Sustainable Farming: How Futuristic Farms Will Supply The World’s Food Demand
World population is increasing at a rapid rate. As per the latest estimates, the population will reach 9 billion people by 2050. This, in turn, necessitates that food production should increase by 60 -70 per cent to meet the food and dietary demands of people.
To overcome the overarching challenges of food security, crop productivity and nutrition, the conventional farming system has put immense pressure on land, water and natural resources and harmed the environment in myriad ways. Therefore, futuristic farms must follow sustainable farming practices to boost food production without affecting the environment and protecting natural resources for the future generation.
Global Farming Challenges
1. Extensive use of land for farming activities and traditional farming methods have degraded our soils and reduced crop productivity. It has prompted farmers to look for fertile lands leading to deforestation. Greater agricultural output using lesser land and regenerative soil fertilization strategies is the need of the hour.
2. Heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to improve crop yield carries a high risk as it can affect human health and the environment. With heavy irrigation and rainfall, these harsh and hazardous chemicals are washed down into rivers and lakes. They do not do any good to the soils they were intended for and end up heavily polluting our water bodies.
3. Moreover, extensive use of synthetic chemicals has reduced biological fertility of the soil. It has further destroyed the natural microbial community beneficial for soil replenishment and nourishment, necessary for plant growth and its fight against plant diseases and pest attacks. There is an urgent need to promote organic and natural fertilizers and promoters to maximize crop productivity without harming the environment.
4. Water scarcity is another challenge faced by different countries all over the globe. Certain crops like sugarcane and rice in India are known as water-thirsty crops. They need a large amount of freshwater during the growing phase and depends on rainfall. Farming practices focusing on water conservation thus needs to be used, unlike the traditional farming methods which use water extensively.
Farming Challenges in India
Apart from the farming issues discussed above, Indian has its own unique set of challenges. The population of India is increasing at a staggering rate. Changing consumption pattern and urbanization has put pressure on farming. Despite having 70% of the workforce in the farming sector, productivity is still among the lowest in the world. The erratic weather pattern, soil degradation, and pesticide residue build-up have caused havoc in the farming sector.
Besides, water scarcity and drought due to climate change lead to crop failures in India. Lack of adoption of modern farming practices on a large scale remains a concern as well.
Therefore, sustainable farming through soil and water is the need of the hour. A paradigm shift is essential from following conservative farming processes alone to more sustainable farming practices. It will help in attaining future food demand goals. Traditional techniques can be combined with modern innovations and farming solutions to close the demand-supply gap in food.
Sustainable Farming
Sustainable agricultural practices are aimed at producing sufficient food while protecting the environment and natural resources. It is a holistic farming approach which helps in improving soil quality and crop yield. It further helps in conserving water and increasing economic viability of the farming system.
Different modern sustainable farming techniques can help increase food supply and accelerate farm income as well. Hydroponics is one such method of farming where plants are grown without using soil. Hydroponic nutrients in water act as the medium through which all essential nutrients are supplied to the plant. It has been observed that root growth is much better with this method.
Similarly, instead of just using chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides, plant growth promoters with beneficial microbes can naturally create a healthy ecological balance and help optimize the intake of these nutrients from within the soil. This not only lowers the need for chemicals but also helps maximize the efficiency of the inputs used.
Organica Biotech is one of the leading companies with a wide range of solutions for a sustainable future. MagicGro range of products includes plant growth promoter, microbial biostimulants and soil conditioners. Advanced microbiome replenishment technology powers these products. They are natural, safe and eco-friendly solutions, and boost soil quality.
It also increases farming productivity, prevents crop diseases and supports farming even in adverse and erratic weather conditions. Using MagicGro range of farming products will pave the way for India and the world to increase food production. Food demand in the future must be met without compromising on the environment and safeguarding natural resources, and this is possible with Magicgro!
