Intensive farming
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- See also: Industrial agriculture
Intensive agriculture is an agricultural production system characterized by the high inputs as relative to land area (as opposed to extensive farming). It usually relies heavily on the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators and pesticides. It is associated with the increasing use of agricultural mechanization, which has enabled a substantial increase in production. Mechanized agriculture has become the key to the success of contemporary farming.
[edit] Advantages
Intensive agriculture made it possible to greatly increase productivity during the twentieth century, and helped ensure a proper and stable food supply for the growing population while at the same time decreasing the amount of land needed. Agricultural productivity gains allowed for the reduction in the farming population, mostly in developed countries. Intensification of agriculture from the forties to the sixties is also known as the green revolution. Developing nations often could not profit from the advantages of modern agriculture particularly because of poor climate and lack of funds.
The increased agricultural productivity has led to a sharp decrease of food prices.
[edit] Disadvantages
Firstly, intensive farming is often at the expense of environmental considerations, which explains its rejection from some producers and consumers. The use of Intensive farming by farmers damages the environment and food chain in a number of ways:
- Removal of hedges to make large fields for maximum efficiency. This destroys the natural habitat of some wild creatures and can lead to soil erosion.
- Use of fertilizers pollutes rivers and lakes (e.g., the Gulf of Mexico dead zone created by nitrogen fertilizer)
- Pesticides disturb food chains and reduce many insect, bird and mammal populations, pollutes the water table.
- Intensive farming of animals such as battery-hens, and crated veal calves (see Industrial agriculture) is considered by some to be cruel.
- Monoculture crops are more susceptible to massive crop failure due to disease.
