The term monoculture in agriculture it refers to the cultivation of a single crop over a large area. Monoculture is the norm in most large-scale commercial agriculture in the US and in many parts of the world. Monoculture has certain short-term benefits, mainly in terms of economies of scale and automation of the production process (and therefore reduced labor costs). However, in the long term, the disadvantages of monoculture are overwhelming: this method of cultivation has numerous negative effects on the environment, and moreover, these negative effects tend to be amplified in the long term. This article weighs the pros and cons of this kind of uniform approach to farming and points out some alternative practices that are more sustainable, both environmentally and economically, and therefore superior in all respects in the long run.

Pros and cons of monoculture: what are its advantages?

It is immediately apparent that I am not a fan or advocate of monoculture. But there are some direct and strongly compelling reasons why people engage in this destructive practice. Before discussing why this practice is so harmful, I find it fruitful to first examine its benefits or advantages.

The main advantage is the economy of scale, mainly through automation. Especially in the US, labor costs are very high, so anything that can reduce the use of labor in agriculture is very likely to result in cost savings. This is often true even when automation reduces yield per acre. For example, if a crop has been grown, it can often be harvested in different ways, with different levels of automation. More automation in harvesting could result in more waste, such as grain left in the fields, but if it requires less labor (such as one person driving a large machine that covers the ground very quickly, rather than several people driving smaller and slower machines). , or many people harvesting the crop by hand) may be superior in a cost-benefit analysis, even if it results in more waste.

Disadvantages of monoculture:

The most compelling disadvantage of monoculture agriculture is that it is not adaptable. Wild ecosystems are diverse, and so are wild populations of plants and animals. An ecosystem contains many different species, each with unique adaptations to its environment and different strengths and weaknesses in response to changing conditions. Similarly, the natural population of a plant or animal species has genetic variability, with each individual plant or animal having slightly different traits. In addition, each population, and the ecosystem as a whole, is constantly changing, adapting to changing environmental conditions and to the conditions imposed by the other populations and species in the system.

Monoculture smooths out this variability, destroying diversity and replacing it with, at best, a single species, and at worst (as is the norm in the US), a single crop: rows and rows of crops. genetically identical, essentially cloned, reproduced through cuttings or genetically modified seeds.

Susceptibility to pests:

The ecological landscape of monoculture is that there is a wide variety of genetically identical plants, against a background of wild pests, including fungi, bacteria, insects and many other organisms. Each of these pests has a wild population with its own biodiversity, and their populations are constantly changing and adapting to be able to eat crops or benefit from the presence of whatever crops are being grown. Monoculture crops, however, are not changing and are not able to adapt because they have no genetic variability and are not allowed to reproduce naturally. Plant pests, weeds, also adapt, planting in crop fields, taking advantage of additional sunlight, as most monoculture crops let in a lot of light and do not make the most of the sun’s energy.

The only way to control pests in this setting is to spend increasing energy and resources on chemical control, either by spraying crops with pesticides, fungicides, or bactericides, or by genetically engineering crops so they can produce these. chemical products. themselves. But without natural adaptation, pests will eventually evolve to resist any of these defenses. The monoculture setup is inherently doomed, as it is working against the natural ways in which ecosystems function. It is completely unsustainable in the long term.

Negative environmental impacts of monoculture:

As monoculture agriculture requires increasing levels of chemical inputs, the negative impacts on the environment are also continually increasing. Although people often prefer to use safer chemicals when they exist, and use them in the lowest possible concentration, any safe chemical will necessarily stop working. Many of the chemicals used in commercial agriculture are known to be toxic and/or carcinogenic, or have other negative impacts on humans. But even chemicals that are safe for human consumption or exposure can have negative impacts on the environment; for example, roundup, a widely used herbicide, is much more toxic to amphibians than it is to humans.

Other negative effects of monoculture:

In addition to the negative environmental effects, monoculture also destroys our culture. Monoculture and large-scale industrial agriculture are largely responsible for or associated with the alienation of Americans from the practice of agriculture and the shift from an economy in which a large portion of the people were directly involved in agriculture. towards a society in which people see food as an industrial product to be bought in a store, with little idea where it comes from.

Beyond monoculture: how you can help protect the environment and food and agricultural culture:

Fortunately, the empire of factory farming and large-scale monoculture is crumbling. You can do your part by learning more about gardening, experimenting with growing some of your own foods, even if you only have a small garden in town, or even growing some indoors or on a porch or balcony if you don’t have a garden. You can also explore farmers markets for locally grown food and encourage small-scale, local production through diversified farming methods, using your money to support these farmers. As we return to diversified agriculture, we will be more connected to our food and also help protect our environment.