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Will Agriculture Change the World for the Better (or Make it Worse)?


Will Agriculture Change the World for the Better (or Make it Worse)?
  • AuthorBeren Goguen
  • DateApril 14, 2021
  • MediumNewsletter Article
As both public and private organizations invest more in sustainable practices, demand for professionals with a blend of economic and natural resource management skills will increase. Find out more about Colorado State University's online Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Natural Resource Stewardship Master's.

By Beren Goguen, Colorado State University Online

 

Across the globe, scientists, engineers, conservationists, and grassroots activists strive to find solutions for increasing losses in our planet’s biodiversity and depleting resources. 

 

According to a recent UN report, our global ecosystems continue to decline at unprecedented rates and approximately 1 million animal and plant species face possible extinction.  

 

The agricultural industry plays a pivotal role in this unfolding story. 

 

Agriculture feeds every nation on earth yet threatens the long-term sustainability of our natural resources. A few notable findings in the UN report include: 

 

  • Three-quarters of the land-based environment and roughly 66% of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions  
  • More than a third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production 
  • Land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23% of the earth’s land surfaces 
  • Up to US$577 billion in annual global crops are at risk from pollinator loss  

 

Sustainability by the numbers – It doesn’t look good 

 

The world's population continues to creep towards 8 billion people and may exceed 10 billion by 2100. 

 

Fires, agricultural practices, and other human activities destroyed 17% of the Amazon rainforest in the last 50 years alone, as reported by the World Wildlife Fund

 

Urban development, transportation, farming, and other factors continue accelerating global biodiversity decline, with one fifth of terrestrial vertebrates now threatened with extinction, according to Nature. Without serious changes to the way we use land, 3.35 million square kilometers of natural habitat could be lost between 2010 and 2050. 

 

We must implement comprehensive strategies to reduce our carbon output and sustain our land, water, and natural ecosystems, or face the disastrous impact of a growing population and changing climate. 

 

But we still have time to alter course. 

 

From local policies to global impact   

 

The UN report emphasizes the need for several necessary policy tools and strategies, including:  

 

  • Promoting sustainable agricultural and agroecological practices 
  • Multifunctional landscape planning (which simultaneously provides food security, livelihood opportunities, maintenance of species, and ecological functions)  
  • Integrated natural resource, land, and watershed management 
  • Conservation of the diversity of genes, varieties, cultivars, breeds, landraces, and species 
  • Increased market transparency, improved distribution, and reformed supply chains  

 

Some agricultural organizations already implement these strategies at a local level, but many communities lack the resources needed to significantly improve sustainability. As more regions seek to adopt sustainable agriculture, our governments, universities, NGOs, and other organizations must work together to support and expand these initiatives. 

 

The importance of education 

 

The field of economics provides an ideal framework to help us better understand both environmental and natural resource issues. As both public and private organizations invest more in sustainable practices, demand for professionals with a blend of economic and natural resource management skills will increase. 

 

If you're interested in developing the analytical tools to assess and manage natural resources – and help create policies to preserve them – check out Colorado State University’s online Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. If you already have a bachelor’s degree, consider exploring CSU’s online Natural Resource Stewardship Master’s program.  

Other professional development opportunities include: 

 

 

Keep learning. Keep moving forward. 

 

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