Agriculture and fishing provide our planet with food, but a lot of the tactics used by farming companies are unsustainable. This article will guide you on what problems our current methods of agriculture cause and proper solutions to them.
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Agriculture and fishing are threats to wildlife and our environment. Hazardous tactics common in the livestock industry result in the deaths of countless wild animals, wasting of water, and exacerbating climate change.
One of the harmful actions livestock companies is the killing of native species. Livestock companies, through the USDA's program Wildlife Services, kills millions of wild animals every year to make space for farm animals. Such carnage has led to some species being critically endangered. One example is the Mexican wolf, a species native to North America. The Mexican wolf was a species that fell victim to the Wildlife Services' bloodshed from 1915 to 1972 (Center For Biological Diversity). The consequence of such violence was catastrophic: according to the Center for Biological Diversity, as of January 2015, only about 110 Mexican wolves remain in the wild. Because of this, the species has gained endagered species protection. However, the livestock industry has lobbied the government to finish the species off for good to keep their profits safe. Regulating the meat industry by protecting these endangered animals will such bloodshed from happening again.
Meat production has also resulted in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Methane, a greenhouse gas that is 86 more times potent than carbon dioxide, is one of the by-products resulting from raising cattle. In fact, the Center for Biological Diversity estimates that 5.5 million metric tons of methane are emitted by cattle in the United States. This has supercharged the effects of climate change, resulting in a huge threat to species around the world. Regulating agriculture will help lower down the green house gas emissions that producing meat causes. Tactics commonly used in agriculture are also large pollutors. For instance, slashing and burning, a tactic where forests and land are burned, releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as the carbon stored in intact forests is released when they are cut or burned
(World Wildlife Fund). Gasoline-powered machinery is also causing more carbon dioxide to go into the air. Furthermore, fertilizer used for crops can also get into streams and waterways, contaminating the water and harming aquatic life. Changing agricultural tactics are necessary to mitigate pollution.
The raising of livestock has also resulted in significant habitat loss. Large areas of land are required to raise cattle and other farm animals. In fact, the Center for Biological Diversity estimates that 50% of all land use is devoted to agriculture, and 80% of that land for farm animals and their feed crops. Since raising livestock requires a lot of land, livestock companies obtain more land to raise cattle by wrecking habitats throughout the country. For example, the American bison has lost significant portions of its native habitat: specifically, the North American habitat for wild bison is now lesss than 1% of their historic range[, and] almost all of the bison's former range has been taken over by the meat industry or urban development.
(Center for Biological Diversity) Regulating agriculture will be vital to prevent the meat industry from continuing to kick out innocent animals for their own profit.
One other big problem caused by the meat industry is the intense use of pesticides. In fact, the Center for Biological Diversity estimates that meat production is responsible for 37% of all pesticide use in the United States.
Most of the pesticides are used when growing feed crops, like corn or soy. These pesticides can jeopardize the survival of many species, one of which being the monarch butterfly. A once common species, monarch butterflies are dwindling in numbers after milkweed, the monarch butterfly's only food source, was nearly eradicated by pesticides.
There are many problems at hand in our current methods of agricultures. However, there are still ways to decrease agriculture's harm on the environment.
Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a pest control technique that aims to control pests in an eco-friendly way. Rather than relying on extensive pesticide use, IPM aims to control pests while harming the natural environment as little as possible. According to Wikipeida, IPM systems use six components:
Through the use of these six components and careful deliberation, IPM maintains control of pests while lowering environmental consequences.
Another sustainable agricultural tactic is agroforestry, where trees and shrubs are grown alongside crops and livestock, according to Brittanica. Aiming to expand biodiversity, agroforestry is a practical and relatively cheap method to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. According to Brittanica, the tactic utilizes a variety of methods, including:
Agroforestry has a variety of benefits for the environment. According to Brittanica, they can yield proven strategies for long-term carbon sequestration, soil enrichment, biodiversity conservation, air and water quality improvements.
Furhtermore, agroforestry can utiltize interactions between species to enhance yield and capture water. Agroforestry has the ability to offer both enivronmental and economic benefits.
Another simpler alternative is crop rotation. Crop rotation is growing different crops in the same area throughout the year, as opposed to monocropping, farming the same crop for several years. While monocropping depletes nutrients in the soil and encourages growth of the population that feeds on the farmed crop, crop rotation can reduce the need for fertilizers, lower the amount of pests present, and increase biodiversity. The benefits can be enhanced by adding multiple crops to the same rotation or introducing livestock. Specifically, according to Wikipedia, the benefits associated with crop rotation include:
No-till farming has also increased. As the name implies, no-till farming is farming without the use of tillage—preparing farm soil for growing plants through methods such as shoveling, hoeing, raking, and ploughing. No-till farming has many benefits, including:
References: Center for Biological Diversity, World Wildlife Fund, Wikipedia (IPM), Brittanica, Wikipedia (Crop Rotation), USDA, Nebraska Corn Board (NCB)
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