TITLE: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND

ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION:
Communities dependent on nature, and specifically those that are geographically, socially and
economically disadvantaged, such as agricultural communities, face great risk and are vulnerable
to future climate change (Kates, 2000). Climate change affects all aspects of agriculture
including production, distribution, access to food and food prices (IPCC, 2014; Tai et al., 2014).
Overall, climate change continues to pose a global food security risk (Tai et al., 2014) and
Bangladesh is one of the world's most vulnerable countries and its agriculture sector plays a vital
role in maintaining the livelihoods of its population (Alam et al., 2017; Alam, 2015). The
agricultural sector constitutes 19.29% of its GDP and 47.5% of all employment in Bangladesh
(MoA, 2014). Increasing temperatures, irregular rainfall, drought and cyclones are adversely
affecting agricultural production, in turn creating a high risk to the food security of Bangladesh's
large population (Bates, 2008; See GoB, 2011 in Alauddin and Sarker, 2014). It is necessary for
farmers to take measures to reduce and manage climate change risks by ensuring
intergenerational equity and sustainable development. Adaptation is essential to reduce this
vulnerability (Stern, 2007) and adaptation can successfully reduce negative impacts by
enhancing positive outcomes in crop production amongst other responses (Wheeler et al., 2013).
However, many studies highlight factors that hinder adaptation and point to institutional barriers
as a central cause of ineffective climate change adaptation (Næss et al., 2005; Glaas et al., 2010;
Lebel et al., 2011; Upton, 2012; Biesbroek et al., 2013; Raymond and Robinson, 2013; Mandryk
et al., 2015). Any institutional failure in responding to changing social, ecological and
biophysical contexts exacerbates vulnerability (Adger, 2006). Agriculture is not only based on
and inextricably linked to nature, but has increasingly replaced nature in land use, and is part of a
new kind of nature created by humanity. Nature is understood here in broad terms, not just in
terms of landscapes, flora and fauna untouched by human action (which hardly exist anymore),
but also in terms of the many natural forces that control what happens in the world. In the
Anthropocene (Crutzen 2002) many aspects of nature – even when broadly defined – are deeply
influenced by human actions, and agriculture plays a key role in that.

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DESCRIPTION

World population continues to grow and is predicted to reach about nine billion in 2050. The
demand for agricultural produce will continue to grow, needing to double the production by
2050, driven by population growth and changing food habits. FAO estimates that “the future may
see some drastic decline in the growth of aggregate world production, to 1.5 percent p.a. in the
next three decades and on to 0.9% p.a. in the subsequent 20 years to 2050”6. An increase in
demand for biofuels could further increase pressure on inputs, prices of agricultural produce,
land, and water.

Environment and Agriculture

Agriculture increasingly faces the challenge of balancing its multiple functions in a

sustainable way. However, concepts to address the wide range of issues and functions typical
for agriculture are still scarce. Environmental and Agricultural Modelling presents the
understanding current of integrated and working tools to assess and compute alternative
agricultural and environmental policy options, allowing: Analysis at the full range of scales
and focusing on the most important issues emerging at each scale; Analysis of the
environmental, economic and social contributions of agricultural systems towards sustainable
rural development and rural viability.

There are three crucial environmental challenges in the agriculture sector

-Conservation of biodiversity,
-Mitigation of climate change and
-The global shift towards bioenergy.

Biodiversity

Agrobiodiversity used in food production underpins humanity's life-support system. Agricultural

intensification and expansion have destroyed biodiversity and habitats, driven wild species to
extinction, accelerated the loss of environmental production services and eroded agricultural

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genetic resources essential for food security in the future. Climate change is expected to cause
modifications to biodiversity at all levels, including ecosystems, species and genes. In turn, the
increasing frequency of storms, drought and flooding caused by climate change threaten the
viability of agro-ecosystems.

