By Luis Rivera

Unsustainable agriculture causes major environmental concerns regarding the future of farming. Seems like many modern day farmers are more concerned about their excessive production than the ecological catastrophes their practices are causing. 

Being environmentally aware in this industry is highly important. The main advantages of sustainable agriculture include a healthier produce and having almost no impact over natural resources and habitats. Implementing sustainable agriculture methods is the way that can lead to a better world. 

Allocating the main problems leads to finding the solution. Let’s go over the list of 9 examples of unsustainable agriculture practices to avoid:

1. Chemical Use

Chemical use has one of the worst effects on public health and in general on the environment. It affects negatively the farmers who breathe the contaminated air while treating their crops, as well as the customers who buy their produce and consume it. The toxic effects of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and pesticides also resonate on the wildlife. These chemicals destroy the balance of the healthy soil. They also pollute the land and air, as well as contaminate rivers and wetlands.

Sustainable agriculture, on the other hand, has some very good solutions to eliminate chemical usage for good. They include introduction of pest enemy insects (ladybugs, spiders, hoverflies); as well as using traps (flypaper, row covers, barriers) and implementing crops rotating. The produce is as natural as possible, not exposed to toxic plant treatments.

2. Growing and Producing GMOs

Genetically modified crops are just another example of unsustainable agriculture practices. They are harmful for the environment and for human health. The general issue, that GMO plantations are causing, is that they require intensive usage of chemicals on crops. Disturbingly often, soil, water systems and non-GMO crop fields get contaminated.

Advantages of sustainable agriculture in this case, include producing of bio plants, grown under healthy conditions. While GMOs aim to be bigger and better on produce, nothing beats the qualities of an ecologically grown plant.

3. Overproduction

Overproduction is often wrongly considered as a positive agriculture trait. Moreover, farmers are usually aiming towards cultivating more produce than needed, which leads to more food waste. While we live in a world where so many children are starving every day, it is really irresponsible to have excessive produce thrown away, like this unsustainable agriculture trend implies.

Fortunately, the methods of sustainable agriculture would not allow such waste. By applying sustainable practices, growers produce exactly the quantity that is needed to cover the demand needs.

4. Overusing the Soil

While the global market strives for overproduction, cultivators apply another unsustainable method to their farming process - soil over-usage. Trying to use the entirety of their available land for crop growing, farmers are causing serious damage to the soil, which affects nearby waterways and endangers the habitat of insect and animal species.

In sustainable agriculture, over usage of land is not acceptable. Each plantation is grown according to the needs of the crops. The area coverage required for maximum potential is being calculated accordingly before planting the seeds.

5. Raising Plants and Animals Separately

This agriculture practice is not as efficient as most farmers believe. Separating crop planting and animal rearing may seem like a good idea in theory, but in reality it disturbs the balanced coexistence of plants and animals. 

Sustainable agriculture practices insists on them being kept together, they way they are in their natural habitat. By providing such an environment, there is quite less need of waste management and crops do not require fertilizers or additional treatments.

6. Water Waste

Traditional practices in agriculture are quite inefficient when it comes to water management. Main problems of unsustainable growing include leaky irrigation systems, unsustainable draining of aquifers, insufficient water for demanding crops, and waste of water that can be reused.

Like all natural resources, water management is a priority in sustainable agriculture. Efficient ways to fight the problem with wasted water is capturing, storing and reusing water for farming needs.

7. Not Optimizing Light

Light optimization is crucial when it comes to farming, especially indoor and greenhouse crop cultivation. The lighting solutions used in unsustainable agriculture are not energy efficient, they emit greenhouse gases. Many growers use options like fluorescent lights which contain toxic chemicals like mercury, that would contaminate the environment upon disposal.

LED grow lights are an energy-efficient and cost-effective lighting solution that perfectly fits the priorities of sustainable agriculture. LED lights’ heat emission is considerably low, they are long-term energy saviour and could be adjusted to fully cover the lighting needs of every plant.

8. Unsustainable Technologies

Technologies are meant to be the solution to many agricultural issues. However, not every technology is aiming towards sustainable farming. Some tech systems have negative effects on the environment. They lead to biodiversity problems, pesticide resistance of insects, soil degradation, water erosion.

There is another side of technologies, as well. A sustainable agriculture example of beneficial tech are the energy saving solutions like LED grow lights and implementations for proper resource management like drip irrigation systems.

9. Inadequate policies

Sustainable agriculture can lead to a path where farmers start producing mainly bio products. Sustainable businesses right now do their best to sufficiently adapt the policies and requirements of growing a quality natural produce. However, inadequate policies are considered to be one of the leading causes of unsustainable farming practices. Inappropriate subsidy, tax and pricing policies encourage farmers to excessively use chemicals, as well as overuse soil.

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About the author, Luis Rivera

Luis has 20+ years of experience in global market expansion, business development, mergers and acquisitions, business re-engineering, finance and investor relations of software companies. He is passionate about technology, spectral science, indoor farming, food production, automation, and more. Since 2015 he is the president of Advanced LED Lights, a leading LED grow lights manufacturer based in Hiwasse, Arkansas. When not at work, Luis enjoys swimming, yoga, as well as growing grapes and flowers in Sonoma, California.