Assessing the environmental impacts of agriculture using IRENA indicators

Abstract

Agricultural practices have a distinctive interaction with the environment; they manipulate natural resources and uses technological advances to produce food to satisfy the need of the human population. Farming, which considers both the use of natural resources and human interaction, puts pressures on the environment in a number of ways. Natural resources affected include water quality, especially surface and ground water bodies contaminated with pesticide and fertiliser use coupled with over-abstraction; air quality and the presence of NH3 and oxides of C, N and S gases as the main pollutants; soil quality and the effect on soil texture and structure, nutrient supply, moisture balance and salinity. Impacts on the rural landscape and agricultural land use practices have threatened wild species and accelerated soil erosion. Last but not least, biodiversity loss and the introduction of alien species, high chemical input and over-exploitation. A survey was carried out as part of the IRENA project to study the actions and thoughts of local farmers with respect to their role in conserving the environment. Sixteen indicators were taken into consideration out of a total of forty two. The major problems were a result of over-abstraction of ground water, land abandonment due to fragmentation, incorrect storage facilities of manure, over use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, together with lack of soil or water analysis. However, results show that farmers are willing to put an extra effort in conserving the environment by shifting to organic agriculture, attending educational courses and being involved in agri-environmental schemes.