Ecological Risks Perspectives from Poland and the United States (1990) / Chapter Skim
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Ecological Problems Associated with Agricultural Development: Some Examples in the United States
Ecological Problems Associated with Agricultural Development: Some Examples in the United States
Pages 265-280
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From page 265... ...
population, differs substantially from earlier structures which occupied the majority of the population in "hunter and gatherer" or in "husbander" roles. The agricultural sector now consists of a mosaic of specialized types of farms ranging in size and intensity from part-time operators of small farm units with only modest economic outputs to large-scale, industrialized farms with significant economic presence in the agricultural sector, and which are sometimes involved in nonagricultural production activities, as well.
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From page 266... ...
discusses major agricultural and environmental policy issues in developed economies under the following classifications: · intensive crop production and the use of agricultural chemicals; · intensive animal production and the management of animal manure; · dryland farming, soil conservation and erosion; and · changing landscapes, land-use patterns and the quality of rural landscapes.
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From page 267... ...
At the same time, environmental policies sought increased water quality and soil conservation. A current assessment of environmental issues in agriculture in a period of apparent global agricultural surplus capacity is that this "effectoriented" and uncoordinated approach to environmental issues has been inadequate.
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From page 268... ...
Agricultural Runoff When the United States enacted the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in 1972, the nation's waterways were under tremendous assault from the industrial development that had occurred since World War II. The legislation set forth a mandate to improve water qualifier and reduce pollution.
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From page 269... ...
Soil Sedimentation The USDA Soil Conservation Service's appraisal of soil and water resources in the United States, which was carried out in response to the Soil and Water Resource Conservation Act of 1977, identified agriculture as the primary cause of nonpoint water pollution for more than 68% of the nation's watershed areas (USDA, 1981~. The most significant constituents with respect to volume were suspended solids, which contributed approximately 50% (i.e., about 760 million tons)
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From page 270... ...
Supporting studies have indicated that soil conservation policies are effective in reducing off-site erosion problems and, simultaneously, in decreasing agricultural production and government expenditures for purchasing, storing, and disposing of crop surpluses. Soil conservation policies include the Conservation Reserve Program, the Sodbuster Provision, and the Conservation Compliance Provision of the Food Security Act of 1985, which established current U.S.
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From page 271... ...
This provision affects about 227 million acres with some potential for conversion. The Conservation Compliance Provision of the Food Security Act requires that farmers with highly credible cropland begin implementation of a conservation plan by 1990 and complete it by 1995 in order to retain eligibility for programs identified under the Sodbuster Provision.
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From page 272... ...
Soil conservation policies of the sort required for highly credible lands under the Sodbuster and Conservation Compliance Provisions of the Food Security Act can include prescriptions that will mandate conservation tillage, structural modifications, and changes in cropping systems singly or in combination to reduce soil erosion and agricultural runoff. Batie (1985)
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From page 273... ...
Eutrophication of streams, lakes, and reservoirs usually results in excessive growth of aquatic weeds and algae, which in turn can create toxins and remove available oxygen, thereby killing fish and greatly reducing the recreational value of lakes and reservoirs (Clark et al., 1985~. The USDA estimates that between 15% and 54% of all nutrients applied to agricultural lands reach surface water systems.
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From page 274... ...
Eichers (1981) estimated that 5% of applied herbicides and insecticides eventually reach surface waters, but the USDA has estimated that, under normal rainfall conditions, pesticide losses in runoff tend to average no more more than 0.5% of the quantities applied (USDA, 1986~.
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From page 275... ...
While the erosion of heavy metals from agricultural lands does not appear to be a widespread problem, regional soil differences and irrigation patterns can create potential heavy-metal problems in water systems. For example, elevated soil selenium levels in the Westlands area of the San Joaquin Valley in California~ombined with high soil salinity, saline irrigation water, distinct irrigation patterns, and a high water table have created a situation where high concentrations of selenium have accumulated in drainage water and have consequently severely affected the ecosystem at Kesterson reservoir.
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From page 276... ...
More than 50 million people rely on groundwater for drinking in these 1,400 potentially affected counties (USDA, 1988~. As mentioned previously, the 1977 amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act applies to groundwater and specifies that agricultural practices may be subject to state or local restrictions on land and agricultural chemical uses.
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From page 277... ...
has also demonstrated the efficacy of IPM as an optimal strategy for pest management in California cotton, especially in light of the dynamic nature of insect resistance to chemical controls. The results of IPM research indicate that it is both possible and economically feasible to pursue environmentally sound agricultural practices with lesser applications of agricultural chemicals.
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From page 278... ...
All developed nations and many less developed nations, as well, now find agricultural production capacities and commodity markets to have shifted from "shortfalls" to "surpluses." This achievement was possible in part due to food and agricultural policies which both intensified production on existing lands with the aid of purchased inputs, and expanded or developed additional cropland acreages, often with less than due regard for environmental and ecological consequences. However, the current costs of governmental policies to support agriculture via supply control, export assistance, and other price and income support programs are very large and are of concern not only in the United States, but also in the nations of the European Common Market, and to diverse members of the Cairns Group of developed and developing nations which seeks fundamental change in agricultural and trade policies within the current General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATE negotiations.
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From page 279... ...
. consideration needs to be given to a trilogy of three factors: · the need to enhance the positive contribution which agriculture can make to the environment; · the need to reduce agricultural pollution; and · the importance of adapting all agricultural policies so that they take full account of the environment." The latter factor would involve targeting agricultural policies to be more effective by simultaneously reducing surpluses and agricultural pollution while enhancing environmental quality.
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From page 280... ...
1987. The magnitude and costs of groundwater contamination from agricultural chemicals: A national perspective.
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