More than half of the population of the world comprises farmers. These farmers know that maintenance and conservation of natural resources are very important to sustain their livelihoods. However, the demand of more and more food due to exploding population and higher expectations for comfort and wealth forces these farmers to exploit more and more of the natural resources through the application of modern technology.
The agriculture based on the latest farm machinery, hybrid and high yielding crop varieties, and agrochemicals is called as modern agriculture. Under the changing trends of modern agriculture, a difficult situation of maintaining and conserving natural resources is being faced by the world over in the agriculture sector also.
Impacts of Modern Agriculture on Environment
Agricultural expansion and production of more food is required in many parts of the world, such as South Asia, and eastern North America, etc. But there is no scope of consuming more land for this purpose.
1. This situation hampers the Development up to a considerable extent. The arable land per person is shrinking and it has declined from 0.32 hectares per person in 1961-63 to 0.21 hectares per person during 1997-99.
2. About 40 percent of the land in the world is subjected to soil erosion and degradation.
3. Agriculture is the largest user of water in developing countries. About 76 percent of the total fresh water withdrawal in the world is consumed in agriculture alone. Africa, the Middle East and South Asia consume up to 90 percent of all the water withdrawals.
4. About 20 to 30 percent of irrigated land in the developing world has been damaged by water logging or salinity. Some 12 million hectares of irrigated land have gone out of production.
5. About 250 million people have been directly affected by desertification. Large-scale use of agro-chemicals like synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and hormones, etc., not only damage the quality of soil but they also join the locally running food chains and accumulate in the natural resources. When consumers like animals and human beings consume food, they easily get into their bodies and accumulate inside fatty tissues.
