Nearly half of the world’s ice-free land today is used for agricultural production.
Three of the most serious environmental problems facing humanity are the emission of greenhouse gasses, habitat loss and water scarcity.
It is important to turn the tide on environmental destruction by restoring ecosystems that have been altered. With a growing population, which is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, food production will need to be increased or expanded spatially.
Relocating areas is a potential environmental opportunity, according to a team of international researchers from Harvard, Peking, Cambridge and Peking Universities. They believe it may become a necessity. Their recently published study is available in Communications Earth & EnvironmentFor global food security.
How to determine the optimal distribution
Researchers determined the optimal global cropland distributions that minimize carbon and biodiversity footprints and eliminate the need for systemic irrigation in current and future climate conditions.
They used global maps to show the current areas of 25 major crops including soybean and wheat barley, which together account for more than three quarters of all croplands in the world.
The researchers developed a mathematical model that allowed them to examine all possible distributions of this cropland worldwide, while still maintaining production levels for each crop.
Cropland has replaced natural habitats, which contain a lot of carbon and biodiversity. In many cases, crops do not grow well in these areas. These places could be regenerated and production moved to more suitable areas. We would quickly see environmental benefits.Robert Beyer was the original author of the study and was previously a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology. Beyer is now based in Germany at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
More in the Mid-West USA, but less in Europe
The optimal distribution of global croplands would allow for large new areas of farming to be developed in many major crops, both in the mid-west US and in Africa below the Sahara Desert.
Large areas of farmland in India and Europe would be restored to their natural habitat.
According to the researchers methodology, and assuming high-input mechanised farming, the carbon footprint of global croplands could be reduced by 71% by allowing land to return to its natural forested state.
The world’s biodiversity would be less affected by crop production. It would also be less likely that irrigation is needed. Crops would be grown in areas where rainwater is abundant.
Although such a scenario is not possible right now, the researchers stressed that there are still many lessons to be learned from the study.
This whole redesign is not feasible at the moment. Even if we could only relocate a fraction the world’s cropland and focus on the areas most efficient for growing crops the environmental benefits would be enormous. Beyer.
Source: Communications Earth & Environment
Relocating croplands could dramatically reduce the environmental impact of global food production
Published 10 March 2022
DOI: 10.1038/s43247-022-00360-6
Authors: Robert M. Beyer and Fangyuan Hua. Philip A. Martin, Andrea Manica, Tim Rademacher.