HOW CAN FARMERS CONTRIBUTE TO SAVING THE EARTH?

 

HOW CAN FARMERS CONTRIBUTE TO SAVING THE EARTH?

December 2, 2022

Farming and agriculture are essential for life to survive on earth. Farmers contribute the most to humanity. They work day and night to produce crops that are later sent to markets for us to consume. Apart from that, they take care of animals and plant vegetation for them as well. While everything has its pros, it has its cons as well.

The biggest problem that the world is facing these days is climate change. Glaciers are melting, and the earth’s temperature is rapidly increasing, which is alarming for all living on earth. Many climate activists are working day and night to educate people regarding climate change and what effects it can have on human life. According to research, most of the ice on the earth is converting to water, and the earth’s water level is also increasing. Agriculture and farming also affect global warming. It is time the impact is reduced to preserve the earth for generations to come.

Regenerative farming:

Many experts have suggested that regenerative farming will help farmers save the earth and lessen agriculture’s impact on the motherland. There are small ways to improve agricultural practices that farmers can adopt.

• Farmers spend most of their life trying to build healthy farmland to produce healthy crops, and if someone tells them one day that they can lose their land and all they have, it will be alarming. This is precisely what is happening these days.
• According to many scientists, the world’s population will increase by 9.8 billion by 2050. The current population of the world has increased to 8 billion.
• This means that the earth’s needs will change soon enough. Scientists suggest that farmers take specific measures related to agriculture to produce more crops and increase the quality of the crops.
• The meaning of regenerative farming is that farmers can increase the health of the land where they sow the seeds. Increase biodiversity and find methods to reduce costs.
• The nitrogen emission released through fertilizers can also be reduced as it hurts the environment. All these small things have a significant impact on the world and the environment.

10 major things farmers can do to fight climate change:

• Irrigation management: water conservation is essential for the whole world, especially farmers, as this water can be used in times of need, like droughts. Most of the water that farmers use comes in the form of groundwater. Farmers who work on irrigation efficiency can reduce fossil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Renewable energy: Shifting away from fossil fuels is the best thing to do. For farmers, it is essential to understand that stepping away from these things will help preserve the earth and make life on earth easier. Farmers can step away from things that create renewable energy on the earth, like solar panels, minimize the use of petroleum fertilizers, and reduce their dependence on transferring crops using renewable energy.
• Organic practices: For a very long time, farmers have been using fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to reduce the number of pests and insects in the crops. There are more synthetic and eco-friendly options available in the market that farmers can use for their crops. These changes can bring many benefits to farmers the health of the soil is increased, fresh crops are produced, and benefits to the climate are increased.
• Soil health: During the photosynthesis process, when the plants absorb the carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere and give out oxygen, the carbon dioxide is straight sent to the soil that feeds the bacteria, fungi, and all the living organisms present under the earth. The strengthening of bacteria means that many nutrients are provided for the plants. These bacteria act as natural fertilizers, which leads to farmers saying goodbye to artificial fertilizers.
• Protect farmland: Farmland is vital for the preservation of the earth. A large number of trees are cut down daily to build multiple things. Although people are aware that trees are essential for the earth, they still seek benefits for their cause. By protecting farmland and vegetation, human life can be saved from a lot of natural disasters like earthquakes and floods.
• Support local foods: In many parts of the world, there is a vast display of fresh fruits and vegetables every week called the farmers market. Instead of using the food that travels hundreds of miles to reach you, you can walk on foot without wasting any fossil fuels and get all the things you need. Supporting farmers will help them gain confidence, and they will successfully grow fresh fruits and vegetables for humans. They will know that whatever they are doing is for a good cause.
• Reduce methane emissions: Agriculture is one of the top reasons methane exists in the atmosphere. This is for the US and other parts of the world. Methane is released through beef and dairy products and projected into the atmosphere. Countless dairy farms have been opened over the past decade, and they are the hub of generating methane gas. The impact of this gas and these emissions can be reduced by holistic pasture-based livestock.

 

Not everything is a lost cause. There have been significant changes in agriculture over the past few years, and all of this has been made possible due to global awareness about climate change. Farmers can make further changes to handling things, like reducing pesticides and managing nutrients produced for the crops and soil. The change you want to see in the world starts with you, so why not move towards cleaner earth now?

John Tarantino
My name is John Tarantino … and no, I am not related to Quinton Tarantino the movie director. I love writing about the environment, traveling, and capturing the world with my Lens as an amateur photographer.