Monoculture farming is a method of farming in which an entire plot of land is planted with one single crop. The vast majority of modern farming is monoculture, though while the most economically efficient method, it is detrimental to the environment. However, population circumstances today leave us few alternatives to meet the global need, making monoculture farming one of the most tenacious obstacles standing between us and conservation.
Agriculture is extremely important and provides the vast majority of the ingredients in our food and clothing, and is used worldwide with hundreds of plants for this reason. Needless to say, modern society could not function without monoculture farming. Chances are, if you live in Central PA, you have seen fields of corn or soybean stretching for miles at a time. These are all monoculture fields, consisting of only one species of crop to be harvested and replanted in a perpetual cycle.
Economically speaking, this is an incredibly efficient method of farming, and has been a massive industry since the 1950s when America experienced its Green Revolution. By planting only one crop, farmers can manage their crops easily, without the extra considerations needed when other species of plants are present. Harvesting is also much simpler than traditional cropping, and when planted in neat rows, allows machinery to be used. All of this ultimately reduces time and resource costs, therefore generating greater profits. However, this cheap and efficient monoculture system cripples the environment in an abundance of ways.
Monoculture farming (also known as monocropping) disrupts the natural state of an ecosystem, in which many species interact and affect each other in a “checks and balances” sort of system. Pests are controlled by predators and the diversity of species close together inhibits the spread of disease in a natural system, but these factors are eliminated in a monoculture farm, so pests and disease spread like wildfire. Not only does this decrease farming efficiency, but it leads to the use of pesticides and other chemicals that flow into the ground and eventually end up in waterways which poison natural ecosystems. Herbicides used to remove weeds and fungi have the same effect.
Monocropping over time also leads to depletion of nutrients from the soil, increasing the risk of erosion and disrupting the natural chemical balance of the ground. This issue is most often solved with synthetic fertilizer, but even this chemical is harmful as it washes away and disrupts the natural chemical composition of the land and water where it ends up. Tilling soil and irrigation further increases the frequency of soil, containing all of the above chemicals, washing away into the environment.
The best way to exemplify the impact of this issue is by examining the effects of monocropping in Pennsylvania on the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Pesticides, herbicides, and sediment from fields runs into creeks, which eventually end up in the Susquehanna river, which eventually leads to the Chesapeake Bay. These chemicals and sediments contain high levels of Nitrogen and Phosphorous, which are necessary for life to thrive, but in excess can render water toxic. This leads to toxic algae blooms, poisoning fish, and the cultivation of diseases transmissible to any animal (including people) that allows the water inside its body. This is just one example of the chemical effects of monocropping.
Monocropping is also perhaps the largest contributor to deforestation and unsustainable land use worldwide. Monoculture farming is used to produce the cotton for clothing, grain, and other ingredients needed in food, as well as the seed oils in most processed food. Seed oils are derived from rapeseed, oil palms, soybean and many other crops, all of which require massive areas to farm and harvest. Cosmetic and hygiene products also contain such ingredients. The modern demand for these products requires a monumental scale of monocropping, which is done worldwide. This means that precious ecosystems in the Amazon rainforest, Africa, America, and countless other regions of the world are razed and farmed in ever-growing quantity. Below is a visualization of the island of Borneo, near Indonesia, between 1950 and 2020, showing how ~60% of the forest has been cleared for timber, palm oil, and rubber production. For a size reference, Borneo is the third largest island in the world. It is home to many rare species such as orangutan and clouded leopards, most of which are critically endangered due to such farming practices.
Monoculture farming itself is a mammoth problem, but there is an underlying issue caused by the ever-growing human population. With all of the side effects of this method of production, the sensible thing to do would be to stop, but as previously mentioned, the global demand for resources does not allow us to turn back. With the speed and volume at which goods must be produced to sustain the current population, monocropping is the cheapest and most efficient way to meet demand; traditional cropping would not produce nearly enough resources, and would exponentially increase land use and associated deforestation. Humans also consume massive amounts of meet, particularly beef in the United States and Europe. Food grown to feed livestock takes up roughly 26% of the planet’s habitable land, and the livestock itself takes up nearly 80% of global agricultural farmland, yet supplies only 20% of the world’s calories. There are more sustainable ways to farm, such as 3-crop rotations, cover cropping, and natural pest management involving ecologically engineered fields, but 78% of farming occurs in poor or developing countries, where the cheapest option is the only option. With all of this in mind, it seems as if we have dug ourselves a hole.
This is a difficult issue, because as humans, we simply must feed our population, though we must also be aware of our presence on the planet and reduce the effects of our farming practices on the environment. Despite our best efforts, however, the global population continues to increase at an exponential rate, which means increased demand and increased farming to match.
So how do we win a losing battle?
Sources:
https://ourworldindata.org/agricultural-land-by-global-diets
https://www.cbf.org/issues/agriculture/nitrogen-phosphorus.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/monoculture
This was a super interesting civic issue topic. I have definitely seen examples of monoculture farming in PA and a LOT in Illinois. I had always heard they switched out the crops after each harvest to put new nutrients back into the soil in order to keep the same plot of land fertile, but I was unaware how it harmed the environment like that. It is also an interesting problem since while some are focusing to try to end hunger around the world, unsustainable methods will ultimately cause more harm than good. The meat industry is also known to be very bad for the environment, so I was glad that was included in your blog. I am excited to read more!
I really enjoyed reading this post! I totally agree that it is important to recognize the potential consequences of monoculture farming and explore alternative farming practices that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Diversifying crops, rotating crops, and adopting agroforestry practices can all help to mitigate the negative impacts of monoculture farming and promote more sustainable agricultural systems. Overall, this was such a great post and really well-written!