If monoculture is not ideal, why is it the most common agricultural practice in the world today? All the primary reasons for monocultural farming revolve around maximizing profits.
If a farmer plants a single crop on the entire farm, there's more space available for that crop, making them a major supplier. Also, they can run the whole business using a single farming system: the same seed, pest control, weed control, and machinery. That helps farmers save considerable amounts of money and effort.
Popular crops grown in monoculture plantations include corn, wheat, rice, sugar cane, soybeans, and oil palm trees. Monoculture crops are usually essential sources of food, fiber, and other commercially important materials.
Monoculture has helped to increase food and fiber production. The increase in grain production has helped reduce the number of malnourished people even as the population keeps rising.
Effects of monoculture on the environment
Monoculture has immediately noticeable advantages, but it also has adverse effects that are slow but destructive. Such effects include environmental degradation and risks to human health.
Let's consider some consequences of monoculture.
Lack of biodiversity
Natural ecosystems consist of diverse wildlife communities that effectively sustain one another. Because of that diversity, essential ecosystem services like biological control of pests and diseases, carbon sequestration, pollination, etc., occur.
Monoculture is essentially a threat to biodiversity. Farmers remove all crops except the crop of choice. Consequently, they also force out animal species dependent on those removed plants by extermination, starvation, or lack of habitat.
Many native animal and plant species, some critical to the environment, become extinct because of monoculture. Agricultural expansion already threatens the natural environment, and monocropping makes it even scarier.
Planting the same crop year after year on the same piece of land strains soil resources.
Different crops demand more soil nutrients while adding other nutrients. For example, legumes use more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. Soybean monoculture will result in excess nitrogen in the soil and less of other nutrients. Such imbalances mess with soil health.
Various bacteria and microorganisms replenish the soil and keep it fertile. Different microbes mean many kinds of nutrients and soil health services. Research has established that plant diversity influences soil health and the type of microbial community in an area2. With monocropping, the variety of microbes significantly decreases.
Nutrient pollution
Since monoculture depletes soil nutrients, farmers must maximize production by using chemical fertilizers. However, there are severe environmental costs associated with using artificial fertilizers. Chemicals from fertilizers enter rivers, lakes, streams, and reservoirs through rainfall runoff or erosion, and they can also seep into groundwater.
Oversaturation of soil nutrients in aquatic habitats can cause harmful algae blooms, depleting the water's oxygen. Swimming in or accidentally swallowing water contaminated by such algae can cause serious health issues. Soil nitrate can also find its way into our drinking water. Water with high enough nitrates can be fatal to infants.
Excess fertilizer use also contributes to climate change. Nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers produce nitrogen oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas with 265 times more warming power than carbon dioxide3.
Pests and diseases more easily destroy monoculture crops as they lack the resistance a diverse plant and animal population would have provided. Those destructive agents stay in monocultural fields longer because they find them a perfect home.
Farmers who practice monoculture agriculture tend to use pesticides and herbicides excessively. Some parasites even resist the pesticides used against them, passing on the immunity to their offspring, so farmers use even more potent pesticides.
Pesticides, insecticides, rodents, and herbicides contain toxic chemicals harmful to humans and wildlife. These chemicals contaminate the soil and groundwater, enter water bodies, and become air pollutants.
Weak ecosystems
Agricultural ecosystems typically lack the resilience that undisturbed environments show in the face of biological and geological challenges. Monoculture, especially, creates fragile ecosystems.
For example, natural environments have biocontrol agents that control plant diseases and pests. Monoculture does not allow for diverse species to serve as control agents. Therefore, one pathogen can wipe out acres of monoculture farms in a blink.
Furthermore, monoculture fields cannot withstand weather events like fires, floods, and erosion due to a lack of diversity in root length and canopy. One type of root also means water uptake occurs at one level in the ground. In cases of severe drought, deep roots will require more irrigation, straining water resources.
Nutrition and health
There are over 350,000 known plant species, of which around 7,000 to 30,000 are considered edible and have been used for food and agriculture. Yet, only about 255 plants currently make up the bulk of the human diet worldwide1. We lack food diversity because monoculture prioritizes the production of certain crops over others based on profitability.
Over the last century, we have lost more than three-quarters of the genetic diversity in crops. Because monoculture has restricted us to a few options, we may be missing out on fantastic health and nutritional benefits.
Another concern monoculture raises is the effect of crop genetic modification. Despite bans on GMO foods, we have modified many of the crops we consume today for hardiness, higher yield, and easier processing. Both corn and soybeans are popular GMO crops.
