Introduction
Human activity on the natural resources causes threats to the land sustainability either directly or indirectly. This paper examines soil erosion, genetically modified grains and overpopulation as the main threats to land sustainability.
Soil erosion and how it impacts the global food supply
Soil erosion is the washing away of the earth’s topsoil by agents such as wind and rainwater, and it occurs mainly due to human activities. Agriculture is the primary cause of soil erosion. When people clear natural vegetation to create framing fields, the topsoil is exposed to erosion agents such as the wind. Deforestation is also a leading contributor of soil erosion. As people cut trees for construction, settlement or other purposes, the soil becomes loose, and it can be washed into water bodies. Another cause of erosion is overgrazing and forest fires (Sharma, 2001). These factors lead to the elimination of the soil cover which exposes it to erosion agents like wind and rain. Utilization of agrochemicals in the modern farming is an emerging cause of soil erosion in most parts of the world. Overuse of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and other chemicals alters the soil composition which may cause erosion.
Soil erosion lowers agricultural production which impacts the global food supply negatively. Importantly, erosion leads to loss of soil structure, nutrients, fertility and useful soil organisms and it becomes unsuitable for agricultural use. Also, livestock productivity is impacted adversely.
Positive and adverse effects of soil erosion
When soil erosion occurs, people realize the importance of natural vegetation and put efforts to restore it. Most people around the world are continually restoring the natural vegetation through different initiatives such as the World Environmental Day. Additionally, governments have formulated measures and laws to protect the natural forest. Most countries have serve consequences for those who found engaging in activities that can trigger soil erosion.
There are serve implications of soil erosion. Apart from lowering soil fertility, soil erosion causes several indirect effects to human and the environment. According to Lewis, Rowan, Hawes and McKenzie (2013) when soil sediments enter water streams they pollute and clog waterways which affect aquatic life directly. Reduction in fish and occurrence floods are some of the direct negative impacts of soil erosion. Continuous soil erosion can eventually lead to desertification. In such a situation, the land can no longer support agricultural activities and also it is not suitable for livestock.
Genetically modified grains and how it impacts global food supply
Genetic modification involves combining genes from different plants or bacteria in a bid to realize increased agricultural production. Brill (1986) notes that genetic engineering is the rearrangement of genetic information of an organism.
Different factors promote genetic engineering and the use of genetically modification grains. People seek to create plants that can perform well in the changing climate. Ideally, factors such as global warming and desertification make the existing crops unproductive, and there is a need to develop more productive breeds. Also, scientists seek to shorten the maturity time of some plants and fruits. The quest to produce plant strains that are resistant to diseases, drought and other natural perils also contributes to the increase of genetically modified grains (Paoletti, and Pimentel, 1996). Additionally, people desire to develop crops that have higher nutrition value than the natural breeds. Further, there is a desire to create plants that have specific shapes, sizes, and colors.
Genetically modified grains impact the global food supply in different ways. Success gm plants such as maize and rice have increased the world food supply. These plants have a faster maturation time and produce high yields. However, genetically modified plants increase the cost of production since they require a lot of chemicals before they mature. This aspect raises the prices of foods around the world.
Positive and negative impacts of genetically modified grains
Genetically modified plants have the ability to boost the global food supply. Also, these crops can grow in dry and arid areas which increase the farming land. They reduce the levels CO in the environment due to the reduced use of machines in agriculture. There is labor reduction since gm crops do not require weeding.
However, genetically modified grains may cause severe adverse impacts. Increased use of pesticides causes the death of soil organisms and also increases soil acidity. It may also lead to the development of superweeds which are resistant to herbicides (Paoletti and Pimentel, 1996). Since gm grains are engineered to mature fast, they might outgrow the typical crops and become wild. Finally, some genetically modified crops may pass the transferred foreign genes to the natural plants causing a contamination of the existing gene pool.
Overpopulation and how it impacts the global food security
Overpopulation is a situation whereby the number of individuals living in a given place exceeds the available resources. The population is forced to compete for few resources such as water and food. Various factors can cause overpopulation. Increased birth rate is the leading cause overpopulation and occurs in places where people lack information on birth control methods. Decline in mortality rates due to improved technology and health care may also result in overpopulation (McLeish, 2009). Increased immigration is also another factor that leads to an increase in population. The depletion of essential resources such as water may cause individuals to settle in one area consequently resulting in overpopulation.
Overpopulation impacts the global food supply negatively. Ideally, people are not in a position to store food since they consume all their produce. Also, a high population exploits all food reserves which may cause famine.
Positive and negative impacts of overpopulation
Overpopulation leads to the exploitation of different natural resources as people seek new ways of survival which may result in innovation. Also, overpopulation creates spontaneous and cheap labor for industries and may trigger economic growth. Large population creates a ready market for products and services. Investors seek to invest in countries that have a high population since they are sure of a ready market for their products. Also, a large population creates a defense for the given country.
Adverse impacts of overpopulation seem to overweigh the benefits. Poverty is rampant in countries that have a large population (McLeish, 2009). Unemployment also arises since the number of people seeking employment is high. Social problems such as theft and prostitution are also evident in nations that have large populations. There is increased government expenditure as it attempts to offer social services to the citizens. Depletion of resources due to high population results in food shortages and poor living standards.
Conclusion
Soil erosion, genetically modified grains, and overpopulation are major threats to land sustainability. Soil erosion occurs due to human activities such as deforestation. Since erosion has several negative impacts such as reducing soil fertility, it compels people to care for the natural vegetation. Genetically modified grains are used in a bid to improve agricultural productivity. Even though the gm crops increase agricultural production and help reduce CO in the environment, they may affect natural gene pool and form to superweeds. Overpopulation results mainly due to increased birth rate and immigration. It creates labor, market for goods but results in unemployment and poor living standards.
References
Brill, W. J. (1986). Genetic Engineering Applied to Agriculture: Opportunities and Concerns. American Journal Of Agricultural Economics, 68(5), 1081.
Lewis, T. D., Rowan, J. S., Hawes, C., & McKenzie, B. M. (2013). Assessing the significance of soil erosion for arable weed seedbank diversity in agro-ecosystems. Progress In Physical Geography, 37(5), 622-641.
McLeish, E. (2009). Population explosion. United States: Rosen Central.
Paoletti, M. G., & Pimentel, D. (1996). Genetic engineering in agriculture and the environment. Bioscience, 46(9), 665.
Sharma, B. K. (2001). Soil & noise pollution 2nd edition. India: Krishna Prakashan Media.
