Intensive farming

Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is an agricultural production system characterized by the high inputs of labor, fertilizers, or capital in relation to the land area. This farming system is associated with various types of agriculture, such as monoculture, industrial agriculture, and factory farming.

Overview

Intensive farming involves various methods to increase agricultural productivity. These methods include the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, mechanization, and genetically modified organisms. The primary goal of intensive farming is to maximize the yield of crops and animals for food production, often at the expense of any other considerations.

Types of Intensive Farming

Industrial Agriculture

Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops. It is characterized by a low fallow ratio and higher use of inputs such as capital and labor per unit land area.

Monoculture

Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing a single crop, plant, or livestock species, variety, or breed in a field or farming system at a time. It is widely used in both industrial farming and organic farming.

Factory Farming

Factory farming is a type of intensive agriculture designed to maximize production output, while minimizing production costs. It is characterized by large-scale, high-density animal production.

Environmental Impact

Intensive farming has significant environmental impacts. It often leads to a high amount of deforestation due to the large amount of land required. It also contributes to biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and water pollution due to the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

See Also

• Sustainable agriculture
• Organic farming
• Agricultural science
• Agricultural policy