Michelle Raju: Industrial Agriculture vs Sustainable Agriculture

What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity is recognized as one of the world’s most valuable resources. It describes all various forms of life on earth, including plants, animals and other living species. Biodiversity is an essential part of existence as it provides us with the basic needs for human survival. Food, shelter, medicines, and the clean air we consume daily are all products of Biodiversity. Our world as we know it is a constantly developing habitation. As a human population we require frequent needs of food sources for endurance, relying on farming as one of our initial ones. However we do not come to realize how these demands are met so promptly. By taking a look at Industrial and Sustainable farming, we can understand the negative or positive factors which apply to both, and how it makes an impact upon biodiversity and us as humans on earth.

Industrial Agriculture

Industrial agriculture is a modern process of farming which has overtaken earlier traditional methods. It allows the opportunity for providing humans with large quantities of food at cheaper costs. With our human population rapidly increasing, it seems as if industrial agriculture is the only solution to satisfy these high demands. Nonetheless, the harmful effects it marks upon biodiversity and the environment are not fully acknowledged. The environment is destroyed through the pollution and chemical threats of industrial agriculture. This mass destructing process diminishes the natural elements of our ecosystems, along with greatly reducing diversity within many plant and animal species. The process of Industrial agriculture puts the health and welfare of many organisms in threat, leaving them endangered and much more vulnerable. Vast amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are also used, leaching them into the ground and further contaminating the environment which is surrounded. Industrial agriculture work as factories do – a massive pollution generating process – only worsening the environment around us.

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture is the process of naturally growing crops, without the use of chemicals and unnatural materials. It is a procedure which consists of great time usage, skill, and costs; however it has and will continue to make a better impact upon our surroundings. It is a more environmentally healthy and standard way of farming. It eliminates the destructive use of pesticides to our environment, making farming a more prominent and hazardless process. Not only does sustainable agriculture benefit our environment, but as humans we are affected by the food we eat. Naturally grown crops reassure good health and uncontaminated products, along with reducing the risks of particular types of cancer. Organic food products are also well sustained and provide better nourishment for us as humans. Sustainable farmers acknowledge the significance of growing well-nourished and healthy crops. They also seek to protect our environment, preventing it from danger and threats of pollution. It is the way of respecting nature, and looking out for future generations by preserving our land and its natural resources.