Sustainable Agriculture: The Right Choice!

Do the benefits of relying on a few highly productive livestock breeds and crop varieties outweigh the risks of reducing genetic diversity by allowing less productive breeds to become extinct? That is the question. FAO’S Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture noted that about 20 percent of the 7,616 breeds documented in their research are considered to be under threat of extinction (1). The destruction of this diversity is mainly due to the rapid spread of animal production caused by the high demands for beef, chicken, pork and other livestock products. This will only increase as the worlds population rises as a predicted 6.2 billion people today to a staggering 9 billion people in the next 40 years (2).

Black and white Holstein-Friesian cow

Our demand for highly productive breeds such as black and white Holstein-Friesian cows has caused a drastic drop in the numbers of other breeds of cows such as the Ankole cattle found in Uganda (2). Another example of this is in Kenya due to the introduction of the Dorper sheep the pure-bred Red Maasai sheep has almost completely disappeared (2). A lot of the breeds currently at risk have disease resistance genes that the highly productive livestock breeds we use today don’t have. If this diversity were to disappear many diseases could be created and many species would die off because they wouldn’t be able to fight it. There are two different forms of agriculture: Industrial Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture.

Industrial agriculture can include both animal production on a large scale but crops as well. They would take one crop and then grow it on hundreds of acres of land (3). Chemical fertilizers are then used to add nutrients back into the crops and pesticides are sprayed to remove insects. This requires heavy machinery and the burning of fossil fuels which leads to the destruction of our environment. Animals are also placed in confined and overcrowded conditions in which their bodies can be genetically modified so that they can fit more animals into the sheds and prevent them from their natural behaviors. Antibiotics and hormones are given to help the animals grow faster and bigger (3).

Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for both the animals, consumers and the environment (4). These types of farms raise different types of animals and crops to help ensure biodiversity and prevent any diseases. The animals are allowed to carry out with their natural behaviors and are fed a proper diet for their species. Sustainable agriculture is much better for the environment as well because they do not use any pesticides or fertilizers. Any waste that is created inside the farm stays within the farm’s ecosystem and is then re-used (4).

Although industrial agriculture sounds easier, is it really? Is it easier harming the biodiversity of our planet just to produce livestock and crops on a large scale basis? To me, Sustainable Agriculture is the right choice and can keep up with the rapid growth of the global human population. Knowing your food was grown in a clean and humane way is very reassuring to anyone. Biodiversity is what the human life depends on and if we continue with our ways will our demise soon follow?

Work Cited:

1.) Practicial Steps to Preserve Barnyard Diversity: CGIAR, September 2007

http://www.cgiar.org/monthlystory/september2007.html

2.) Farm Animal Diversity Under Threat: Beurkle, Teresa, June 2007 http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000598/index.html

3.) Factory Farming and Industrial Agriculture: April 3, 2009 http://www.sustainabletable.org/2009/04/factory-farming/

4.) What is Sustainable Agriculture? April 3, 2009

 http://www.sustainabletable.org/intro/whatis/

5.) Life on Earth- The Importance of Biodiversity: April 10, 2010 http://youthink.worldbank.org/issues/environment/life-earth-importance-biodiversity

Blogs Commented On:

1.) Grace Elkhechen: Industrial Agriculture a Moral Issue?

2.) Claudia: Stop Before it's Too late!