THE agriculture is an activity that meets basic food production needs. and is a source of livelihood since the Prehistory.
Increasingly, human beings use agricultural practice to produce surpluses that generate profits for producers.
The way farmers cultivate the soil in large crops does not only bring beneficial results. The rampant use of natural resources and the lack of conservation of the environment is of great concern.
Many environmental impacts have been caused since they emerged innovations in production techniques, mechanization of labor and use of chemical fertilizers to increase productivity and reduce losses.
Environmental impacts caused by agriculture
The biggest impact of agriculture on the environment is the deforestation of forests for opening and expanding agricultural areas.
The removal of riparian forest areas for the formation of crops reduces the biodiversity and causes siltation of rivers.
The mechanization of labor in agriculture took jobs away from several families who worked with family farming.
The use of machinery in agriculture requires the use of fossil fuels, such as diesel oil, which emits gases that increase the pollution of the atmosphere and reduce the quality of the air we breathe.
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Agricultural practice causes soil pollution through the use of chemical fertilizers, soil pH correctors and pesticides that are drained into rivers and groundwater through rainfall or irrigation of crops.
The flow of these chemical products also reduces the biodiversity of the place, many of them are sprayed by planes and, because of the wind, they end up reaching areas beyond the crops and killing part of the fauna and flora of the local.
Another serious problem caused by agriculture is soil erosion, which can be caused either by the plowing process, by excessive irrigation or by incorrect soil management.
Crop irrigation demands a huge amount of water, it is estimated that half of the fresh water in the world is used in agriculture.
How to reduce environmental impacts?
The decrease of environmental impacts on agriculture leads directly to Sustainable Agriculture, which respects the environment, makes profits viable and maintains equity among all those involved in the process.
Sustainable agriculture proposes measures to reduce the environmental impact caused by crops, among the main ones are:
- Reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers and fertilizers;
- Recycling rainwater for irrigation;
- Use of renewable energy;
- Respect for labor laws for producers;
- Appreciation of family farming.
See too:
- Transgenic foods
- agricultural revolution
- The evolution of agricultural techniques
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