7/11/2023 0 Comments Slash and burn agricultureThe results of continuing on this path of slash and burn are massive deforestation, erosion, decreased biodiversity, nutrient loss, and possibly most significant is the huge net increase in global carbon emissions that result from slash and burn practices.Įstimates show that, depending on location, between 48 square miles of rainforest are cut down and burned every year to make way for agriculture in each region where slash and burn is practiced. Slash and burn allows for people to farm in places where it usually is not possible because of dense vegetation, soil infertility, low soil nutrient content, uncontrollable pests, or other reasons.” However, this mentality doesn’t take into account the world’s rapidly declining natural resources alongside of our rapidly increasing world population. Steif asserts, “When used properly, slash and burn agriculture provides communities with a source of food and income. This occurs primarily in the equatorial regions that harbor the rainforests and has been taking place just as long as humans have been farming. Some estimates show that upwards of 300 million farmers practice slash and burn agriculture in the world today. Agriculture is one of the oldest sciences in the human experience, and technological advances in this field are one of the major influences that have allowed us to build, grow, and thrive in all other aspects of life over the last 10,000 years. What we often forget when discussing such advances is that technology doesn’t always mean gadgets, especially when talking about ways to improve the bottom line of life in the most impoverished places on the planet. The term appropriate technology is often used to describe technological innovation or devices that are affordable enough to be considered for widespread use in the developing world. The village of Gaviotas, situated in the llanos region of Colombia, is cited as one of the premier examples of the development and implementation of place-based, appropriate technology. – Mike Hands, founder of the Inga Foundation. “Making serious change is a very time consuming and costly business.” NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed.
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