As the global human population rises, there is also increasing pressure on food production. Presently, the pressure to optimize food production with as little investment as possible. The increased demand for food threatens global food security, hence commercial farmers have responded by maximizing crop yield. Commercial farmers have adopted environmentally unfriendly farming practices such as the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides, herbicides, excessive logging, and many others. These practices are harmful to the environment and lead to the escalation of global warming, loss of insect diversity ( through the use of pesticides), loss of animal diversity ( through habitat fragmentation) and many others. Therefore it is important that both commercial and local farmers practice sustainable farming practices. Sustainable agriculture is cultivating crops in controlable ways, which means meeting society’s present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable farming takes on many different forms. One method of sustainable farming is the use of leguminous plants in farming. The fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil and reduce the need for fertilizers. Another method involves the use of crop rotation. Sustainability may also involve rotating crops. Crop rotation and the use of cover crops protect soils from eroding, by the means of keeping the topsoil anchored to the ground layer making it resistant to water and wind. Effective crop rotation can reduce pest pressure on crops and replenish nutrients within the top layer of soil. This removes the reliance on fertilizers to enrich the soil. These practices ensure that the next generation is able to inherit a healthy and functional ecosystem
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 