Agriculture and Biodiversity

Agricultural Impacts on the Biodiversity:

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As you will see in this week's reading, food production is a key driver of Biodiversity Loss globally. A paper by Campbell et al. ((2017) estimated the impact of agriculture production on the planetary boundaries. They suggest that agriculture is responsible for 80% of human impact on land use change, 84% for freshwater use, 90% of biochemical flow and 80% of genetic biodiversity loss. 

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Fig. 1. The status of the nine planetary boundaries (PBs; green, yellow, red) overlaid with our estimate of agriculture’s role in that status. PBs based on Steffen et al. (2015), with modification for freshwater from below boundary (safe) into a zone of uncertainty (Gerten et al. 2013, Jaramillo and Destouni 2015a), and an estimate for functional diversity based on Newbold et al. (2016).

THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE SHOWN WITH BLACK SPOTTED HIGHLIGHTING.

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Pesticides:

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We have known of the potential risks of pesticides used in agriculture since the publication of Rachel Carson’s 1962 book, Silent Spring. In her book, Carson details the extensive harm the pesticide DDT poses to humans and non-humans alike; after DDT has been sprayed, it persists in the environment, circulating through soil, water, bodies, and food. Carson’s work challenged industry and government groups for promoting DDT spraying programs despite mounting evidence of its deleterious effects. Her analysis, expanded on by many scholars in the 50 years since the publication of Silent Spring, draws strong connections between environmental harms and political and economic policies, programs, and institutional structure. Many consider Carson’s book to be a major turning point in environmental politics in the United States, laying the ground work for the environmental movement in the United States and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Should you choose to read this excerpt, pay attention to her description of daily interactions with chemicals and her analysis of government and industry actions as her insights relate back to what we covered for Environmental Justice in Lesson 4.

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Optional Readings:

Since the publication of Rachel Carson's book, the use of pesticides in developed countries has become much more highly regulated (check the WHO map, and think about if the regulations are equally cautious in developing countries?). While few of us today are careless when applying pesticides to our lawns (if we do at all), and many of you may have never even heard of moth prevention treatments (used by your grandma to keep moths from eating holes in woolen clothing and blankets), there are new and evolving risks that we are exposed to. For example, many carpets are sprayed with fire retardants that are now emerging as a potential health risk. And the chemical used to make your stylish new jacket waterproof are being questioned and linked to health risks.

UN experts denounce 'myth' pesticides are necessary to feed the world - The Guardian(link is external)

World Health Organization's page on Agri-chemicals(link is external)

Above are links to two sources which highlight the dangers associated with agricultural pesticide use. The first link is to an article by The Guardian which provides a synopsis of the UN Human Rights Council report condemning major manufacturing corporations for distributing misleading information on pesticides use. Then the second link from the World Health Organization's page on Agri-chemicals provides a map showing the number of chemical poisoning in each country around the world. When exploring these pages, consider where your own food comes from and how your own consumptive patterns might be implicated in these exposures.

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References:

Campbell, B. M., Beare, D. J., Bennett, E. M., Hall-Spencer, J. M., Ingram, J. S. I., Jaramillo, F., . . . Shindell, D. (2017). Agriculture production as a major driver of the Earth system exceeding planetary boundaries. Ecology and Society, 22(4).