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Intensive farming practices which are thought to be sustainable [by whom?] have been developed to slow the deterioration of agricultural land and even regenerate soil health and ecosystem services. [ citation needed ] These developments may fall in the category of organic farming , or the integration of organic and conventional agriculture.
The environmental impact of agriculture is the effect that different farming practices have on the ecosystems around them, and how those effects can be traced back to those practices. [1] The environmental impact of agriculture varies widely based on practices employed by farmers and by the scale of practice.
Agriculture contributes greatly to soil erosion and sediment deposition through intensive management or inefficient land cover. [32] It is estimated that agricultural land degradation is leading to an irreversible decline in fertility on about 6 million ha of fertile land each year. [ 33 ]
Agriculture-related emissions of carbon dioxide account for around 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. [67] Farm practices such as reducing tillage, decreasing empty land, returning biomass residue of crops to the soil, and increasing the use of cover crops can reduce carbon emissions. [68]
Meat is obtained through a variety of methods, including organic farming, free-range farming, intensive livestock production, and subsistence agriculture. The livestock sector also includes wool, egg and dairy production, the livestock used for tillage, and fish farming. Animal agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Intensive agriculture reduces the carbon level in soil, impairing soil structure, crop growth and ecosystem functioning, [57] and accelerating climate change. [57] Modification of agricultural practices is a recognized method of carbon sequestration as soil can act as an effective carbon sink .
Intensive crop farming is a modern industrialized form of crop farming.Intensive crop farming's methods include innovation in agricultural machinery, farming methods, genetic engineering technology, techniques for achieving economies of scale in production, the creation of new markets for consumption, patent protection of genetic information, and global trade.
The effects stem from the altered hydrological conditions caused by the installation and operation of the irrigation scheme. Amongst some of these problems is the depletion of underground aquifers through overdrafting. Soil can be over-irrigated due to poor distribution uniformity or management wastes water, chemicals, and may lead to water ...