Climate change

In turn, the increasing frequency of storms, drought and flooding caused by climate change
threaten the viability of agro-ecosystems. Agriculture practices (such as deforestation, cattle
feedlots and fertilizer use) currently account for about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Changes in farming seasons, and shorter cycles for all organisms, will lead to new pests and
diseases, while a general increase in risk patterns and variability will affect economic returns and
food security.

Bioenergy

Cautions should be considered, the shift to bioenergy raises concerns for food security, as land
and other productive resources are taken from food production. In addition, intensified biofuel
operations could have significant negative impacts on water and soil, natural habitats and
biodiversity. There is an urgent need to assess the feasibility of bioenergy systems based on
countries' needs and resource endowments, prevailing policies, and plausible scenarios for the
economic, environmental and policy variables. Biofuel policy cannot be successfully managed
outside the overall policy and regulatory framework of the agricultural sector. The trade-offs
involved in such major changes to global agricultural production objectives are difficult to
evaluate in terms of:

O overall ecological impact,

O effects on food security,

O food prices,

o agricultural labor prices,

A recent FAO study (2007) found that livestock production is one of the major causes the
world's most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air

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and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. "Environmental externalities need to be explicitly
factored into policies through the application of the 'provider gets, polluter pays' principle",
"Industrial livestock units need to be located as close as possible to cropland that can be used to
dispose of the waste", "Competition is increasing for other uses of grazing land, such as water-
related services, biodiversity conservation and bio-fuels", "The mobility of the livestock industry
allows its relocation without major problems becoming apparent" [9]. There is a clear
relationship between population growth, agricultural stagnation and environmental degradation.
While population has increased rapidly to reach 6.7 billion today, the agricultural growth rates
have often not kept pace [10]. Conversion of forest land to agricultural land in the humid and sub
humid regions, as well as the increased use of marginal lands for cropping in the semi-arid and
arid tropical regions, have also contributed to land degradation and desertification.

Main Impacts of Agriculture on Environment

The following points highlight the five main impacts of agriculture on environment. The impacts
are: - 1. Degradation of Land 2. Deforestation 3. Biodiversity 4. Pest Problem 5. Disposal of
Industrial & Agricultural Wastes.

Impact # 1. Degradation of Land:

The degradation of land in one form or the other is matter of serious concern endangering
sustainability of agriculture. Landslides caused by rains and flowing water in hilly areas and
deforestation, overgrazing and faulty cultural practices in the forest and other plain areas expose
the soil to water and wind erosions. As may be seen from Table. 1, out of total geographical area,
141.3-million-hectare (10.3 per cent) area is subject to such water and wind erosions.

The waterlogging due to rising water table, particularly along the rivers, rendering soil unfit for
cultivation, covers 8.5-million-hectare land. Similarly, increased dependence on intensive

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agriculture and irrigation also resulted in salination, alkali nation and water logging in some
irrigated area of the country.

Therefore, apart from problem soils forming a significant part of the total area, the
following are the kinds of land degradations taking place:

(a) Deficiency of soil nutrients due to intensive cultivation.

(b) Imbalance in soil nutrients particularly the deficiency of micro- nutrients.

(c) Decline in the organic matter in the soil.

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(d) Deforestation and overgrazing of Pasteur’s causing exposure of soil to water and wind
erosion.

(e) Decline in underground water due to over exhaustion for high water using crops, increase in
cropping intensity and increase in cultivated area especially is northern part of the sweet water
zone.

(f) Increase in water level in the cotton belt of north-western part of the country endangering then
cultivation of cotton crop due to pumping out of brackish water resulting in accumulation of salts

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on earth surface. Further, the wet condition due to non-percolation of rain water attracts serious
pests.

(g) High use of nitrogen and water have caused percolation of nitrogen up to water table thus
polluting it even for human consumption.

Impact # 2. Deforestation:

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The forest cover estimates are given in Table 2.

The main reasons for decline in forest wealth are:

1. Increase in population resulting in more demand for fuel wood and timber.

3. Indiscriminate siting of development projects.

4. Forest fires.

5. The forest area in the recent past has not changed much because its diversion for non-forestry
purposes has been more or less compensated by afforestation.

