The subject of environmental sustainability and planetary health has become unavoidable in recent years, and a lot of resources have been dedicated to addressing it. Agriculture as a sector is very pivotal to guaranteeing environmental sustainability, and a major way this can be achieved is through nutrient use efficiency. Several inputs go into agricultural production systems to create the desired outputs; however, an optimal amount of these inputs must be used to minimize wastage and enhance efficiency, thereby reducing environmental pollution. A practical example of this is nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from crop and livestock production. When the protein intake of livestock is not optimized, an excess can lead to nitrogen excretion in the waste, and this additional nitrogen in the waste can contribute to environmental pollution by releasing volatilized ammonia into the atmosphere, leaching nitrate into groundwater, and emitting nitrous oxide which is a greenhouse gas. The use of excess phosphorus as fertilizers in crop systems can lead to a depletion in soil quality and the runoff into water bodies can lead to eutrophication which can negatively impact the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. Hence, the target of including inputs in agricultural production systems should be at a level that can boost production without polluting the environment.
Recycling within agricultural systems is also a viable way to manage resources, through the utilization of waste from one agricultural system as an input in another. The use of manure from livestock systems as organic fertilizers in crop production systems, and the use of harvest wastes like corn stalks as livestock feed are good examples of this. By-products from food processing like soy hulls can also be fed to livestock. Some regenerative agricultural practices like integrating livestock production into cropping systems, agroforestry, silvopasture, and cover cropping can help maximize resources, reduce wastage, and revitalize the soil. Horticultural production can also be maximized to preserve economically important insects like honeybees which are in turn beneficial as pollinators in crop production systems.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming and climate change, and one effective way of removing this gas from the atmosphere is through the process of photosynthesis by plants. Therefore, afforestation should be given more priority to provide additional trees that will sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Methane is also a greenhouse gas of concern and enteric fermentation from ruminant animals is a major source of methane emissions from the agricultural sector. Proper diet modification can help to reduce the emission of this gas and improve the efficiency of the animals.
Genetic tools can also be used attain environmental sustainability, through selective breeding of more efficient livestock that require less input to produce more products like milk, and breeding more resilient and high yielding crop varieties that can generate more biomass per land area and adapt to changing weather conditions.
Conclusively, the adoption of these practices will improve the environmental footprint of the agricultural sector, enhance biodiversity, increase output and profit for producers, and conserve the environment, which is a win-win for everyone.
— Gift Omoruyi