What is the definition of unsustainable agriculture and some examples?
1 Answer
An agricultural practice that will lead to its own extinction. Mono-crop farming, excessive fertilizer use and over-dependence on irrigation are some examples.
Explanation:
“Unsustainable” in general means that continuing to do something in a certain way will eventually lead to not being able to do it at all. Applied to agriculture this would be any practice that does not maintain or restore the soil to a condition that can support plant life.
Thus, anything that depletes the soil nutrients continuously - like not rotating crops or allowing a field to lie fallow for a season – will eventually result in soil that is incapable of growing crops at all.
Fertilizer misuse can also upset the chemical balance of the soil, and excessive use can have harmful effects on other parts of the ecosystem. Excessive use of irrigation can result in the depletion or elimination of the water supply, leading to drought and crop failure.