“The annual withdrawal of fuel wood is estimated at 235 million cubic meters against a
sustainable capacity of about 48 million cubic meters. The annual demand for industrial
wood is 28 million cubic meters against the production capacity of 12 million cube meters.
The area affected by forest fire ranges from 33 percent in West Bengal to 99 percent in
Manipur.”

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Impact # 3. Biodiversity:

India is a country with wide variety of agro-climatic conditions which harbor a wide variety of
animals and plants. According to an estimate, India ranks 10th in the World and 4th in Asia in
terms of plant diversity. As agriculture is becoming more and more commercialized, a number of
plant and animal species are becoming extinct.

The crops showing high profits are covering more area while the less profitable ones are rapidly
declining, creating a number of environmental problems. The depletion of vegetative cover such
as grass lands and forest tree species and similarly extinction of wild animals, birds and insects is
matter of concern. According to another estimate, over 1,500 plant species, 79 mammals, 44
birds, 15 reptiles, 3 amphibians and several insects are listed as endangered.

Impact # 4. Pest Problem:

With the shift in crop pattern, increase in area under irrigation and higher cropping intensity, the
pest problem has become very severe. The seriousness of pests has further increased by way of
indiscriminate and increased use of pesticides.

The predatory birds and insect population has dwindled at a sharp rate causing lack of natural
control of pests. The direct effect of high use of dangerous pesticides is on human and animal
health. A large variety of cases of residual effect of pesticides and intake by human and animals
have created health hazards.

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ADVERTISEMENTS:

It is clear from table 3 that the use of pesticides increased at a fast rate in the country. It was 24.3
thousand tons of Technical Grade Material in 1970- 71 which increased to 75.0 thousand tones in
1990-91, thereafter it started falling, touching a level of 56.1 thousand tones in 1996-97 and 38
thousand tones in 2006-07. The recent decline in the pesticide use is due to increasing awareness
among producers and consumers about the ill-effects of pesticides.

Impact # 5. Disposal of Industrial & Agricultural Wastes:

The use of by-products such as paddy straw and rice husk has not been made properly. The
burning of such by-products creates increase in carbon dioxide and carbon-monoxide in the
atmosphere resulting in respiratory problems for animals and human beings. There is need for
recycling the agricultural wastes by having enterprises like dairy, poultry, fishery etc., processing
of by-products and ploughing in the field as organic matter.

The mechanization of agriculture requires various energy resources such as diesel, electricity,
petrol etc. Moreover, higher use of fertilizers as well, has negative impact on the ecology of the
country by air pollution. Affluent water, smoke and un-degradable solid waste from industries
and domestic uses have also been responsible for toxicity in plant and animal particularly fish
and unbalanced soil nutrients which needs to be checked through treatment plants.

CONCLUSION:

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The relationship between agriculture and nature will continue to evolve. Agriculture evolved
very gradually over time, though a dramatic acceleration of replacement of inherited nature
happened especially in the past 200 years. This evolution is now mainly driven by a change in
demand, which is related to the interaction of population growth, urbanization, and income
growth, and related changes in tastes and preferences. Demand for “nature” is part of the
equation.

We will most likely observe major changes in agriculture in the next decades especially in
emerging economies. A more sustainable use of natural resources is not easily achievable even
though agricultural innovations can be fast. At the same time, agriculture has been a potential
engine of economic growth and development, and continues to play that key role in low-income
countries with their sizable small-farm sectors.

Agriculture will have to deal with many upcoming challenges, including increased food needs
for nine billion people, while adapting to climate change. In the history of agricultural
innovation, becoming more effective while using less input was always a dominant driver.
Without these science-based innovations of the last two centuries, many societies would not be
able to live at the high standards reached, and even more natural resources would be used for
agricultural production. Agriculture will need accelerated innovations of diverse strategies in
different contexts. Technical and institutional innovations are critical for a new and more
harmonious relationship between agriculture and nature.

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