Agriculture provides the livelihoods for around a third of the world’s active working force however it only generates roughly 2-3% of the global value which can be misleading at because a large proportion of this industry (which is not accounted for in this figure) are related to the production, processing, distribution and sale of food (David Satterthwaite, 2010). The UN projects the worlds urban population will grow by around one billion in-between 2010 and 2025, while the rural population will barely grow at all (United nations, 2008). This projection can lead to the assumption that even more strain will be put on the already struggling food industry. As the world population and urban population continue to grow, the proportion of the global population not producing food will also continue to also grow, in conjunction to this the increasing amount of middle and upper income (from developing countries such as India and China) consumers and their dietary choices will become more energy and greenhouse gas intensive. As a result, they will be able to afford foods such as red meat which a kg of is thirty times more demanding on the environment than a kg of plant protein (Joseph Hincks, 2018).
The demand for agricultural products because of urbanisation has increased as a result of the change in diets and demands, this has brought major changes in how demands are met and how they will continue to be met. Because of the number of growing economies around the globe (countries such as Brazil, India and China) who are deemed as successful economies with rapid increases in urbanisation, there will be rising demands for meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and luxury food which then required more energy intensive production and for many nations more imports (de Haen, 2003). Because of this there will be a growing role for supermarkets role in food sales. Supermarkets will favour large agricultural products, over local producers, to keep up with the vigorous demand. These changes would also effect the number of workers in each sector of the food industry, there will be fewer people in agriculture and more working in transport, wholesale, retail, food processing and vending (Cohen & Garrett, 2009). This shift in workforce could create several problems, assumptions can be made that sourcing food overseas or from non-local sources will create more pollution because getting the food from overseas will mean Co2 will be produced adding air miles onto food. Another issue that could affect this type of supply would be the change in fuel prices, this would make the price of food fluctuate often because of the fact it has to travel so far and therefore relying on oil prices. Sourcing food locally would get rid of this problem and would also reduce emissions. Because of the fluctuation in oil prices it only makes sense to invest more resources and money into urban farming, this research shows more and more rural dwellers are urbanising towns and cities, this pattern of migration is expected to carry on according to the UN.
Urbanisation causes urban expansion which inevitably covers agricultural land, this can bring problems simply because the land owners anticipate this expansion therefore leaving fertile farmable land vacant for financial gains. This kind of expansion is often done haphazardly meaning there is little control over land use conversions from agricultural to non-agricultural uses. “Urban expansion is often over the nation’s most productive agricultural land since most urban centres grew there precisely because of highly fertile soils” (D. Stterthwaite, 2010). This is a part of issue when it comes to the amount of arable land left on earth, if urban areas carry on expanding into the country’s most fertile of land there won’t be as much land available to grow produce for the expanding population. Governments could restrict the loss of agricultural land to urban expansion by implementing laws, but in reality they don’t because it could lead to land and property price inflation. A solution is therefore needed to tackle the reduction of available arable land and to stop more land from getting built on, an urban solution is required to stop large urban areas from relying on supply chains who source food far away to fore fill their needs as explored earlier.
Deforestation and its effects on farm land
The change in diet in up and coming economies has not only put a strain on farmers but also on the environment, this is because to make farmers able to meet food demand they will have to clear large areas of forest to create more agricultural land so that livestock can graze and crops can be planted. With deforestation comes a string of environmental damages such as erosion, this occurs when the land is no longer protected by the trees in the case of a rainforest (which was once protecting the soil) therefore the weather is able to damage the top soil by washing away its nutrients leaving the land barren. As a result in demand, deforestation has been occurring more and more as the world’s greed continues to grow, a recent study states “the Amazon is approaching a point of no return” (Chelsea Gohd, 2018), with roughly 17% of Amazon’s vegetation being affected.
The world food demand is predicted to rise not only because of urbanisation but also because of the increase of population and income per capita in developing countries. The world’s population is predicted to rise by 2 billion in the next four decades which would mean global agriculture will have to increase its production by 60% from its 2005 and 2007 level (United Nations, 2013). A study provided by the UN (2002) suggests that “in the coming 30 years developing countries will need an extra 120Mha (hectare) for crops, an overall increase of 12.5 percent” (United Nations, 2002), this would lead to further deforestation. Brazil is an important global supplier for many agricultural goods such as soya bean, sugar, cotton, beef and poultry. It’s one of the only countries that still has a large amount of untouched forest suitable for converting into agricultural land. Because of the vast stock of forests in areas such as the Amazon and the increasing demand for food, deforestation has been increasing driven by market forces. Rising food demand is forcing up land rent therefore causing deforestation to accelerate.
