The biggest challenge before modern man is perhaps the food crisis. The leaders of all the nations are concentrating on how to increase the production of food, so that no one should die just because of hunger. Even the government is encouraging the youths and big companies to get interested in farming. And of course, there are many facilities, tax reduction, financial help and developed methods are provided to improve farming. But how can that be possible if the quality of soil is itself degrading?
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that agricultural land throughout the world is degrading at a faster rate. It’s a result of chemically intensive agricultural methods like heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides, overgrazing from cattle, soil-erosion by wind and rain and many such other factors.
The satellite images taken from 1981 to 2003 reveals that about 24 per cent of farmlands have got spoiled till now. It is generally believed that the tropical areas and developing nations are only facing land degradation. But it’s not the case. To speak the truth, many major countries like China, South Africa and Argentina are also suffering from the same problem of land degradation. But the worst example is Switzerland, where the entire farmland is expected to be destroyed.
What should be done to save the farmland from degrading, to get back its lost worth? The FAO recommends a paradigm shift towards sustainable agricultural practices, including government support for small-scale irrigation methods and green water technologies to combat land degradation. But we must try for it as soon as possible, before things get out of human control.
Source: treehugger