Importance of Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the most important
professions of the human beings throughout the
whole world.
The financial and commercial development of a country
depends a lot on agriculture
- The raw materials used in the industries
throughout the world come directly from the
world of agriculture.
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Agriculture has a great role in times of
calamity in the production of food.
Agriculture helps the government to get
benefit as far as the taxes are
concerned.
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Developments in Agriculture
Genetic Engineering
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are
organisms whose genetic material has been altered
by genetic engineering techniques generally known
as recombinant DNA technology.
After mechanical tomato-harvesters were developed
in the early 1960s, agricultural scientists genetically
modified tomatoes to be more resistant to mechanical
handling.
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Herbicide-tolerant GMO Crops
Herbicide-tolerant crops are used by farmers
worldwide. Today, 92% of soybean acreage in the
US is planted with genetically-modified herbicide-
tolerant plants.
Insect-Resistant GMO Crops
Other GMO crops used by growers include insect-
resistant crops, which have a gene from the soil
bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which
produces a toxin specific to insects.
These crops protect plants from damage by
insects; one such crop is corn (Bt corn).
Another is cotton, which accounts for 63% of US
cotton acreage (Btcotton).
Environmental impact
Livestock issues
Approximately 68% of all agricultural land is used in the
production of livestock as permanent pastures.
Livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for
agriculture, or 30% of the land surface of the planet.
According to the United Nations, the livestock sector
(primarily cows, chickens, and pigs) emerges as one of the
top two or three most significant contributors to our most
serious environmental problems globaly.
It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases—
responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
as measured in CO2 equivalents.
By comparison, all transportation emits 13.5% of the CO2. It
also generates 64% of the ammonia, which contributes to
acid rain and acidification of ecosystems.
Intensive cropping systems- alters the environment
Some of the disadvantages of this method of farming
include:
Limits or destroys the natural habitat of most
wildlife, and leads to soil erosion
Use of fertilizers can alter the biology of rivers and
lakes. Eutrophication, excessive nutrients in aquatic
ecosystems resulting in algal blooms and anoxia,
leads to fish kills, loss of biodiversity, and renders
water unfit for drinking and other industrial uses.
Pesticides generally kill useful insects as well as
those that destroy crops
Policy
Agricultural policy focuses on the goals and methods of
agricultural production. At the policy level, common goals
of agriculture include:
1. Food safety: Ensuring that the food supply is free of
contamination.
2. Food security: Ensuring that the food supply meets
the population's needs.
3. Food quality: Ensuring that the food supply is of a
consistent and known quality.
4. Conservation
5. Environmental impact
6. Economic stability
7. Poverty reduction
Agriculture Safety and Health
In the United States, agriculture ranks among the most
hazardous industries.
Farmers are at high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries:
a) work-related lung diseases,
b) noise-induced hearing loss,
c) skin diseases, and
d) certain cancers associated with chemical use and
prolonged sun exposure.
Agriculture is the most dangerous industry for young
workers,
42% of all work-related fatalities of young workers
between 1992 and 2000 in USA.
Unlike other industries, half the young victims in
agriculture were under age 15.
