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Agroecosystems |
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Studies show that food production has risen during the last few decades. But the reality is that the numbers are not enough to solve the problem of hunger. Nor do they reflect the true environmental state of lands dedicated to agriculture.
Studies show that food production has risen during the last few decades. But the reality is that the numbers are not enough to solve the problem of hunger. Nor do they reflect the true environmental state of lands dedicated to agriculture.
Is it true that food production has increased?
On average, food supplies are 24 percent higher per person than in 1961, and real prices are 40 percent lower.
Does this mean that the total area of agroecosystems has expanded?
While the global expansion of agricultural area has been modest in recent decades, intensification has been rapid, as irrigated area increased and fallow time decreased to produce more output per hectare.
What are the dimensions of agroecosystems?
Agroecosystems cover more than a quarter of the global land area, but almost three-quarters of the land has poor soil fertility and about half has steep terrain.
What environmental problems affect these ecosystems?
About 85 percent of the world's agricultural land contains areas degraded by erosion, salinization, compaction, nutrient depletion, biological degradation, or pollution over the last 50 years. Around 34 percent of all agricultural land contains areas only lightly degraded; 43 percent contains moderately degraded areas; and 9 percent contains strongly or extremely degraded areas.
What problems are generated by this situation of land degradation?
The extent of agricultural soil degradation raises questions about the long-term capacity of agroecosystems to produce food.
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