Crop yields: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "By increasing crop yields, we can produce more food without using more land.<br /> In other words, prevent both hunger and deforestation. ==The current situation== Crop yields are generally higher in richer countries. File: crop-yields-map.png ==Conventional agriculture== Characteristics include: * Fertilizer * Pesticides * Monoculture * Heavy farm equipment * GMOs ==Q&A== ===Unanswered=== Materially speaking, what is lacking in pla...") |
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A crop's ''yield'' is the amount of [[food]] grown ''per unit of'' [[land]]. | |||
There are 2 main reasons to want to increase crop yields: | |||
* Produce more food - which could help prevent [[hunger]]. | |||
* Use less farm land - which could help prevent [[deforestation]]. | |||
Yields can be increased through innovation, farming methods, and/or by simply [[crop choices|growing different crops]]. | |||
==The current situation== | ==The current situation== | ||
| Line 6: | Line 11: | ||
Crop yields are generally higher in richer countries. | Crop yields are generally higher in richer countries. | ||
[[File: crop-yields-map.png]] | [[File:crop-yields-map.png|720px]] | ||
==Conventional agriculture== | ==Conventional agriculture== | ||
Characteristics include: | Characteristics include: | ||
# [[Fertilizer]] | |||
# [[Pesticides]] | |||
# [[GMOs]] | |||
# Heavy [[farm equipment]] | |||
# [[Monoculture]] | |||
The first 3 are generally considered the reason that rich countries get higher yields. Whereas monoculture might actually ''decrease'' yields due to less resiliance against pests (and the pesticides & GMOs are designed to compensate for this). | |||
There may be alternatives to conventional agriculture, which get higher yields. This wiki doesn't have enough information on this yet. | |||
==Unanswered questions== | |||
Materially speaking, what is lacking in places with low crop yields? | Materially speaking, what is lacking in places with low crop yields? | ||
| Line 26: | Line 33: | ||
How much nitrogen can legume crops 'fix' into the soil? How does it compare to the amount of nitrogen needed to maximize grain yields? | How much nitrogen can legume crops 'fix' into the soil? How does it compare to the amount of nitrogen needed to maximize grain yields? | ||
''Join the {{talk}} and help | Some say that conventional agriculture only increases crop yields in the ''short term'', and makes them ''worse'' in the ''long term''. And that other [[farming practices]] such as [[regenerative agriculture]] are ultimately more productive. Is this true? What research/data can we gather to get a reasonably confident answer? | ||
''Join the {{talk}} and help finish building this page!'' | |||
==Other ways to improve food supply== | ==Other ways to improve food supply== | ||
* Reducing [[food waste]] | * Reducing [[food waste]] | ||
* Making diets more [[plant-based]] | * Making diets more [[plant-based]] | ||
* | * Not burning food as [[biofuel]] | ||
Latest revision as of 00:44, 29 September 2022
A crop's yield is the amount of food grown per unit of land.
There are 2 main reasons to want to increase crop yields:
- Produce more food - which could help prevent hunger.
- Use less farm land - which could help prevent deforestation.
Yields can be increased through innovation, farming methods, and/or by simply growing different crops.
The current situation
Crop yields are generally higher in richer countries.
Conventional agriculture
Characteristics include:
The first 3 are generally considered the reason that rich countries get higher yields. Whereas monoculture might actually decrease yields due to less resiliance against pests (and the pesticides & GMOs are designed to compensate for this).
There may be alternatives to conventional agriculture, which get higher yields. This wiki doesn't have enough information on this yet.
Unanswered questions
Materially speaking, what is lacking in places with low crop yields?
Is it true that polyculture can produce higher yields than monoculture? If so, why isn't it more common?
How much nitrogen can legume crops 'fix' into the soil? How does it compare to the amount of nitrogen needed to maximize grain yields?
Some say that conventional agriculture only increases crop yields in the short term, and makes them worse in the long term. And that other farming practices such as regenerative agriculture are ultimately more productive. Is this true? What research/data can we gather to get a reasonably confident answer?
Join the discussion and help finish building this page!
Other ways to improve food supply
- Reducing food waste
- Making diets more plant-based
- Not burning food as biofuel