1. Humans have been benefiting from nature since inception. It cannot be said that there was initially a negative relationship between man and nature because the latter engaged in agricultural activities without corruption to the balance of nature. With need to feed the world’s growing population, coupled with advancement in science and technology, human activities have resulted in the disruption of the ecosystem. Human were unaware of the impact of their activities on the ecosystem, but with global warming, it has come to man’s knowledge how devastating their activities can be to their environment.
2. It is no news that agriculture is an importance source of livelihood, employment, raw materials for other sector and a major contributor to a nation’s economic development. With the introduction of modern agriculture, farmers are able to employ have been able to high input-high output technique, irrigation systems, fertilizers and pesticides to boost productivity, thereby increase efficiency, increase food supply, increase productivity, ensured food safety, and solve problems associated with traditional farming system.
3. Although modern agriculture has vastly increased productivity, it has posed some detrimental environmental consequences such as loss of topsoil, contamination of drinking water and aqua habitats by chemicals, land degradation, to mention a few. The following are the impacts of modern agriculture on environment.
a. Soil erosion: soil erosion is caused by excess water and it leads to the removal of top soil containing most of the organic matter, nutrients needed by plants and fine soil particles which retain water and nutrients for plants. It takes up to 300 years for one inch of topsoil to form, so it is essentially irreplaceable. This threatens productivity of agricultural lands, leads to loss of agricultural lands. Soil erosion also contributes to slit of water bodies and induces the release of soil carbon from the particulate organic material, thereby contributing to global warming.
b. Contamination of ground water: modern agriculture necessitate the use of fertilizer to boost productivity, however, nitrogenous fertilizers leach into the soil and contaminate the ground water. Since ground water is one of the major sources of water for irrigation, water supplied to plants through irrigation system may be contaminated. When the nitrate level of groundwater exceeds 25mg/l, it causes Blue Baby Syndrome among infants, even leading to their death.
c. Excessive use of Pesticide: pesticides are used to destroy pests that affect plants and to boost crop production, however, they can also destroy beneficial pest. Not all pesticides are biodegradable, pesticide residue on food can expose human to pesticide poisoning, thereby affecting human health. Pesticide exposure can contribute to acute or chronic illness among farmers.
d. Ecological damage: nitrate and pesticide runoff impair water and make water unhealthy for aqua animals. Bacteria can grow on animal waste and can contaminate water, making it unhealthy to drink. Environmental pollution caused by poor waste management or odour from concentrated livestock facilities makes nearby residential areas less conducive. These can lead to habitat loss for both aqua animals and humans.
4. In order to mitigate the impact of agricultural activities on the environment, the following proposed recommendations can be adopted.
a. a. There is need for the reduction of pesticide usage, and there is need for precise monitoring system that can give early warning of residue build up so as to curb the accumulation of pesticide residue along the food chain.
b. b. There is need for the adoption of good drainage system and water management so as to prevent salinization and for water conservation respectively.
c. c. There is also need for proper waste management system in place so as to prevent environmental pollution.
d. d. Organic agriculture should be embraced by farmers. This is to ensure that food produced are free of pesticide poisoning and to prevent the damage of insects that are beneficial to plant growth which can be damaged when pesticides are used. Since natural repellants are used in organic agriculture, farmers are less exposed to farm related hazards.
References
Psep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-slides-self/facts/mod-ag-grw85.aspx
Shakeel Anwar. 2018; m.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/modern-agriculture-and-its-impact-on-the-environment. Jagran Prakashan Ltd@2020.
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