A common debate that many discuss would be the difference between industrial agriculture versus sustainable agriculture and which one is overall more beneficial. Both have many pros and cons, however, there are many factors that should be considered before taking one side. You may be wondering, what exactly do these two terms mean and how are they different to one another?
Industrial agriculture would be defined as the modern farming technique that refers to the advanced process of growing, harvesting and processing of livestock breeds and crops varieties using intensive machinery. Industrial farming utilizes fertilizers, pesticides, genetic technology, artificial selection, large amounts of irrigation water and creates new markets for consumption. All these chemicals are dangerous and can without question affect us in a way. Not only that, but by using these methods of industrial agriculture, we are harming our environment, disrespecting animals as well.
On the other hand, sustainable agriculture is the form of manual farming and deals with plant and animal production using the principles of ecology. There are many great and positive characteristics which include conservation and preservation, biodiversity, animal welfare, economically viable and all-in-all it is socially and morally just. In the long term, sustainable agriculture will benefit us in more ways than one and will protect the planet for future generations.In comparison, it is obvious that sustainable agriculture is the healthier and better choice. Many argue with the fact that industrial agriculture and its benefits cannot outweigh the costs and dangers that come along with it. From my research, I was able to become more familiar with the breeds of livestock and varieties of crops grown to produce to food we eat. I have found that there are many food products out there (some even my favourite) have gone through artificial selection which is being able to produce plants and animals with the traits we want. However, it is ethically wrong to try and change the natural aspects of our world.
Now, with that said, perhaps there is a question of what would happen if we relied on sustainable agriculture. Would the agriculture industry be able to keep up with the rapid growth of the global population? Or would we have to rely on machinery and industrialized farming in order to feed the amount of people in our world? The answer is yes, industries will be able and can keep up with this growing population. The amount of food we waste is increasingly and unnecessarily becoming larger. People need to learn how to only take what they need instead of throwing out food that can be consumed. With that, we need to work in keeping our environment healthy and develop good habits in order to preserve our world.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/how_industrial.php
http://www.economywatch.com/agriculture/types/industrial.html
http://sustainableagriculture.net/about-us/what-is-sustainable-ag/
http://www.worldvision.ca/Education-and-Justice/advocacy-in-action/Pages/what-a-waste-the-food-we-throw-away.aspx
http://scienceblogs.com/worldsfair/2009/05/industrial_agriculture_v_susta.php
http://www.worldvision.ca/Education-and-Justice/advocacy-in-action/Pages/what-a-waste-the-food-we-throw-away.aspx
