics with regard to Romania. Food safety is linked to the agricultural activity's robustness and its evolution, given that the primary sector is the one that defines economic growth. The paper studies the link between the economic growth and the organic agricultural production in Romania, including labour market's characteristics. The time period is 2010-2019, and the methodology is that of a cross-sectional study. The multiple regression model is used to analyse the relationship between Romania's economic growth and seven factors which characterize the agricultural sector. The results show that, between Romania's economic growth and the variables under study, there is a link that is maintained over time, and which is positive in some cases and negative in other cases. Agricultural technology decreases the role and contribution of salaried and non-salaried labour in agriculture to Romanian economic growth. Processing of agricultural products has the same effect on growth. Instead, the authors outline the important role of organic agriculture, of agricultural services and of livestock production in the Romanian economy.
This paper proposes an approach for detecting changes in cropping patterns using Sentinel-2 data and Google Earth Engine (GEE) in the Ramappa command area, an important agricultural region in India. Cropping pattern changes can indicate various factors such as changes in land use, climate, and management practices, and timely detection of these changes is essential for effective agricultural monitoring and management. The proposed approach involves pre-processing of Sentinel-2 data in GEE, cloud masking, and image compositing. Then, temporal analysis is performed by comparing the NDVI classified images acquired in different time periods (2019–2022) to detect changes in cropping patterns. A combination of spectral indices matching and machine learning algorithms is used to enhance the accuracy of the analysis. The proposed approach is tested in the Ramappa command area, and the results show that it can effectively detect changes in cropping patterns. The results obtained are compared with the open source crop area statistics available from Water Resources Information System (WRIS), by NRSC Bhuvan. The proposed methodology has the potential to be applied in other agricultural regions for change detection and monitoring. The use of Sentinel-2 data and GEE makes the approach scalable and cost-effective. The results can be used for timely decision-making, resource management, and land use planning in the Ramappa command area. The paper provides a valuable contribution to the field of remote sensing and agricultural monitoring, especially in the context of detecting changes in cropping patterns in the Ramappa command area.
The purpose of this study was to monitor and compare the growth and productivity of maize/beans sole and inter-cropping systems under conventional (CON) and in-field rainwater harvesting (IRWH) tillage practices. During the typical drought conditions of the 2018/19 growing season, seven homestead gardens of smallholder farmers (four in Paradys and three in Morago villages) in the Thaba Nchu rural communities of South Africa were selected for on-farm demonstration trials. Two tillage systems CON and IRWH as the main plot and three cropping systems as sub-treatment (sole maize and beans and intercropping) were used to measure crop growth and productivity parameters. The results showed that IRWH tillage had significantly higher above-ground dry matter for both sole maize (29%) and intercropped maize (27%) compared to CON treatments. The grain yield under both tillage systems showed that IRWH-Sole >> IRWH-Ic >> CON-Sole >> CON-Ic, with values ranging from 878.2 kg ha−1 to 618 kg ha−1 (p ≤ 0.05). The low harvest index values (0.21–0.38) could have been due to the effect of the drought during the growing season. The results of precipitation use efficiency (PUE) showed that the IRWH tillage was more effective at converting rainwater into maize biomass and grain yield compared to CON tillage. However, the different cropping systems did not show a consistent trend in PUE. During the growing season, the PUE for AGDM varied for different tillage and cropping system treatments in Morago and Paradys. For maize, it ranged between 10.01–6.07 and 9.93–7.67 kg ha−1, while for beans, it ranged between 7.36–3.95 and 7.07–3.89 kg ha−1 mm−1. The PUE for grain yield showed similar trends with the significantly highest values of PUE under IRWH tillage systems for the Morago sites, but there were no significant differences at the Paradys site in both tillage and cropping systems. There is a critical need, therefore, to devise alternative techniques to promote an increase in smallholders’ productivity based on an improved ability to capture and use resources more efficiently.
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