Erosion and its effects on farm land
Erosion is another issue which plays a role in the world food crisis because it is making the amount of available farm land shrink every year worldwide. Soil erosion is a natural process that affects all exposed landmass, and in agriculture, it is referred to as the wearing of topsoil by natural forces such as water and wind, erosion is also a type of land degradation. Whether it is by water, wind or tillage they all involve three actions which are soil detachment, movement and deposition. Topsoil is high in organic matter which is why it is an ideal growing material for crops, is relocated elsewhere on-site where it builds up over time or is carried off-site where it fills in drainage channels. Soil erosion reduces cropland productivity and contributes to the pollution of adjacent watercourses, wetlands and lakes (Ritter, 2019). Over farming in the UK has resulted in the rapid decline in soil quality, meaning there is roughly only 100 crop cycles left before farmers will be unable to successfully grow crops. Soil erosion can be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed or can occur at an alarming rate, causing serious loss of topsoil. Soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinization and soil acidity problems are other serious soil degradation conditions that can accelerate the soil erosion process which will be explored further on (Ritter, 2019). The most damaging type of erosion on British farm land is tillage erosion. Tillage is the manipulation made to soil cause by digging, stirring, and overturning top soil for crop production. It results in the movement of soil and its essential nutrients, causing severe soil loss on sloped land which then accumulation in lower positions or runs away via irrigation. This type of erosion is one of the main triggers which can cause water erosion to take place. This action can also move soil to other areas of a field causing surface water to collect in concentrations. Turning the land can exposed subsoil located directly below the top soil, which is highly erodible in comparison to top soil. It is affected mainly by water and wind when exposed. Tillage erosion has the highest risk of on-site soil movement, and in many cases can cause more erosion than water or wind alone (Ritter, 2019). The effects of tillage erosion can be devastating for a farmer because it can impact crop development and the yield for that crop cycle. Research shows tillage eroded fields produce crop yield declines of up to 40% (Ritter, 2019).
Soil conservation
Soil conservation is an important aspect of land management, it helps to reverse the degradation of soil and enhance crop and livestock production. Maintaining appropriate land management practices are important factors in achieving food security and to secure the livelihoods of agricultural workers/businesses. As explored before, symptoms of soil degradation vary, from the decline of soil fertility to maintaining acid and alkali levels. Because of the devastating effects of soil erosion the amount of people working in the agricultural sector has fallen which then effects the productivity of the sector and revenue made, assumptions can be made that land degradation is one of the main reasons why large scale urbanisation has been taking place in the 21st century, this is because of the declining income made in agriculture, worsening rural poverty. This is why it is important that an effort is made to restore the productivity of degraded land, conservation agriculture, good agricultural practices and irrigation management and integrated plant nutrient management are the main methods used to slow down land degradation (Fao.org. 2019). In 1992 the “World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWC)” was created in collaboration with institutions and organised by the University of Bern in Switzerland. The WASWC was created to promote soil and water conservation techniques that could be integrated worldwide, some of these techniques involve educating farmers to enhance land productivity in areas affected by land degradation. WASWC help prevent and reduce soil erosion, compaction and salinity; conservation or drainage of soil water; maintenance or improvement of soil fertility (Fao.org. 2019). They do this by using technologies that measure soil structural properties which leads to the enhancement of crop yield.
Liming is another popular soil conservation method especially used in the UK, it involves farmers applying calcium and magnesium rich materials to the soil most commonly in the form of limestone. These materials react with acidic soil neutralising it and ultimately making the soil more fertile by enhancing the availability of phosphates and prevent molybdenum deficiency. It can also promote the activity of earthworms and nitrogen-fixing bacteria as well as the breakdown of organic material that releases nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and micro-elements (Farmer’s Weekly, 2019). Liming can bring benefits to soil such as acidity regulation, it is important that soil acidity is controlled because acidity deposition can threaten eco system health (Clair and Hinder, 2005). Acidity deposition can occur when the over use of nitrogen fertilisers takes place or from acid rain which is caused by atmospheric pollution. Because of the current atmospheric pollution issues, there is global concern regarding acidified arable land, therefore liming’s potential is being explored further, however because of the Co2 produced during the process of soil neutralisation it becomes a vicious circle with more acid rain falling on the land. The main problem with liming is the greenhouse gasses that is produced when the acidic soil neutralises, this Co2 is released into the atmosphere and contributes towards global warming. The UK government abolished a liming subsidy in 1997/98 (MAFF, 1979). Without this funding for the scheme the application of lime has reduced each year since abolishment, which coincides with the worsening condition of UK soils. As mentioned, liming is not perfect which leads to the question that an alternative eco-friendly solution is required in order to protect UK top soil, it has been made clear that the land under our feet cannot be farmed intensively forever therefore a soilless alternative easily accessible for urban dwellers is needed.
