Our industry 2014 - (Page 26)

  26   02 Sustainable agricultural systems   Reducing agriculture's environmental  footprint   Improved farming practices and solutions will not only address the need   for increased productivity but also help farmers manage and protect the   environment. Many stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines, including  academia, governmental and non-governmental settings, are acknowledging   that agricultural intensification is necessary to produce enough food   without further compromising nature.    Soil loss in corn   cultivation has dropped  69% per ton in the   past 20 years Greenhouse gas emissions directly associated with crop farming and livestock  (excluding deforestation) represent around 14% of all man-made emissions   and have been continuously decreasing per ton of crop produced due to the  intensification and modernization of practices and products.  In addition, agricultural productivity has been contributing to more optimized  land use and consequently the conservation of natural habitats. The most   concerning land use change in modern times has been deforestation, which is  also the second major contributor for man-made greenhouse gas emissions.   In Brazil, for instance, Amazon deforestation plunged to a historic low in 2010,  more than 75% below its 2004 peak, while productivity increased faster than  most countries across the globe.  Fertile soil is the foundation of sustainable agricultural systems; biodiversity   is the basis for agricultural resilience. But poor farming practices leave soils  depleted and exposed to soil erosion. Already, some 40% of the world's  farmland is seriously degraded. Cultivating more wilderness for human   consumption threatens biodiversity, so it is crucial that farmers become more  productive and manage their land to protect and improve biodiversity on   farm and around the field. Millions of hectares of farm land become infertile globally each year as   a result of soil erosion. Much of this soil is lost as a result of traditional tillage  used for weed control. By breaking up and turning the soil, tillage leaves it   more vulnerable to erosion and soil is more easily washed off the fields by   heavy rain. Globally around 15% of the population has become affected   by land degradation since 1981. Farmers need help to increase soil fertility and improve the productivity on   their land in sustainable ways. That means crop rotations, restoring degraded  land, planting vegetation around fields to prevent erosion and techniques to  avoid unnecessary tilling. It takes nature 500 years to replace 25 mm of lost   soil - making soil a top priority for every farmer. Farming also depends on biodiversity. Diversity of genetic material is the   key to adapting crops to changing conditions - and changes in climate are   accelerating the need for adaptation. Farmers need the pollination provided   by bees and other insects - a number of the world's agricultural crops   depend on pollination. See how Syngenta's operation pollinator helps with biodiversity on:   www.syngenta.com Agriculture accounts   for 14% of all man-  made greenhouse gas  emissions Nature takes 500 years   to replace 25 mm of   lost soil  http://www.syngenta.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Our industry 2014

Our industry 2014

https://www.nxtbook.com/syngenta/Our_industry/Our-industry-2014
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com