Innovating in cropping and farming systems

Abstract

Intensive farming systems, those that are heavy users of chemical inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary products) and are largely mechanized, today dominate agriculture in developed countries and are expanding in many countries of the South. They are generally more productive per hectare than traditional agricultural systems and are labour-efficient, leading to an unprecedented rise in labour productivity. However, the question of the sustainability of these input-intensive systems must be considered. They are heavy fossil-energy consumers, producers of greenhouse gases and are generally detrimental to biodiversity. They pollute water with nitrates, phosphoric compounds and pesticides. While they may have helped reduce famine and lowered urban food costs, they have also led to the concentration of production in the hands of those who have been able to invest in inputs and mechanization, and thus have exacerbated the vulnerability of farmers who had no access to these means (De Schutter, 2010).