Agricultural modernization is directly related to meteorological intelligence. Throughout history, management in this area has been complicated by unpredictable weather and climatic factors. Thanks to big data and ag software that automatically analyzes it, we can get the foundation for sustainable agriculture. This type of farming combines environmental safety with economic profitability and efficient use of non-renewable resources. Conserving water resources, reducing the use of chemicals, developing ecosystem and crop biodiversity are just some of the goals of sustainable agriculture.
Examples include rainwater collection and its further use for soil irrigation and fertilizers from agricultural waste. Another popular method is crop rotation, which helps the soil retain its nutrients. Let's take a closer look at the benefits of sustainable agriculture.
Social and Environmental benefits
At first glance, it is not apparent, but sustainable agriculture contributes to workers' equality and the overall improvement of their situation. Traditional manufacturing assumes a less workable environment, so upgrading it improves the life quality. Additional economic benefits from sustainable agriculture allow for more competitive salaries and facilities for workers.
Besides the social benefits, there are environmental advantages. First of all, the consumption of non-renewable energy sources decreases. Moreover, a crop rotation method helps to reduce the likelihood of the pest and the need for pesticides that contribute to environmental pollution.
Remember that by actively using chemicals, we harm the soil and the entire environment. In particular, we contribute to the emission of nitrogen and methane into the atmosphere. By reducing the emission of these gases, we cause minor damage to the Earth's ozone layer and protect ourselves from harmful radiation. In the long term, we preserve a safe environment and provide a healthy diet for future generations.
Sustaining the agri-food system
We must not forget that the growth of the population entails an excellent need for products. Sustainable agriculture and nutrition, and food waste reduction are important ways to tackle this problem. Thanks to optimizing food production, we get a reliable food system protected from external damaging factors in the long term. In addition, reducing the use of chemicals and switching to natural methods of cultivating land and plants makes food more nutritious and healthier. Thus, we can reduce the harm not only to nature but also to our health. In the long term, we will also provide quality nutrition for future generations.
Biodiversity in soil
Fertile soil is the foundation of a prosperous agricultural system. Overuse of pesticides and fertilizers and inappropriate planting depletes the land, which degrades the quality of the harvested crop. Conversely, good soil increases its quantity and promotes the growth of plant endurance. We can use the product directly to improve the ground: reuse the plant mass, manure, and crop residues to feed the soil.
Reducing costs
Traditional farming methods use a lot of fossil fuels. Sustainable agriculture significantly reduces or even eliminates this need. In this way, we significantly reduce economic costs, especially if we also consider equipment and transportation costs. Ultimately, using sensors on more modern technology (from seeders to drones) will optimize your farm's production and management costs. Thus, sustainable agriculture does not mean abandoning economic gains in favor of protecting the ecosystem. On the contrary, the wise use of resources allows farmers and companies to reduce costs and increase income.
Polyculture farming
The variety of crops grown is another significant benefit of sustainable agriculture. It promotes nutritional balance and makes the agricultural system more weather-resistant, and maintains soil fertility. And with the combination of the right crop, we optimize the use of resources and, together with food diversity, reduce economic costs.
In Conclusion
To increase the amount of food, we have used chemicals for a long time, thereby harming the soil, water, air, and climate. Sustainable agriculture is the key to balancing ever-increasing human needs with preserving the environment while improving food quality.
Today FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) defines several basic principles for building such a system:
- protection of natural resources;
- efficient use of resources;
- increasing social well-being and improving rural lifestyles;
- sustainable and harmonious development of society and ecosystem;
- creation of effective and reliable management mechanisms.
However, in addition to creating the system, it is necessary to use the correct sustainable agriculture methods to remain sustainable. These include using natural growth biostimulants, early prevention of plant diseases, improving the quality of fertilizers, etc.
In the present, we still rely on the use of pesticides and chemicals, but it depends on us how soon we will get rid of this addiction. The sooner we achieve this, the faster our food will be of better quality, the environment will be safer, and future generations will be happier.