Are you concerned about the impacts of large-scale agriculture in the US? When you consider how much we rely on food production, it seems daunting to consider how changes can be made.
Last year, 19.7 million full and part-time jobs were in the agricultural and food sectors. That’s just over 10 percent of total employment in the US.
Our way of life is possible through industrial agriculture. How does the food we eat come to your store shelves and table? Here’s a guide to industrial agriculture today.
What is Industrial Agriculture?
Industrial agriculture is the practice of industrial farming on a large scale. The focus has been on using the land efficiently with a focus on profits. The large-scale farm takes sunshine, land, and water and produces food most efficiently.
The result has been plentiful food at a reduced cost. By many standards, it has been a success. Convenience and choice in our supermarkets is something we have come to expect from the farming industry.
Challenges of Large Scale Farming
In the past, the costs and benefits of industrial agriculture didn’t consider its impact on the environment. That’s resulted in a variety of problems including:
- damage to surface and groundwater,
- excess fossil fuel use, contributing to global warming
- pollution caused by pesticide use,
- and other environmental and social costs.
We can produce more food efficiently and increase the population of the planet, but it comes at a cost.
Focus on Sustainability
A shift to a more sustainable form of industrial agriculture is underway. Industrial farmers are interested in improving their practices.
We are using advances in technology to continue to provide food to large numbers of people. At the same time, the impact on the planet is being reduced.
Click here to learn more about how the use of precision technology is solving some of these problems.
Large-scale agriculture is working hard to shift its use of resources to more sustainable options. They’re reducing their use of gas and electricity. At the same time, they’re switching to using renewable energy.
Purchasing new energy-saving equipment is one way to reduce their footprint. Another is to switch to LED lighting in all of their food production facilities.
One way to reduce waste is to use it in new ways. The industry is working on ways to produce biogas from waste on large farms. Solid fuel bricks can be produced from animal and plant waste.
Focus on Water Management
Water is a limited resource that must be properly managed. Industrial agriculture is changing the way they use water.
A focus on reducing the amount of water used can help reduce waste. Wastewater is often contaminated with effluent and improvement in treatments is another important area to consider.
Change is Underway
Understanding how industrial agriculture is changing to meet the challenges of today takes a bit of research. Finding a great source of information is a bonus.
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