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Intensive farming HotSpots are areas whose ecology and biosystems have been affected by excessive farming activities. Agriculture is one of the oldest types of natural resource management. The methods of land cultivation in Egypt, Central Asia, and the Near East, using irrigation systems and canals, have been known since historical times. Currently, agriculture has become, along with industry, a powerful factor of impact on the environment and the cause of the hotspots of Intensive farming. It is well known that the disadvantages of intensive farming are environmental pollution, water scarcity, soil erosion, reduction of biodiversity, and fertility of animals.
Intensive farming and extensive farming have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. 1. Extensive farming method The method of farming involves quantitative changes. To get a greater yield of meat, milk, eggs, and other livestock products, it is necessary to increase the number of farm animals. Naturally, we need more fodder and labor to take care of the animals. To get more grains, potatoes, flax, and other crop products, it is necessary to occupy large areas of land with crops. Thus, the more animals and cultivated land, the greater the yield. 2. Intensive farming method The main characteristic of intensive farming is that it involves qualitative changes. Ways of development of the farm by this method involve the use of the achievements of science. In crop production, fertilizers, chemical plant protection agents, new high-yielding varieties of agricultural plants, growth stimulants, etc. are used. In livestock farming, new high-yielding animal breeds are used for breeding, which produces a higher yield in a short period. Protein-rich fodder is used for fattening. In both industries, processes are mechanized and automated, making it possible to increase production in a shorter time and with less manual labor. Intensive and extensive farming methods are used around the world. In countries with a developed scientific sector, agriculture is highly intensive. Examples include the United States, Japan, and Germany. In many developing countries in Africa, Asia, and America, agriculture is extensive. Despite all the pros and cons of both farming methods, the important factor is that extensive farming is less harmful to the environment.
Not only industry, transport, and energy are sources of atmospheric, water, and soil pollution by chemical elements. Agriculture can also be such a pollutant. Since 1980, the UN considers agriculture as one of the four most dangerous threats to wildlife. We can distinguish two major intensive farming examples that determine agricultural pollution - mineral fertilizers and pesticides. 1. Mineral fertilizers are applied annually to fields to replenish chemical elements washed out of the soil. Fertilizers regulate metabolic processes in plants and contribute to the accumulation of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Small doses of fertilizers, used taking into account the characteristics of soil and climatic conditions, contribute to increased crop yields. But very often the rules of fertilizer application are violated. Systematic application of fertilizers in high doses, poor storage, and losses during transportation lead to pollution of the environment, especially water bodies, and affect human health. 2. Pesticides are the collective name for pesticides used in agriculture to control weeds, pests, and diseases of crops. Pesticides are usually used to kill a specific pest. But apart from that pest, virtually all living things in the vicinity are killed. Scientists have calculated that in our country, the use of pesticides in agriculture kills up to 80% of pigs, chickens, cattle, and sheep. Soil erosion is an important agricultural problem. Soil erosion is the most dangerous enemy that destroys agricultural land. Nine-tenths of all losses of arable land, including loss of fertility, are due to erosion. Erosion is the process of destruction and demolition of soil cover by water currents or wind. Improper agricultural practices can significantly increase erosion. The desire to increase agricultural production in the short term often leads to violations of farming rules, such as the abandonment of crop rotation, which in turn will accelerate soil erosion. Keeping animals is associated with the consumption of enormous amounts of water, which goes to growing crops, drinking, washing, and other related processes. This human use of one of the most valuable resources is naturally not optimal. The development of animal husbandry has led to the fact that most of the water today is used not at all by people for direct drinking and personal economic needs, but for this industry. Estimates of the amount of water required for "producing" meat vary greatly, but all agree that this is a colossal expenditure.