Economical effects of monoculture
Here are some economic disadvantages of monocropping:
Monoculture farming may push small local farmers into obscurity in favor of big corporations that can afford more land and complex machinery. These companies produce in larger quantities and ship their products worldwide. And since monoculture can be relatively cheaper than other methods, they can sell quite at meager prices, pushing small farmers off the market.
Market shocks
Monoculture farmers typically focus on a single product and supply distant markets. There are many risks involved in doing business that way.
Monoculture farms have little chance of survival, like a drought or pest attacks, if something goes wrong. A farmer could lose their entire harvest. Lost or destroyed cargo also presents a problem. Its high-risk nature can lead to sudden scarcity and economic hardships for farmers and their customers.
Food insecurity
Monoculture is dangerous to pollinators because it lacks crop diversity and is chemically intensive. Pollinators may become sick and die as they migrate through monoculture fields. In addition, pollinators with only one food source suffer from nutrient deficiencies and weakened immune systems due to poor diets.
The declining pollinator population is a global concern because it directly affects crop yields. Fewer pollinators equals lower food production. Big agriculture corporations can usually afford artificial pollination, but what about small-scale farmers?
Monoculture isn't the only way to grow crops; other ways don't put the environment at risk as much. Switching to sustainable agriculture has many advantages, but maintaining plant diversity is vital.
Maintaining biodiversity sustains ecosystem services that increase yields, such as biological control, unmanaged pollination, and waste disposal services.
It also maximizes land fully for production since different species of plants can thrive on the same field at different seasons of the year. In monocropping, the land lies idle once the growing season is over.
Farmers need to start looking at other types of farming that are more environmentally friendly than monoculture. Thankfully, there is more than one way to practice sustainable agriculture. We have;
Polyculture
Polyculture is the practice of simultaneously growing different crops on the same piece of land. One key benefit is that some crops can serve as pest repellents for other crops. Polyculture also increases soil fertility and water retention.
Conservation agriculture
This farming system tries to replicate natural ecosystems as much as possible. It promotes minimal soil disturbance, diverse plant species, and permanent soil cover. Conservation agriculture's most significant advantage is that farmers have a higher hope of stable yields.
Crop rotation
A rotation system allows a farmer to plant different crops on the same field in sequence. Crop rotation interrupts pest cycles and removes pathogens. It also helps revitalize and balance the soil. For example, planting nitrogen-loving vegetables after legumes keeps the soil nitrogen balanced.
Permaculture
Permaculture is a sustainable food production system that embraces the whole concept of sustainable living. Its key aspect is eliminating resource waste, and it encourages slow consumption.
The major challenge in eliminating monoculture is keeping the food supply high enough so people don't go hungry. That is a valid concern, as food insecurity, which discriminately affects low-income households, would only worsen if the supply suddenly dipped.
Another challenge is that many local farmers struggle to transition from monocropping. They may face complex financial or technical issues.
Political willingness is also a concern, as the government can institute policies that support sustainable farming. They also have the authority to compel large agro companies to adopt more environment-friendly practices.
However, monoculture is not sustainable. Past trends show that continuing monocultural farming would only increase nitrogen pollution, irrigated fields, and agricultural encroachment.
Conclusion
Many farmers have turned to monoculture to avoid lower yields. Despite its seemingly great economic benefits, monoculture has unpleasant environmental consequences. Diversity in agriculture is the way to go. It has long-term positive effects on the environment and the economy.
This is a million-dollar question. What is certain is that, over the past few years, sustainability has become one of the most relevant topics in many sectors. The increasing perishment of the planet has raised many questions about our future. Constant debates are in progress worldwide, and companies and people have committed to finding the best solution to achieve sustainability. Innovation and digital transformation appear to be significant strategies that involve disparate sectors and markets.
1. High water consumption
Cultivating an avocado plantation, usually in tropical climates, requires a considerable amount of water. One kilogram of avocado requires 0.75 tons of water. When comparing this water consumption to other fruits like bananas, it is about seven times more than they need.
A study measured water consumption rates of avocados, bananas, and pineapples and found that a kilogram of avocado requires 40 times more water than a kilogram of pineapple1. Other studies conducted in regions used for avocado plantations show that they experience water scarcity due to the excessive amount of water used to farm avocados.
Avocado trees cannot be grown on a large commercial scale without irrigation. Fortunately, irrigation reduces the necessary water intake by 20%.
Despite the attempts at regulating the amount of water consumed by avocado fruits, its impact on the surrounding environment is undeniable. It is a leading cause of water scarcity in some regions.