Land degradation in the UK
There is a growing concern the way that soils are used is resulting in degradation which is resulting in a rise in cost for direct users (farmers) and consumers (rising food prices). Soil degradation is costing the UK £0.9-£1.4bn every year, loss of organic content of soil makes up 47% of the total cost, compaction 39% and erosion 12% (Graves et al., 2015). During Graves article he confirms that controlling soil degradation via soil conservation methods have implications for a number of key reasons, such as flood risk management and climate change. Land is the most important natural resource the earth has to offer, it provides a range of services for the ecosystem and it supports human activity, such as farming. Activities such as farming has led to a growing concern about the physical, chemical and biological degradation of the soil, according to the European Commission’s Thematic strategy for soil protection (European commission, 2006) the main degradation processes that threaten the soil are soil erosion, organic matter decline which means the decline in living and dead organisms in various degrees of decomposition in the soil, compaction, salinization, landslides, contamination, soil sealing and the loss of soil biodiversity. The annual erosion in England and Wales was calculated to be in the area of 2.9 Mt a^-1 (mega tonne per annum) which is more than what the Environmental agency predicted 2.2 Mt a-1. Most of the erosion occurred on silty and sandy land, especially on arable and horticultural land where mean per hectare erosion rates were high (Graves et al., 2015). The effect of erosion on the size of a crop yield is related to the reduction in soil depth, which also has an effect on crop rooting, nutritional storage, water holding capacity and soil profile characteristics and existing soil and crop management. A study also shows UK forestry yields have reduced significantly because of degraded soils (Graves et al., 2011). The devastating effects of land degradation in the UK has caused crop yields to decline by up to 20% over a period of 20 years, this was calculated using the mean erosion rate equation (17tha^-1 a^-1). The annual soil depth reduction was calculated at 1.6mm per annum, however this figure can be inaccurate because it doesn’t take every soil type into consideration.
Hydroponic farming
Hydroponic farming could be a way of meeting the future food demand, it consists of growing plants without soil by infusing water with the required nutrients to enhance growth. Only recently the potential of hydroponic farming has been explored because of its increase farming outputs and the fact plants and grow in habitats that might not have been able to sustain them normally. Because of the realisation that hydroponics could be the answer to the growing demand for food farmers are slowly increasing their use, and researchers are looking into new ways of implementing this technology for maximum effectiveness. In conventional farming the soil supports the root of the plant helping it to grow upright and also providing the plant with the nutrients and water needed tp grow. However in hydroponics the plants are supported by some kind of artificial meth and water is supplied to its roots containing the required nutrients. Hydroponics was developed with the intention of allowing a plant to grow without environmental factors limiting it, by providing the plant nutrients directly to its roots in a controlled environment the farmer can make sure the plant always has the correct supply of water and nutrients so that it grows to its full potential, making the plant more productive. There are many methods to conduct hydroponic farming such as, Wick Systems, Deep Water Culture (DWC), Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain), aeroponics and the drip Systems. All of these methods are mechanised in some way, by using a pump to provide water or a mister to deliver the water to the roots.
Advantages of hydroponic farming vs traditional methods include an increase in productivity, this is because the use of nutrients, artificial lights, heaters and other equipment encourage plants to grow faster, produce larger yields and grow all year round. Hydroponic farming is more eco-friendly than standard soil farming, this is because the water in the system is able to be recycled therefore only uses roughly 10% of the water a standard farm uses (Big Picture, 2019). The system is closed which means nutrients can’t escape, also it would only require 25% of the fertiliser a regular farm would use meaning less pollution and contamination is going to occur. With the absence of soil pests are no longer a problem and because its enclosed from the world natural predators can be used to control the amount of insect and pests that try to eat the plants, this means next to none pesticides are needed. Another advantage is that its feasibility in areas not suited to traditional farming, this is because of its high water efficiency. The trays used for hydroponic farming are stackable and be placed closer together on each tray making it more space efficient than traditional farming. The fact every aspect of growing conditions can be controlled means hydroponic farming can be used anywhere. There is a reduction in transportation when using hydroponic farming because crops can grow closer to the consumer which also means a reduction in emissions and the end product arrives fresher to the customer. Most importantly farmers don’t need to worry about soil conservation, crop rotation, soil degradation ext. meaning they can spend their money elsewhere to improve their efficiency when farming.
Of course there are disadvantages that accompany the advantages, these include the high set up cost of a hydroponic system, this is because the setup requires a large amount of equipment which all needs to be purchased before the farm is up and running. This can be a risk for many people without the capital funding to get their business up and running. Hydroponic farms also have higher running costs in comparison to traditional farming methods, this is because many of the control systems (pumps, water purifiers, filters, lights heaters etc.) require power to work and are running 27/7, which most of these are provided naturally to soil based farming. Because the plants rely so heavily on mechanised equipment to keep them alive they are extremely vulnerable meaning if there is a power outage or mechanical failure it could mean the plants could die extremely fast. Nutrient and pH imbalances can build up quicker in a solution than in soil (Big Picture, 2019), if any of the equipment therefore fail the entire crop could get wiped out. Another downside to hydroponic farming is the need for constant monitoring, even though hydroponic farms require less overall effort because planting and harvesting is less effort, but the plants cannot be left by themselves for long periods of time in comparison to fields of crops. A hydroponic farm must be regularly monitored by a farmer or an automated system to make sure the water has the correct amount of nutrients in it, ph. of the water is at the right level ext. Finally hydroponic farming is much more scientific in comparison to traditional farming methods therefore experts will be needed who understand the technique which also translate into spending even more money.
After considering the advantages and disadvantages of hydroponic farming it is clear that there is a gap in the market for a cheaper soilless farming solution which requires less effort and attention than the conventional hydroponic system. One that is easy to set up and used by anyone, that can be left to its own devices and cost much less to set up.
2019-1-9-1546994561