Year Published
- 2008 (3) Apply 2008 filter
- 2009 (5) Apply 2009 filter
- (-) Remove 2010 filter 2010
- (-) Remove 2011 filter 2011
- 2012 (2) Apply 2012 filter
- 2013 (6) Apply 2013 filter
- 2014 (5) Apply 2014 filter
- 2015 (1) Apply 2015 filter
- 2016 (10) Apply 2016 filter
- 2017 (8) Apply 2017 filter
- 2018 (1) Apply 2018 filter
- 2019 (3) Apply 2019 filter
- 2020 (0)
- 2021 (0)
Research Topics
Populations
- Countries/Governments (0)
- Rural Populations (0)
- Smallholder Farmers (1) Apply Smallholder Farmers filter
- Women (0)
Types of Research
Geography
- East Africa Region and Selected Countries (6) Apply East Africa Region and Selected Countries filter
- Global (0)
- South Asia Region and Selected Countries (4) Apply South Asia Region and Selected Countries filter
- Southern Africa Region and Selected Countries (1) Apply Southern Africa Region and Selected Countries filter
- Sub-Saharan Africa (11) Apply Sub-Saharan Africa filter
- West Africa Region and Selected Countries (1) Apply West Africa Region and Selected Countries filter
Dataset
Current search
- (-) Remove Food Security & Nutrition filter Food Security & Nutrition
- (-) Remove Global & Regional Public Goods filter Global & Regional Public Goods
- (-) Remove Environment & Climate Change filter Environment & Climate Change
- (-) Remove 2010 filter 2010
- (-) Remove 2011 filter 2011
- (-) Remove Risk, Preferences, & Decision-Making filter Risk, Preferences, & Decision-Making
Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems, such as provisioning of fresh water, food, feed, fiber, biodiversity, energy, and nutrient cycling. Agricultural production can substantially affect the functioning of ecosystems, both positively and negatively. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the impacts of agricultural technologies and practices on ecosystem services such as soil fertility, water, biodiversity, air, and climate. The report describes the environmental impacts of different aspects of intensive cropping practices and of inputs associated with intensification. We further explore these impacts by examining intensive rice systems and industrial crop processing. Although this report focuses on the impacts of agricultural practices on the environment, many of the practices also have implications for plant, animal, and human health. Farmers and others who come in contact with air, water, and soils polluted by chemical fertilizers and pesticides may face negative health consequences, for instance. By impacting components of the ecosystem, these practices affect the health of plants and animals living within the ecosystem. We find that the unintended environmental consequences of intensive agricultural practices and inputs are varied and potentially severe. In some cases, sustaining or increasing agricultural productivity depends upon reducing impacts to the environment, such as maintaining productive soils by avoiding salinization from irrigation water. However, in other cases, eliminating negative environmental impacts may involve unacceptable trade-offs with food provision or other development goals. Determining the appropriate balance of costs and benefits from intensive agricultural practices is a location-specific exercise requiring knowledge of natural, economic, and social conditions.
- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3