2. Deforestation
The increase in the demand for avocados globally led to massive avocado production. Farmers require large portions of land to produce enough for the increased global markets for avocados. However, these demands cause damage to the environment.
Avocado producers contribute to deforestation while trying to acquire more land space for avocado farming. They often burn forests and cut down trees to make space for more avocado trees. A report by Global Forest Watch states that 98% of deforestation in Mexico occurs because of agricultural expansions.
The report also shows the number of tree covers lost to fire. In 2021, Mexico lost about 340Kha of land to fire outbreaks. This record is relatively normal given that about 3.8Mha of land was lost to fire eruptions in 2011. Also, over 40,000 deforestation alert reports were recorded in Mexico between the 26th of July 2022 and the 2nd of August 2022.
In return for cutting down forest trees, we experience intense climate change. Also, avocado cultivation can't atone for the loss of the other trees cut down because the avocado tree absorbs minimal amounts of carbon.
3. Monoculture
Monoculture is the practice of farming one crop repeatedly. Avocado production is a monoculture crop that harms the soil by striping the earth of its nutrients. It also reduces the organic matter in the soil and can cause soil erosion.
To combat the loss of soil nutrients, farmers use synthetic fertilizers to produce crops. The herbicides used to maintain the health of avocado trees cause long-term damage to the soil. It also puts pollinators at risk of extinction, like the Monarch butterfly in Mexico.
Avocado monoculture also alters the microbial landscape of the soil, leading to poor crop growth. Heavy industrialization causes avocado monoculture crops and plantations to leave a heavy trail of carbon and water footprints in the environment.
4. High carbon footprint
This refers to the greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans and other activities. Avocado is a heavily imported crop to the US, producing a significant carbon footprint during transportation.
Research by It's Fresh! found in 2017 that two avocados emit 846g of Co2. A Mexican avocado makes a long polluting journey to parts of the world where it is consumed, traveling over 5000 miles to reach the UK. These significant food miles all add to the negative impact of avocados on the environment.
In the long run, C02 emissions exacerbate global warming and climate change. The heightened demand for avocados will only damage the environment more.
5. Non-biodegradable packaging
Producers use non-biodegradable packaging to protect avocados during transportation. Non-biodegradable packaging includes plastic bags and boxes lined with plastic. These materials are not recyclable, increasing the state of plastic pollution in the area.
6. Socio-Economic Problems
The global demand for avocado fruit hurts the local food security of major producing countries.
Ocean acidification harms marine species in various ecosystems. It harms many marine species that rely on carbonate-based shells and those with high sensitivity to acid. Acidification also affects the complex food webs in the ocean. For instance, other marine species high on the food web feed on the ones with high sensitivity.
Calcifying organisms are marine animals that use calcium carbonate to build their shells and skeletons. These marine species include coral reefs, plankton, oysters, etc. Ocean acidification breaks existing shells and skeletons and makes creating a new one challenging because of the ocean's limited calcium carbonate.
Their shells become weak and vulnerable to damage from external factors, which weakens their recovery rates. For example, sea urchins help protect coral reefs from algae. However, they can't in acidic coastal areas because their weak protective shells make them more vulnerable to predators.
It also disrupts the food web because calcifying organisms prey on other animals. Some fish species are vulnerable to ocean acidification. Fish eggs and larvae might find it challenging to grow, develop, and survive in acidic oceans. An example is the clownfish larvae, which showed a reduced sense of smell in acidic marine environments, leading to risky swimming behaviors.
The high demand for palm oil increased the acres of palm oil plantations and other oil crops. Oil palm plantations grow on extensive areas of tropical forests with diverse species of trees.
West House is one of Brown’s Environmental Program Houses (along with our up-the-block neighbor North House), well known for it’s vegetarian food community. Residents and out-of-house members make up a fun and loving group committed to environmentalism, eating locally, social justice, building community, and – some of us more than others – strawberry yogurt.
Stop by any of our open dinners to get to know us better! Every Thursday @ 6:30 (during the school year), we meet at North House (111 Brown Street) and open our community up to the world with enticing dishes of lentils, squash, and quinoa. No invite is necessary – and we will serve as many as we can until the food runs out. If you show up late, you might miss the food – but certainly not good company!
We are located at 91 Brown Street, on the corner of Brown St. and Meeting St.
Want to know more? Here’s What We Do.
Spiritual growth is an inward journey that involves deepening self-awareness, a connection to a higher purpose, and a pursuit of inner peace and enlightenment. Though one might perceive spiritual growth as purely internal, the environment plays an instrumental role in shaping this voyage.
