Intensive Agriculture and the Environment

Group IZainab Abu el Hassan

Tarek Amro

Mariam Balhas

Leen El Ghali

Sidra Salahieh

Outline

I Introduction

II Intensification

III Impact of intensive agriculture

IV Policies and regulations implemented

V Conclusion

I- Introduction

Agricultural intensification is characterized by a system of cultivation using large amounts of labor and capital relative to land area.

Those large amounts of capital and labor are necessary to the application of fertilizers, insecticides, mechanization, etc..

Capital is particularly important to the acquisition and maintenance of high efficiency machinery

I- Introduction

Human number growing so it is required to increase the food supply

Technological advances for better nutrition and productivity

Environmentalists claims that it’s negatively affecting the environment

Source: plentytothinkabout.org

I- Introduction

Source: WorldPress.com

II- Intensification

A)Traditional farming suspended 1) Not efficient anymore - Increase in population vs. food supply - Land became scarce and unable to extensify - Shifting from Extensification to Intensification

II- Intensification

2) Shift of labor from rural to industrial work, thus the urbanization effect - Traditional farming is exhausting - Higher income in the industrial field

II- Intensification

B) Modern intensive agriculture:

1)Usage of sophisticated method for agriculture output

a) Nitrogen fertilizers and improved pesticides b) Mechanization c) Green revolution: growing genetically modified seeds

II- Intensification

2) Appearance of specialization - Relying on agribusiness markets - Farmers buying products from agribusinesses - Agribusinesses selling farmers products

III- Impacts of intensive agricultureA) Negative impacts 1) General consequences a) Negative local consequences -Increase erosion -Lower soil fertility -Reduce biodiversity -Depletion of water resources

b) Negative regional consequences -Polluting groundwater -Eutrophication

c)Global consequences -Negative affects atmospheric constituents -Climate change and global warming

III- Impacts of intensive agriculture

2) Livestock impacts a)Important greenhouse emission b)Health risk to workers -Affected by toxic gases c) Risk of unemployment -Replace of family firms by machinery d)Usage of hormones and antibiotics

III- Impacts of intensive agriculture

B)Positive impacts 1)Benefits in yield a) In developing countries, yield increases accounted for 69% of overall growing in agriculture product between 1970s and 1990s

b) Use of hybrid seeds and fertilizers

2)Increased productivity -Due to better fertilization -Due to better irrigation styles -Improvement of crop variety -Mechanization -Genetics -Chemicals -Infrastructure (grain logistic system)

IV- Policies and regulations implementedA) Policies concerned with air pollution Regulate emissions and green houses -Clean air act

B) Policies concerns with effect of livestock production on environment Regulations that will decrease ammonia emission up to 10% -Environmentally superior technology (McCubbin)

IV- Policies and regulations implemented

IV- Policies and regulations implementedC)Protecting the environment 1)Instituting environmental compliance to provide farmers with incentive to stick to regulations regarding the environment -The US consecutive program

2)Relying on ecological intensification -Using ecological and natural processes to improve production efficiency -Ecological intensification by animal traction for soil tillage

IV- Policies and reguulations implemented3)Government intensification -Public funding for agriculture research and development extension -Green payment: payment to farmers who adopt sustainable environmental method

4)Establishing sustainable alternative by creating new energy sources a) Biodiesel: from soybeans b) Ethanol: from corn & sugar c) Agriculture waste production d) Wind energy

V- Conclusion

Intensive agriculture shouldn’t be totally suspended; yet it shouldn’t also be freely practiced -Government & agribusiness need to find middle ground -Responsibility should be taken not only by government but also by farmers. -Public awareness about environmental issues -Scientists should cooperate to develop better genetic modified crops that sustain population even with depleted environmental condition

Thank you!