The Importance of Agriculture

2738 Words6 Pages

The global population in the year 2050 is expected to be nine billion and the agricultural demand is expected to double. With the current population already over seven billion people, there are hunger issues all around the world (“New” par. 1). How are we going to deal with food shortages in the future? With less land to work with, strains on the soils, and the lack of water, it is getting harder for the farmers of the world to support our growing population. These complications are making it harder for farmers to produce quality, affordable food. To help the crops grow better, farmers use fertilizers and chemical sprays to enhance growth and control the weeds. Farming in the United States is a relevant business because it supplies people with food, provides people with jobs maintaining the used equipment with the new equipment being much more expensive, and it provides research for more efficient ways on how to feed the world.

Farming has evolved from providing food only for your family to providing food for your whole community. This aspect really kicked off in Europe during the middle ages when a new crop rotation plan emerged. Crop rotation is necessary. If every year the same crop is grown on the same soil the plants will keep taking the same nutrients needed for its survival. Previously the farmers used the Roman system, which is a two crop rotation. With this system the soil never had a break, there was always a crop being grown (“Feeding” par. 8). The new crop rotation plan was a three crop rotation. This system is very different from the Roman system. Every third year the field will lay fallow being used for pasture. When the field is used for pasture, the animals waste is spread out all over the field while they graze...

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Sayers, Ian. "New Approaches to Feeding the World's Population." International Trade Forum. July-Sept. 2011: 30. Global Issues In Context. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.

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