From small-scale family farms to large-scale commercial
farms, farming is the activity of growing agricultural products or raising
livestock for profit or personal use. Agribusiness leaders have embraced new
and different farming practices over time in order to increase crop production
for a growing global population. Others have turned to traditional methods to
improve soil health, protect waterways, or increase biodiversity.
A Brief History of Farming
The earliest signs of agriculture date back to the Ice Age;
since then, plant cultivation and animal domestication have taken many forms.
Early farming can be classified into three broad categories:
1. Nomadic farming: Nomadic farming refers to the
practice of moving herds from one location to another in search of water and
plants for the animals to eat. Nomadic farmers can use animal products such as
milk, fiber, blood, and dung for the duration of an animal's life and then
slaughter the animal when its usefulness dwindles, or during times of scarcity
or celebration.
2. Sedentary farming: Sedentary farming dates back to
ancient humans and simply refers to farmers growing crops on the same land for
an extended period of time. Some humans moved from nomadic hunter-gatherer
societies to permanent settlements as a result of this type of agriculture.
3. Subsistence farming: Subsistence farmers grow food for
their families with no intention of selling or trading any surplus.
What Is Sustainable Farming?
Any farming method that promotes the long-term health of the
land is considered sustainable. From the deforestation required to create
arable land to soil erosion caused by a lack of cover crops to the emission of
methane (a greenhouse gas) from livestock and the runoff of animal waste and
chemicals into waterways, industrial agriculture is one of the leading
contributors to climate change.
Sustainable practices include increasing biodiversity and
soil health through crop rotation and intercropping, reducing reliance on
synthetic fertilizers derived from fossil fuels in favor of compost and manure,
and avoiding pesticides that are harmful to pollinators. Sustainable farmers
consider their land to be a component of a larger ecosystem.
What Is the Difference Between Extensive and Intensive Farming?
Extensive and intensive farming are two methods of
increasing agricultural output. Intensive farming involves producing more food
in less space, whereas extensive farming refers to land that produces little
for its size.
One example of intensive agriculture is industrial corn
farming. Corn is also high in calories, which makes it an extremely efficient
crop. However, efficient corn farming necessitates the purchase of costly
equipment, labor, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.
Traditional shepherding is an example of extensive agriculture.
Sheep have unrestricted access to a large area of land. The output of dairy,
wool, and meat is small in comparison to the large amount of land required by
sheep, but this method is ideal for areas where intensive agriculture is
impossible.
What Does Arable Mean?
The term "arable" refers to land that is suitable
for plowing and tillage. Arable farming entails growing cereal crops rather
than raising livestock or growing fruits and vegetables on land. India, the
United States, Brazil, and Canada all have a lot of farmland.
