Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
250,000 of 300,000 higher plant species classified or
recorded
30,000 edible plant
species
7000 species used for food
or agriculture
120 species commonly
used
30 species supply 90% of calories
High risk to food security and biodiversity
FIGURE 6.7
Risk to food security due to loss of agricultural biodiversity. (From El Bassam, N., Fundamentals of sustainabil-
ity in agricultural production systems, and global food security. In Proceedings of the International Conference on
Sustainable Agriculture for Food, Energy and Industry , joint conference of Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO],
Society of Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Management [SSARM], and Federal Agriculture Research
Centre [FAC], Braunschweig, Germany, June 1997, James & James, London, 1998.)
Uniformity and standardization of farming practices has led to this restricted biodiver-
sity—a clear demonstration of the effect of human activities on biological diversity. The
genetic base of crops needs to be widened to avoid dependence on a restricted genetic base
that renders the world's food supply at risk to diseases, pests, and other dangers. New
crops will also ease the demand for food in areas where it is scarce, and new management
techniques will be required to incorporate new or underdeveloped crops to broaden the
genetic base. Insofar as biodiversity is concerned, minimization of the negative impacts
on natural biodiversity is paramount, together with conservation of the available genetic
resources—to obtain a measure of sustainability in agricultural food production. It is use-
ful to bear in mind that agricultural ields are not isolated from the surrounding natural
environment. Current agricultural policies concentrate on product yields, demographic
changes, and land ownership (Fischer Taschenbuch, 1999). Genetic erosion will lead to
increased risks to food security as plants will be less able to adapt to changes in the envi-
ronment. Agrobiodiversity is a vital factor in agricultural management practices.
Other impacts on biodiversity have been studied in the United Kingdom. Hedgerows
were used extensively in the past as ield boundary markers (Nature Conservancy Council,
1986). However, more than 16,000 km of hedgerows have been removed annually in the
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